The Channel Four series The Worst Jobs in History returns this week with the nineteenth century. Among the jobs that will be looked are rat catcher (which involved killing rats by hand), and boot boy (endlessly cleaning and polishing the shoes of the rich). It would be easy to think that such terrible jobs were just a thing of the past, but the reality is that they have been largerly replaced by other jobs where you might be exposed to dangerous chemicals or might have to put up with high levels of noise; where you might die of boredom, or simply die!
Human Guinea Pigs
Hundreds of people take part in tests of new medicines (called drug trials) every year. For between 45€ and 45 hundred €, they take a new drug to test any side effects, such as vomiting or headaches. Some students join drug trials as a relatively quick and easy way of earning some money. John Spiral, a history student from Dublin, regularly does them. "You might go to the hospital three or four times, maybe eight hours "work". I had a really upset stomach once, and another time, I got strange red marks on my skin, but that's all. Usually it's fine, and you're helping science!
Embalmers
Embalmers preserve dead bodies in preparation for funerals. They work anything up to 50 hours a week for a salary of around 18,000€ a year, far less than the national average. They spend most of the day standing and generally work bent over a table. They also have to work with very strong-smelling chemicals. "I do suffer from backache, but the job's not as bad as you might think" says Frank McCreary. "I'm even used to the smell now- I don't even notice it. And the job is quite rewarding too. The families of the dead are usually very grateful for the job I've done"
Call Center Workers
Many banks and companies have call centers abroad where customers can ring for information or to complain. Levels of stress among workers are very high. They often work in cramped conditions, have to stare at a computer all day, and have little opportunity to laugh or joke with their co-workers.
One worker, from an Indian call center, said, "People can be very abusive. They shout and swear, but often there's nothing you can do about their complaint. They then slam down the phone, and another person calls you straight away. It's awful. I'd like to leave, but the money's quite good and there's a lot of competition for jobs here in Mumbai"
Recycling Plant Worker
You are supposed to sort out your own rubbish and put glass in one bag, paper in another... But, unfortunately many people still do not do this. So workers in recycling plants have to find the recyclable items from a big pile of rubbish, and all for a minimum wage. Apart from the smell, they have to handle dirty nappies, rotting meat, used needles. "I've heard of people catching hepatitis from working in those places" says Solomon Iwenofu. "I did it for a while when I first arrived in America. I actually got on with the people working here. We used to laugh about some of the things we found. After a while, I even got used to being dirty all the time, but, you know, I wanted to do better for myself and my family"
Which of these jobs sucks the worst?Can you think of any other really "sucky" job?
For me is more important my health than money. I prefer to work in a safe job.
ReplyDeleteMy job is not dangerous because I'm teacher. I have a lot of responsability because I'm with little children. However I love mi job.
I think many people have a dangerous job only to earn more money and they don't think in their health and life.
In addition I hope have my family, children, so I would like to be good to enjoy with them.
To sum up, earning a lot of money is not the most important thing in my life.
I absolutely agree with your view, Alicia; However, after "hope", you should use "TO" and I think you may have meant "I hope to start a family and have children, so I would like to be WELL (or to have a good life work balance) so as to be with them"
DeleteFortunately I don’t think my job sucks, just the opposite! So, I can barely think of doing any of those “sucky” jobs; maybe I could get use to being a Human Guinea Pig, because it’s supposed to have controlled and non-lethal side effects. Anyway, if you ask me, I’d say that the job which sucks the worst could be working in a Recycling Plant, because I think it’s one of the most dangerous and unhealthy jobs as well (although work in a call center might be the most stressful one). In my opinion, people who have to handle with a sucky job don’t have the chance to choose another one because they need to earn money!
ReplyDeleteGreat once again, Carmen.
DeleteAnyway, take notice of these:
"... I don't think my job sucks; QUITE the opposite"
"I could get USED to..."
"Although WORKING in a call center..."
Otherwise, impeccable stuff!
WRITTEN BY TATYANA ARNALDOS
ReplyDeleteI think that for me the worst job of them is embalmer, not because I'm afraid of death, that is not the case, but because I think I would be sad every other day. Must be so sad working in that atmosphere!
Along with the former one, we have the next worst: human guinea pigs. I think that I'd never risk my health for a handful of €. It's stupid. Why those medicines aren't tested in the same persons which did them? Why it would be dangerous, right?
The next jobs e.i recycling plant worker, I don't seem bad jobs, only a little bit disgusting and also call centre worker, not is a bad job either, only a little bit stressful, but what work isn't?
I have to say all jobs have a bad and good side. In my case, I've always tried to do my current job as best I could, I always giving 300% of me. Luckily, I haven't done 'sucky' jobs, but many of them had a bad side. For example, I worked in Cajamurcia and back then, many people to congratulated me for it, but at first, it wasn't easy at all. It seemed the ideal job until the director called you for explain you how acting in the event of robbery, when somebody (e.i.) is aiming his gun at you... yeah, stressful, because we was working without 'bunker' (bunker is the protective glass which there is in almost all savings bank), because according to him, it was 'more safe'...
Also for me It was stressful have to count big amount of money. I counted millions of money every day and that surprised me because I wasn't used to it.
Or how when I was working at my town hall... At first the job was great but you every now and then, you had to put up with abusive people, who shouted and sweared to you when there is nothing you could do about their complaint.
Or also when I was working in a graphic design lab. The job wasn't bad but I had to work with very strong-smelling chemicals and had high level of stress (one day I was working 8 hours on a row, without eat o drink something and without going to the toilet...)...
Lately, I've been listening how a friend to complained about her job. She works in a very very famous department store in Murcia. She told me she is forced to putting on make every day. But not 'slightly made up', no, you must make up LIKE A DOOR, your hair always have to being perfectly (hairdressing), manicure, perfectly perfumed, flawless clothes, and so on and so forth. I think that If I
had to do all that things EVERY DAY, I think I would die...hahaha...., directly. Make me up LIKE A DOOR, EVERY DAY? No way, only for special occasions.
Supercool write-up, Tatyana: great words and insights. Anyway, take notice of the following observations:
Delete"Why aren't those medicines tested in the same people who created/ made them?" sounds better.
Ditto for "maybe because it would be dangerous, right?"
In the next paragraph, "it DOESN'T SEEM like a dangerous job"
"It is not a bad job, either..."
"But what job isn't?"
"Many people congratulated me for it" (without TO)
"Until the director called you TO explain how TO act in the event of a robbery"
"Because we WERE working..."
"According to him, it was SAFER"
"Also for me, it was stressful TO HAVE/ HAVING to count big amounts of money"
Money is uncountable, therefore "I counted millions of euros..."
"I was working 8 hours in a row, without EATING OR DRINKING anything..."
"... I've been listening TO how a friend COMPLAINED (without TO) about..."
"She is forced to PUT on make UP every day"
I don't think you would say "make up like a door" hahaha, but more like "heavily made up"/ "You have to make up heavily"
"Your hair always needs/has to be PERFECT"
"If I had to do all THOSE things..."
You see, quite a few corrections, but I always say, he who speaks/writes a lot is more likely to make mistakes! Therefore, I encourage you to keep on writing this long!