Job Value

[packbat]

Last year, conuly posted a story about an (idiot) office worker disdaining construction work, in which she pointed out the obvious fact that construction work is not only well-paid, but necessary. I was reminded of it today by a fellow commenting on Pharyngula, and that got me thinking about the classic "good job"/"bad job" distinctions people make.

And it hit me. I can't think of any bad jobs.

Give it a moment. Food service? You help bring tasty cheeseburgers to people and make them happy. Garbage collection? I can't find the quote, but I remember someone once said one measure of a civilization was how fast waste is moved away from the people. Middle management? I was a Boy Scout, I know how much chaos arises from a lack of good leadership. Advertising? Well, it may be the capitalist in me, but if having the cash to burn on ads signals confidence in the profitability of the product, advertisement should (with a few exceptions) be a useful indicator of quality. Even professional sports – the closest thing to a useless job I've thought of yet – encourage physical recreation (public health!), and (I suspect) improvements in some kinds of medicine and surgery.

What do you all think? Am I missing some useless occupation? Some useful occupation, too often derided? What do you say?

Comments

[hallan.livejournal.com]

Dirty politician. Con artist. Telemarketer.

Hallan

PS- I'd forgotten how awesome Absurd Notions was. Too bad it died. :(

[packbat.livejournal.com]

...okay, I'll grant that a lot of illegal occupations are, in fact, bad jobs. Telemarketing, though: intrusive and irritating though it may be, in its most benign form it's fundamentally another form of advertisement. Maybe one of the weakest in terms of signaling (unlike print or TV advertisements, you can't tell how much they're spending, and there's no-one with a vested interest in guaranteeing they're legit), but with the compensating advantage of interactivity.

Granted, it abuses the urgent nature of telephone communications. Still, it has some value.

[hallan.livejournal.com]

"The compensating advantage of interactivity."

...

Interactivity.

...

Right.

"Hi, I'd like a moment of your time to talk about this-"

"Not interested."

"-great deal we have at-"

"Not. Interested."

"-and if you act now, you can-"

"What part of 'not interested aren't you clueing in on?!?"

"-and we'll even throw in a-"

*AIRHORN* *click*

Hallan

[ceruleanst.livejournal.com]

Scroll way back in those archives and you might think of one.

[ceruleanst.livejournal.com]

I see I am, as always, too slow. And it's %@&!# resting.

[hallan.livejournal.com]

Hey, awesome! I'd been meaning to e-mail you for about six months! *points to above* Absurd Notions (and Why the Long Face, too) is hilarious. :) Kudos!

Hallan

[packbat.livejournal.com]

Oh, I remember that! Yeah, telemarketing is hard to defend, but I think I can make an argument or two (http://packbat.livejournal.com/97962.html?thread=139434#t139434).

[feech.livejournal.com]

I agree.

Well, wait-- can you defend telemarketing?

Although if you believe idle hands are the devil's workshop, then any occupation is by defintion of use.

[packbat.livejournal.com]

Maybe... (http://packbat.livejournal.com/97962.html?view=139434#t139434)

Although if you believe idle hands are the devil's workshop, then any occupation is by defintion of use.

Well, that's as may be, but who says the devil's work can't take the form of a job, so to speak?

[kadyg.livejournal.com]

Poodle groomer?

But seriously, I keep thinking of useful jobs which are put to useless means. The most glaring (to me) is a New York party planner who arranged to have a floor painted to resemble a flower-filled meadow for a one-night event - the next day the floor was stripped back to its original finish. He managed to employ caterers, muscians, waitstaff, bartenders, painters, decorators, djs and all manner of other people for a ONE NIGHT event that a handful of people got to enjoy. The Socialist in me winces, but the chef wonders what sort of food was served.

[active-apathy.livejournal.com]

Poodles don't shed, so, useful. A chihuahua groomer, on the other hand...

[packbat.livejournal.com]

Poodles don't shed? Huh. Didn't know that.

[packbat.livejournal.com]

Ditto, except musician and music rather than chef and food. Makes me think of The Stars My Destination: "Oh, madam, it's so difficult to spend money these days. We have to find the silliest excuses."

[goblinpaladin.livejournal.com]

Pawnbroker.

[active-apathy.livejournal.com]

Turns junk into money for people with too much space in their pocket and too little space in their home?

[goblinpaladin.livejournal.com]

That...is almost never the case. But, ok, I'll grant it.

[active-apathy.livejournal.com]

Oh, of course - eBay does a much better job of turning junk into money, but it lacks a certain kind of asset liquidation immediacy.

[packbat.livejournal.com]

Ditto to active_apathy, but also it provides secure, private, and short-notice (although generally small-amount and high-interest) loans against collateral. In some ways that's a bad thing, but, say, for someone with bad credit and an imminent, important bill (or rent payment), it's much better than nothing, however exploitative it may be.

[bardricks227.livejournal.com]

Garbage collection? I can't find the quote, but I remember someone once said one measure of a civilization was how fast waste is moved away from the people.

GREAT OBSERVATION!*LOL*

How about golf caddy, slaughter house attandant, dog groomer?

Bardo
www.findmypaydayloan.com (https://www.findmypaydayloan.com/Default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1)

[packbat.livejournal.com]

Hey, fun is important, and so is meat. As for groomers, active_apathy pointed out the shedding thing for poodles, for example – plus, all dogs need some care, and the groomers might provide a share of that (I can't say, not knowing any).

[barnums09.livejournal.com]

I guess all jobs are GOOD, as long as it is legal. I think that the basis of most individuals when classifying a job as “good or “bad” is how much the job pays. If the job entails much work yet it pays little, then that is classified as “bad” job.

I just think that whatever job you are in, as long as you do your best and not hurt anyone, and it pays you, then that’s a good job.

Sabrina Falcons
www.findmypaydayloan.com (https://www.findmypaydayloan.com/Default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1)