20+ fake-sounding jobs that society actually needs: 'Everyone hates HR until they work somewhere without them'

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Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Jun 25, 2024 4:00 PM EDT

Ask most people to name a job, any job, and the likelihood is that they will go with one of the classics. A doctor, a teacher, a waiter—one of those roles that we all know and recognize the use of (well, we should do, anyway). 

However, the fact is that the world of work is far more varied than this stock list of identifiable positions. There are thousands of different jobs out there, and while it's true that some of them are firmly on the BS end of the scale, there are many others that we might not know exist, but actually do something important.

This was the premise for a fascinating thread that listed numerous different types of jobs that sound kind of fake but are in fact good or useful. Spoilers: a lot of of these are related to safety and regulation. We can't downplay what goes on behind the scenes. 

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  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10365869312
    via Arno Senoner
  • 02
    X (formerly Twitter) William B. F ley (@opinonhaver) on X What jobs sound super 'fake' but are actually extremely 'real'? By that I mean you read the description and think something like "oh ok this is just some email job" but the actual reality is "no lots of people would definitely die if someone didn't do this"
    via opinionhaver
  • 03
    Nic (duck content acco... @Npakaderm Follow This is by no means a life or death scenario but if a major company like say, Target or Whole Foods hires a "Banana Ripener" that doesn't know what they're doing it can cost them millions of dollars. Probably applies to lots of other produce too. Farm -> Port -> DC -> Store.
    via Npakaderm
  • 04
    Marcus @Pralite Monks 3d There are many jobs throughout the USDA where this is the case. Without import inspections (for example) we could lose entire forests / millions of acres of farmland.
    via PraliteMonks
  • 05
    Liam @LegoRacers2.2d If we didn't have podcasters dirty laundry and unwashed dishes would pile up so fast that all human civilization would grind to a halt
    via LegoRacers2
  • 06
    Lmao Gan Ma @redderbeanpaste. 3d I need people to know property manager is not the same thing as landlord in all cases sometimes it's a person making 60k trying to make sure your building has insurance if it sets on fire
    via redderbeanpaste
  • 07
    harriet @bequietharriet • 3d this guy I met in Paris whose job it was to check the biological diseases that could potentially be spread by exotic plants being brought into the UK to fake exotic locations for films and TV
    via bequietharriet
  • 08
    Dr Hannah Pethen @Hannah Pethen • 2d The people who died did so a long time ago but your Planning Archaeologist can be the only person preventing your new house/ office from having actual literal dead people under it.
    via HannahPethen
  • 09
    @hxvbvx 3d Quality Analyst in customer service reviewing spelling mistakes for a living | but after I got to see what sounds happens in emails on a daily basis I can see why it pays that much
    via hxvbvx
  • 10
    CRUSTACEAN SENSA... Follow @chopstickfury01 Wastewater treatment is largely automated processes, but you'd think it would be a set it and forget it thing. It really is not, given the ever stricter parameters coming out as tech develops and what not.
    via chopstickfury01
  • 11
    Q. Anthony Ali @NobleQAli • 3d Replying to @opinonhaver "Underwater welder" sounds fake because of the "underwater" in the title, but the job carries possibly the highest fatality rate of any trade profession, and without them our commercial logistics would grind to a halt while oil derricks explode offshore, one after another
    via NobleQAli
  • 12
    Tired, real tired @stillinatl • 3d Replying to @opinonhaver Many believe the United States Postal Investigation Service is either made up or powerless when really they've got some of the best investigators with extremely broad powers. I'd mess with the FBI before I'd want to mess with the USPIS.
    via stillinatl
  • 13
    Nuno Losch @LOSCH 3d Replying to @opinonhaver Train Track Walker Description: Walks along train tracks to manually inspect for defects or obstructions. Reality: Identifies and clears potential hazards that could cause train derailments or accidents, ensuring the safety of thousands of rail passengers and freight every day.
    via L0SCH
  • 14
    Dori The Great @dorithegreat128.3d Replying to @opinonhaver COBOL is an extremely old programming language, but people who know it are still very important, because big chunks of important infrastructure (mostly banks) are still built on it
    via dorithegreat128
  • 15
    •Freyja. @utotranslucence 3d Replying to @opinonhaver there are a whole tonne of healthcare admin people whose job is basically 'find a manual route around the madness of the system to get someone the help they need'
    via utotransluscence
  • 16
    Cyberpunk Plato @Cyberpunk Plato .4d Replying to @opinonhaver HR. Everyone hates them until they try and work somewhere without them
    via CyberpunkPlato
  • 17
    intoxikaiting ❤ @intoxikaiting. 3d Replying to @opinonhaver i had a job as a "sandcastle maker" when i was 17 no one would die without sandcastles, but it was cool to help make cool core family memories for people vacationing!
    via intoxikaiting
  • 18
    Jacob Smiley @Poppop908070-3d Replying to @opinonhaver Assistant to the Regional Manager 53 17512 23.4K ılı 823K Ezra Black @Ezra_Black_ .3d Devil wears Prada fans unite.
    via Poppop908070
  • 19
    mama p @paradisefowens ⚫ 3d Replying to @opinonhaver Literally anything in compliance because we actually make sure medical devices/ pharmaceuticals are in alignment with the FDA before it's made and the people who physically design it are always mad when we send it back with changes.
    via paradisefowens
  • 20
    Nuno Losch @LOSCH • 3d Replying to @opinonhaver There's someone responsible for treating the ballast water of ships to prevent the spread of invasive species by the ships potentially causing large ecological disasters
    via L0SCH
  • 21
    Wayne ❤ @codepublish - 3d Replying to @opinonhaver Plane keeper upper man 174 954 ili 192K Vertis Yiln @BabylonianAUO. 3d I feel like people are starting to realize this one thanks to boeing
    via codepublish
  • 22
    mfletcherchristian ❤ @mfletcherchristian Replying to @opinonhaver Follow Yahoo! originally had a huge org of people with the title of "Web Surfer." They spent their entire day leisurely browsing the web, and cataloging sites. This was before algorithmic search engines existed.
    via mfletcherchristian

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