What's your current job? What's the worst job you ever had?

[Dr. MB]

For most people, working hard is in their genes. From the moment they wake up until they go to sleep, their entire bodies are screaming out for action. For some, like the author of this article, it's so bad that they don't like their jobs even on a good day. If you can find any common theme among these people, it would seem to be a lot of "why the heck does anyone do this for a living?"

So, my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to do a poll, asking people to tell me about their worst jobs.

Jobs are tough. Everyone has experienced them at some point in their life, but to say it was the most miserable job in your life has to be in the top 10 or at the very least the top 5. Some were so bad they weren't even enjoyable anymore. It's important to note that for most people these jobs didn't happen overnight, nor did they happen on a Friday afternoon. Some jobs are bad for one reason, and some for another. Others come about because of one incident that snowballed into a bad situation. You probably didn't realize it when you were starting, but by the time you were done, you had a bad job.

Here's the catch: you can't talk about these things publicly because "what you don't know can't hurt you." In my defense, I did speak to several friends about their worst jobs and only one of them is a public figure, so there's that.

If you have a nightmare job, I want to hear about it, even if it has nothing to do with the job itself. If it happened early in your career, say so and I'll consider your experience.

So, without further ado, here are the top 5 worst jobs.

5. Security Guard

You're probably not thinking of security as one of the worst jobs around, but according to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, it may be. A security guard job requires you to stand outside a business and monitor it at all times. You cannot work at multiple locations at once and you cannot work for a competitor of the business. On top of that, you're prohibited from entering the business at all times and must be accompanied by the business owner while inside.

Sounds like a sweet gig, right? So what makes a job into a "worst job?" You're not allowed to even talk to other people, let alone be around them while on the job. You must be on top of things 24/7 because if you let even a minute of someone getting away, you have to explain what you did to a boss, who is likely to send you home and not pay you for the time spent doing the job. You may not be sure you want to work as a security guard but you really don't want to be fired either. After all, they won't even pay you, not to mention pay you for time lost while fired.

4. Child Support Enforcer

The child support enforcement job can involve many things, but what you might be most familiar with is collecting money you're entitled to through a lawyer. A lot of the work involves going to courtrooms where you have to try to convince a judge that a parent isn't making payments that they are required to make. The process isn't for the faint of heart. Even after collecting, you have to wait weeks, sometimes months, for the money to be paid to you. While waiting, you can't do anything but sit at your desk or stand outside a courtroom.

While you're waiting, you can't talk to anyone, for any reason, and any communications with parents or children is strictly prohibited. When a parent, who has been ordered to pay, refuses to pay their child support, you have no choice but to try to force them to pay. This may be a terrible job, but it's nothing compared to the worst of the worst.

3. Stock Broker

Many people think that this job is the very definition of a dream job. You can make a lot of money and, depending on the type of investment you're talking about, you may even help people make a lot of money too. The problem is that the job takes skill and not everyone has it. Stock brokers have to be able to read charts, keep their eyes on a lot of moving parts at once and, above all, be a good judge of character. No matter what type of work you do, most of it is based on people's behavior. Even if you make the correct call most of the time, you'll still probably come home feeling like you've gotten a lot of sh**t done, and not in a good way.

The fact that you have to read lots of charts, and know where to look on them to make the best decision is not for the weak of heart. If you think you can take it, try and see if you can handle it. I think you'll find out that you can't.

2. Prison Guard

Prison guards don't get paid anything for their work. Not one penny. The entire idea is to ensure that prisoners don't harm themselves or others. Most states require the guards to be armed and use force if they are threatened or feel their lives are in danger. You can only use your physical strength to stop the inmates from harming themselves or others.

While you're not directly paid to prevent violence, you could easily have an accident and hurt or kill someone. You may have the ability to restrain an inmate, but if the situation goes south you have to react accordingly. You can't take the risk of being the aggressor. You must be on alert 24/7 and have little to no time to yourself. To be honest, I don't think it's a great idea to spend your time in a place like that. However, for some, it could be the very definition of a perfect job.

1. The worst of the worst: The President

Let's start with the fact that the president doesn't work for free. While some presidents get paid a flat salary, most of them take part in "incentive-based" pay, where they receive additional money based on certain milestones they meet. There's no denying that, in most cases, these presidents do make a lot of money. This fact alone is enough to make some people have nightmares of this job. If that's the case for you, there's one more thing to consider, and it might make you feel a little better.

You may think you're making a sacrifice in becoming a president, but you might actually be the victim of a scam. What's worse, you may actually be able to prove it and get money from the FBI for the ordeal. Some presidents are chosen for their political, not necessarily their leadership, skill. If you're good with people and get along with others, you can actually get to the top. If you are a sociopath and a complete, arrogant jackass who thinks he can't be bested by anybody, you might actually make it.

You can go to the FBI web site and file a complaint of election fraud if you think that, as president, you were voted into office and then cheated out of your money and prestige. In a perfect world, I'd like to see this happen. However, the chances of it happening are quite slim. If you file a complaint, be prepared to receive a settlement and then some.

If you decide to take a chance and run for the office of president, you'll be in for a rude awakening when you're elected. The first two years of the job are going to be some of the hardest you've ever experienced. The money may not be worth it if you don't get to see your kids on a regular basis, but it will be nice to make some money along the way. If you're anything like me, you have a problem with authority and will probably see the job as being a very demeaning one. If you have enough sense, you'll realize that you're there to do a job, not be a politician.

