What do you think is the toughest job ?

[jeff30997]

Personally the most useless and toughest job I did

was washing dishes in a Restaurant.Damn,I was washing as fast as

I could but it kept pilling on !

But we're talking about really hard jobs here so

What do you think is the toughest job there is ?

[ogneopasno]

1. Drywall or scaffolding. Probably not THE toughest, but I've seen what it can do to people.

[skygazer]

2. Parent

But besides that...

I don't know. I've had a lot of jobs and some of them were really physically demanding. But I think the hardest job I've had is the one I have now working retail. It's exhausting working with the public, keeping that public face on for 8 hours at a stretch. I feel like when I walk out of the back room, I'm walking onto a stage and I have to stay in character.

I'm more exhausted after 8 hours of retail than I ever was after 10 hour days working road construction.

[boilerbabe]

28. Dealing with people has to be the roughest one for sure!!! n/t

[Jeep789]

39. I second parenting

worst paid and least appreciated job ever. Still, it does have some of the most rewarding and heartwarming (and frustrating and heartbreaking) moments of any job out there.

I've worked many jobs and think that working for the government is probably the hardest. Very similar to parenting, under-payed and not appreciated (by the public or those in charge).

[flvegan]

3. After single mom, I'd say coal miner.

Something like that.

[jeff30997]

10. Yeah,I've heard that minning....

is a really hard job even today with all our big machines.

Just imagine how it was when only slaves were doing it ! :scared:

[flvegan]

13. There's also the health risks

Black lung, etc.

[boilerbabe]

30. I think there still are "slaves" in the diamond mines, but not sure n/t

[boilerbabe]

29. Roofing or digging wells might be a bit tiring too!

I'm a power plant operator, and when things are going well, it's the best job in the world aside from being a hood ornament on a yacht. Ok, it ain't quite that marvelous...

[Iggo]

4. Dude, I agree.

I've done some f'd up jobs. I've dug ditches. I've tarred roofs. I've worked inside freezers and in the blazing sun.

But dishwasher was rock bottom. It's hot, wet, noisy, and they JUST KEEP COMING!

(Come to think of it, if we ain't talkin about dishwashin' no mo', that last part ain't a bad way to live...know'm say'n?)

[jeff30997]

12. Yes! You know.

Damn,the thing is that you never have the sense of accomplishing anything.

Barf! Never again!

[littlebit]

5. The toughest job I ever had

was working on the clean up crew in a beef packing plant. Eight hours a night of being soaking wet and jumping in and of gigantic meat grinders. That was the most miserable summer of my life.

[boilerbabe]

31. That's definitely up there in the pantheon of horrible jobs!! n/t

[DeepBlueC]

6. I'm with coal miner

The dark, the dirt, the danger, just a grim effort. Worth every dollar they are paid, and more.

[jeff30997]

16. Yes,I totally agree.

And today it's easier(but still hard) than in the past. Can you imagine the hell it was just a 100

years ago? In my book mining is #1 as the toughest job ever.

[greenbriar]

7. teaching Middle School

hands down

[boilerbabe]

33. Hear ya there

I went back to my hometown after being gone for about 15 yrs and substituted at the middle school. Many of the students were kids of my friends'. Things would get quite unruly, as they often do with a sub. I liked it though I wouldn't have been able to sustain the energy to make it a full-time career! There's too much stress and political correctness issues going on in schools today.

Anyone that dedicates themselves to education (especially at that age group) deserves a medal!!

[LibDemAlways]

46. I'm a substitute teacher. Earlier this year I spent six weeks

subbing 6th, 7th, and 8th grade English for a woman who was on maternity leave. Twenty-five years ago when I taught full-time, the students gave me significant grief. These days the parents have added to the "joy." From day one I received nasty e-mails questioning my every move. I was berated for everything from changing a student's seat to "giving" a student the C that he earned. Didn't I know that the little darling never gets less than an A?

Subbing has to be the most thankless job there is, but as for toughest, I agree that the full-time teacher - of any level - is at or near the top.

[Are_grits_groceries]

56. Teaching.

I taught 9th graders. I think they should make people who want to be teachers substitute teach. if they can handle that, they can handle a regular class.

[Shine]

8. Parenthood, hands down.

trust me.

[jeff30997]

14. Well,I'm not a parent but I 'm a good observer...

And I don't think that you would swap Parenthood for a job in a coal mine. Hell on earth!

[Danger Mouse]

25. You'd rather work in a coal mine?

[boilerbabe]

35. Yeah, why not? If the pay was better....

Once you get that "blue collar" in your blood, it's easier to make that transition. Though I couldn't see going back to all that dirt, dust, physical labor, after being spoiled by a control room job. Too old and outta shape for that!

[Kali]

9. shoeing horses

real answer: the toughest job is the one you don't want to do.

