Five Careers That Aren’t As Cool As You Think

Did you ever think how much you would like to have a particular job, without really knowing very much about  the job?  I encounter people all the time who say they would like to have my job on the radio. "I love to talk!" "I could just play music for a living?" "You only work four hours a day, how hard could it be?"

Over the years I've heard ...questions like these from people who thought they wanted my job, but didn't really have any idea about what the job entails.

When I start giving specifics about my job; the hours, the demands, the insecurity, the sacrifices.... well, then you find they really don't want my job after all.  Don't get me wrong, I love my job. But it's not for everybody, or, even most people.

That's the premise behind an article Chelsea Lin published on Yahoo recently entitled Top Five Overrated Jobs.  I have heard stories about a couple of the jobs listed, and I know from working in restaurants over the years, chef is not usually a very glamorous job.  Most chefs never end up making their favorite recipes on the Food Channel!

I have included a short-form version of the jobs listed in the article for you below.  Do you agree with the choices or work in any of these careers?  If so, tell me what you think in the comments section .

Overrated Career #1 - Teacher

Average Annual Salary: $54,330*

The Fantasy: Two words: summer vacation. Oh, and work days that end at 3 p.m. Plus, the obvious reward of shaping young lives.

The Reality: Teaching can involve difficult students and parents and lots of pressure related to test scores. Sadly those short days at school sometimes turn into long nights of grading papers.

Overrated Career #2 - Chef

Average Annual Salary: $44,780*

The Fantasy: Television, cookbooks, culinary schools, etc. all contribute to this disillusion that being a chef is glamorous.

The Reality: Less-than-glamorous facets of the business could include setting schedules, placing orders, and dealing with cranky customers' demands.

Overrated Career #3 - CEO

Average Annual Salary: $173,350*

The Fantasy: Money and prestige come in spades when you're at the top of the suit-wearing, martini-drinking professional food chain.

The Reality: Chief executive positions are competitive to get and stressful to keep due to the pressure to succeed. Long hours and travel are also common.

Overrated Career #4 - Lawyer

Average Annual Salary: $129,440*

The Fantasy: Lawyers are always wealthy and powerful and conducting fascinating investigations and trials on TV.

The Reality: The reality of the job is that much of it involves writing tedious documents, a constant pressure of deadlines, challenging consequences for making a mistake or missing a deadline, and pressure for billable hours.

Overrated Career #5 - Doctor

Average Annual Salary: $180,870*

The Fantasy: Public perception of this glamorized profession is influenced by shows filled with sexy docs saving lives and being showered with admiration.

The Reality: There's more to this career that an hour-long TV program just can't cover. Physicians also work long, irregular hours (frequently upwards of 50 hours per week).