When you get elected, you'll have to make tough choices. The president, by law, has to be the chief executive of the country. It's an entirely new set of responsibilities. You can't let the job dictate your life. Many presidents take great pride in the job and want to make sure that you do too. Many others are all about being left alone, with no outside concerns or distractions. It'll be up to you to decide which type you are.

If you're a good president and follow the rules, you may not even be criticized. If you're a bad president, you can expect a lot of criticism for anything from how you dress to your personality. I hope I never have to become the president of the United States, but if I do, I hope I can be a good one.

[Lechasseur]

Unemployed starting from today, for the first time in my t

Until yesterday I was working as a customer services representative since I finished my Master's (right as Covid hit).

I'm looking to change jobs and industries here so ultimately this is an opportunity.

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Unemployed starting from today, for the first time in my t

Until yesterday I was working as a customer services representative since I finished my Master's (right as Covid hit).

I'm looking to change jobs and industries here so ultimately this is an opportunity.

Congrats, post-grad!

Currently a medical intern. 

Worst job I ever had was a bartender at a restaurant near my undergrad alma mater.  I actually didn't mind the service industry at all -- I made good money and the clients were by-and-larfe pleasant, but one assistant manager sexually harassed myself and the other female employees like crazy.  Just made a lot of really creepy comments, would give unwanted massages, wwould put his hands on your lower back (which is a big turn-on for me and a touch I only reserve for love interests), etc etc. 

[SWE]

Not currently working (law student), although I'm going to try and get my old job back at Dollar Tree during winter break because I am currently broke. Dollar Tree was my worst job, but I've gotten pretty lucky with my jobs and my experience there was probably about as good as an annoying minimum wage retail job can be. I've also worked at the front desk at my university's career services when I was in undergrad and worked at a law firm that provides free civil legal services to indigent clients (mostly divorces and eviction defense) this past summer

[jamestroll]

Today is my last day as working in management for hospitality.

I start work with local government on Thursday!

[Orwell]

My dad was a prison guard for a few months back in the early 90s, then he had to work at a Level 4 women's prison and that was too much for him.

   Best Job: Warehouse Worker, made good money but I was there off the books.

   Worst job: Coldstone Creamery, it sucked and it sucked badly I made it through 1 6 hour shift and quit with a text the next morning, my legs hurt for standing for 6 hours.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Current: Volunteer.
Worst: Some student or summer gig, probably.

[PSOL]

The worst was the groundskeeper of an estate

Best was selling insurance

Now I’m number crunching

[Illiniwek]

Currently, I am a patent litigation attorney. I work for a small IP litigation boutique, but we are involved in some high profile cases against major tech companies.

Previously, I was a legal malpractice and medical malpractice defense attorney at a medium-sized general litigation firm.

Through high school and college, I was a sailing instructor / racing coach.

My worst job was when I had two half time internships for a given summer, one as an intern at a law firm and a supposed engineering internship at an automotive parts manufacturer. But I got there and instead of doing actual engineering work as promised, I was put on a CNC machine to just make parts all day long. They had supposedly lost much of the workforce due to immigration issues shortly before I got there, so they just stuck me on the manufacturing floor. I quit after two weeks and went full time at my internship at the law firm. Maybe it was weak of me to quit just two weeks in, but that was not the experience I was supposed to be getting.

[Lambsbread]

Currently I work in what is essentially customer service for a direct mail marketing company. I've been here for about 3.5 years and I enjoy what I do.

My worst job ever was probably my first job out of college, which was in retention for TruGreen lawn care. I would have to call people trying to cancel their plans and attempt to win back their business. Most of the time, it was people telling me they couldn't afford the service or that someone in their household had cancer and could not be exposed to the chemicals--I would still have to try and save the account. That took a toll on me and I was only there for about 5 months before I quit.

[Aurelius]

Current: salesman at an auto parts store, driving for Uber Eats on the side for extra cash. Looking for an entry-level software engineer job.
Worst: snowmaking at a ski resort. Miserable - no amount of money could get me to do that again. At least I got a few cool stories out of it though.

[Secretary of State Liberal Hack]

I'm a product engineering intern, life isn't great.

[FT-02 Senator A.F.E. 🇵🇸🤝🇺🇸🤝🇺🇦]

I've only worked two jobs so far. My current job as a lifeguard is 100x than my former job as a retail employee for GAP

[Dr. MB]

My dad was a prison guard for a few months back in the early 90s, then he had to work at a Level 4 women's prison and that was too much for him.

   

Was the lack of pay a problem for him?

[Orwell]

My dad was a prison guard for a few months back in the early 90s, then he had to work at a Level 4 women's prison and that was too much for him.

   

Was the lack of pay a problem for him?

It was a mix of that and the women at that prison were insane, worse than the Level 5 Men's prison he had gone to.

[President Johnson]

Project manager for Business Software for a IT company.

My worst job was probably as teen in a supermarket... just wasn't my thing.

[HillGoose]

job title is not important, i have just been a professional failure ever since i was born

idk how i make so much money, i suck at everything. nobody else seems to think so, but i know its true.

belong in the land fill