I was thinking this morning about something that I imagine a lot of parents think about when their kids are small: what will my child do when he/she grows up?
I came to the conclusion that, 20+ years from now when she actually is old enough to have a career, I don't really care what she does as long as it's interesting, legal, and she loves it.
"But what," I thought to myself, "does interesting actually mean?" So I pondered this and came up with the same answer that someone at some point used to describe porn: "I can't describe interesting, but I'll know it when I see it."
But, some jobs came to mind as ones clearly not interesting. At the risk of offending those who may hold any of the following positions, here are some of the careers I believe would definitely not meet my personal definition of interesting:
- HR manager for an auto parts retailer
- Owner of a knitting supplies store
- Anything involving the preparation of food served in paper or styrofoam containers
- Copier repair
- Canadian-US border guard
- T.J. Maxx dressing room attendant*
- Professional scrap-booker
- Highway toll-booth operator
- Wal-Mart greeter
So that's my short list. What are yours? Have you ever had a job that was clearly not interesting?
*I actually had this job one summer in high school. They tried to teach me how to operate the cash register, but I ended up with more voids than completed transactions.
Craig -- speaking of "food served in paper" -- I worked as a Starbucks barista for a semester and a half and actually rather enjoyed it.
I wouldn't call it a career position, of course, but as something to do when in school or as a springboard to bigger and better things, it's not bad at all. The benefits are excellent and I had a great team of co-workers.
Hybrid corn detassler. The only interesting aspect was the constant internal debate of long-sleeve vs short-sleeve shirt, which was simply a response to the question of constant heat and humidity vs mild but endless corn leaf lacerations.