[mix]

15. yes it is

whenever i am around a good shoer it amazes me how much strength it takes and how tough it is, especially as a life long vocation which it usually is

[Tuesday Afternoon]

22. Back breaking and dangerous work, for sure. n/t

[Inchworm]

11. Soldier

:hug:

[jeff30997]

17. Oh!

Yes, I didn't think about this one.Must be awful in war times.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

18. Soldier in a peacekeeping mission

where you can't shoot back

[jeff30997]

19. I agree.

This poor man had his hands tight and never recovered,Damn UN:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/820827.stm

"The Canadian general who headed the failed United Nations peacekeeping mission in Rwanda during the genocide of 1994 has been recounting the nightmares he still suffers.
Speaking for the first time since he was found unconscious in a park in Quebec late last month, General Romeo Dallaire said he still experiences flashbacks of mutilated and decaying corpses."

A movie was made about his experience over there.:(

[boilerbabe]

36. That is so horrible.

Saw "Hotel Rwanda" a few years ago -- can't imagine actually being in a situation like that. Excellent link.

[Inchworm]

21. I gotta say

There so many "ands" to add to soldier. I guess each job has ands though.

The ands that go with soldier mostly suck.

:hi:

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

24. That HAS to be the worst

People shooting at you from both sides and there's nothing you can do about it.

[Metta]

20. Bush admin thugs living down their karma.

... more than one life time's work.

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

23. A late friend of mine used to be a roofer.

From his description it was hell on earth, especially doing hot tar commercial roofing in the summer.

ETA: it sounds like the worst non-military job. See above comment.

[sammythecat]

26. Roofing is, indeed, tough work

Mixing mud and tending block and brick layers can be rough too. They might not be the worst in the world, but they're definitely jobs for young men.

[boilerbabe]

27. How about the grossest?

Like being the person that has to pick up roadkill?

[boilerbabe]

32. Come to think of it...

Probably the worst job is having NO job and trying to find one. I remember those days (years, actually) and hope that I never have to start over again. I've had so many jobs that I couldn't even begin to remember them all.

[sohndrsmith]

34. trying to get one. n't

[Adsos Letter]

37. concrete..

especially if things start going off too fast...

[Radical Activist]

38. US President.

After that, goat ball licker and turd miner.

[enigmatic]

40. Steeplejack

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steeplejack

http://www.yankeetower.com/Feedback/Yankee%20Steeplejack%20Company,%20The%20Steeplejack%20Experts_files/steeple1.jpg

[Jeep789]

41. Slaughterhouse has to be bad

not to mention smelly.

[DeepBlueC]

47. especially now that the industry "monitors itself"

Large scale use of illegal immigrants, minimal concern for working conditions.

[Lucian]

42. POTUS, right now.

Especially with the way the economy is, two wars, and millions of people without health care, education, and jobs. It's going to be a tough job for President Obama.

[HopeHoops]

43. Entry level butthole cutter at a chicken rendering plant (yes, that's a real job)

But, if you live long enough and work hard, you might make your way up through the ranks to head eviscerator!

[sammythecat]

55. We have one of those in this county.

I have a hard time imagining a circumstance where I'd work in a place like that. Makes me sad just seeing the trucks loaded with chickens.

[MissMillie]

44. parenthood

no question about it. It's the toughest job you'll ever love.

[Montauk6]

45. Moderating DU during the Primaries?

[DemBones DemBones]

48. Teaching! Hands down. You have to check kids for lice and

the last year I taught public school we had an in-service workshop on how to clean up after a student's nosebleed or other injury without getting HIV. Riggghhht.

So teaching has its gross physical aspects (I should mention keeping a can of air freshener handy for when kids deliberately pollute the air) besides all the paperwork, the discipline problems, the lousy administrators, etc.

I still loved the kids, even the bad ones, but it is hard work. You do twelve months' worth of work in nine months.

[begin_within]

49. Either paramedic or working asphalt roofing in the summer in Phoenix

Not that I've ever done either one of those though.

[NJmaverick]

50. Anyone that works closely with the terminally ill

[limit18]

51. Logging

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http://hooktender.googlepages.com/loggingintheredwoods&usg=__DeTwrfJGPTnHcys5hOqjekj0YiY=&h=484&w=600&sz=75&hl=en&start=13&um=1&tbnid=13wMHNEDO64wzM:&tbnh=109&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcutting%2Btrees%2Blogging%2Bclimbing%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DG%26as_qdr%3Dall

[Pharlo]

52. Well,

Military - particularly special forces.

Civilian - not mentioned yet: Small family farmer, steel worker, foundry worker.

[Digit]

53. Nursing Assistant

Having to lift patients/residents, clean up poop/urine/vomit, exposure to MRSA/Hep/HIV/etc, deal with dementia patients and the terminally ill, all for very low pay.

[rug]

54. Sanitation.

[jrandom421]

57. Alaskan Crab Fisherman

Fishing in the Bering Sea from October to March? With a fatality rate more than 4 times the national average, and a nearly 100% gurantee you'll be injured during the season? How about getting nothing for your hard work if you can't find the crab?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadliest_Catch

http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/deadliestcatch/deadliestcatch.html