But beware of potental employers who brag about the company you're interviewing for.
Sometimes the job description and what is expected of employees is very telling of the company that may not be compatible for you.
Curious to hear from people who were turned off by job interviews, Redditor u/Baker_1-2 asked:
"What is the worst thing a potential employer has bragged about the job you were interviewing for during a interview?"
That's Dedication
These Redditors were appalled by how much time employees were expected to put in during their work week.
Putting In The Hours
"'We pay such a high base salary because we expect a 70-hour work week.' That's all I needed to hear."
The Loophole
"They bragged about a 'loophole' they were exploiting to not pay overtime, which amounted to a one-page NDA promising not to discuss payment, compensation, or labor practices with anyone, including government officials."
"First of all, the mere existence of that document is two federal crimes: the Fair Labor Standards Act prohibits employers from even hinting that employees shouldn't discuss compensation and trying to get someone to sign an NDA to cover up a crime is coercion."
"I reported them to the Texas Workforce Comission."
Red Flags
The following warnings indicated these were not the jobs applicants expected.
Constant Turnover
"'We are a fast paced company. We routinely evaluate everyone's performance to remove the poor performers. It's why we are always hiring new people. Those who stay get great perks like fruits and biscuits and team lunches.'"
"Like wtf. Such a red flag. I withdrew my application straight soon as I got home."
Questionable Shifts
"Hiring manager talked about how the work ethic in the office is to show up before your boss and go home after the boss leaves."
"Hiring manager once showed up at 4am and the hiring manager's boss was already there, so the hiring manager stayed a few extra hours that night."
"And they were saying all of that like it was a fun and exciting game."
– CPOx
On-Call Position
"'When you work for us, you'll be available 24/7, if we call when you're on your honeymoon, you answer the phone'. Not to mention the IT manager was a massive jerk to the nth degree anyway... Needless to say, I didn't start at that company."
chelsea peretti no GIF by Brooklyn Nine-NineGiphyBad Examples
The egregious behavior of these employers indicated the company was one to avoid.
The GM
"At the time I was a drug addict and considered it a good thing but now years later in recovery I realized a GM that provided me with free drugs all of the time to get through long shifts without days off was actually a scumbag."
– wo0kie
Punctuality
"I showed up to a interview 10 minutes early. Interview didn't get started for at least another half hour. At the end of interview and tour, the owner went on a big rant about how important punctuality is and being late is his biggest pet peeve. I was like hold up, you just made me sit around for a half hour and you want to preach to me about being late."
"Same employer was highly impressed with my previous experience in that career field, said it was hard to find people with a passion and knowledge to do the job. Then he balked at my pay request and wanted to start me out at the bottom end of the pay range. Entry level wages for over 10 years experience, no thanks!"
Manipulation
"I accidentally became part of a group interview with a life insurance company where the main guy said 'It's amazing what you can talk the elderly into'. I asked out loud 'How do you manage to sleep at night?' and he isolated me from the group to quietly get me to leave, which felt great."
We all do our best to bring our A-game to job interviews. It's an opportunity to present the best part of ourselves to persuade the interviewer you're the person for the job.
But while you can't afford to be too picky, remember to never sell yourself short, and listen to your gut if something during the interview seems a bit off.
Also, be wary of companies that are too eager to hire you with a hard sell.
There's nothing wrong with asking plenty of questions. Because it is as much your interview as it is theirs.
Learning about the different jobs people have is a great conversation starter and can reveal a lot about who they are.
People outside of the entertainment industry are always fascinated about my performing career, and it is a great opportunity to clarify any misconceptions about my career in the theater being just a "nice summer job."
Likewise, it is always just as interesting to hear about the specifics of the work other people do. And most impotantly, it's a connection – one that may come in handy somday.
Curious about the lives of strangers on the internet, Redditor nottheonefosho asked:
"What is your job and what does your day in the life look like?"
Hats Off To These Workers
These jobs may not be career goals for some, but we should be thankful there are those who enjoy taking care of the things we may not be so inclined to do.
Risky Business
"I'm an armed security guard for a night club. I get paid by shift, but if you do the math I make about $35 an hour. I get to work at 9pm and usually leave around 4am. I spend 92% of my nights checking ID's, playing on my phone and searching people for weapons. 8% of my nights breaking up fights or arguments. But I spend 100% of my nights hoping I don't get jumped, hit with a glass bottle, or shot."
Unsung Hero
"I'm an undertaker and depending on the day, I bring deceased into my care from hospital mortuaries or sometimes during the day I will get called out to a private address or care home/hospice. Majority of most days I will be out on funerals, driving the hearse/limousine and bearing the coffin into the crematorium or lowering into a grave.
I will prepare and dress the deceased ready for funerals and viewings. I will also line and fit coffins and engrave nameplates among general cleaning of the funeral home and vehicles. It can be pretty full on physically as well as emotionally, but I really appreciate my job and the comfort I can help bring to some families."
Lots Of Pools To Clean
"I service swimming pools in Florida. I do 20 a day. 100 a week. I balance chemicals and make these pools pretty for my homeowners. Even after 20 years at the same company I still love my job."
Literary Rewards
Books seem to be a passion for these Redditors, who work in jobs that involve editing or handling a variety of tomes.
The Editor
"I'm a bookeditor! Some days usually start with random check-ins and meetings, most are just checking emails and working. 90% of the time I'm editing spellings, making sure stories are coherent, checking if the plot makes sense and/or editing and adding pictures to books!"
Like Christmas Every Day
"I work books in a thrift store. My day is like Christmas morning and a round of Russian roulette all at once since I never know what's going to be inside a box. 200 Harlequin romance novels? Hardcover hand painted books from the 1700s? A newspaper from the day Kennedy was shot? Human teeth? Grandma's bank paranoia cash stash? Literal cat poop? Porn mags? Who knows, not me!"
Training And Skillsets
These jobs require skill but as one Redditor said, learning new skills and getting a job in those fields can open up opportunities that can change your life for the better.
Surveying And Digging
"I'm an archaeologist. A lot of archaeologists like me work in the construction industry, rather than for a university or a museum."
"Basically, anytime someone wants to build something, the land has to get surveyed for anything that could be archaeologically significant. My company gets hired to survey the site. If we find stuff, we often get hired to dig it up. Most days are spent walking through woods and farmer fields. We check for evidence of sites, dig small test pits and make lots of maps. Sometimes we find a cool site and get to spend a few weeks fully excavating it."
Wine Cellar Designer
"I design high end wine cellars for a living. I work in a 3d modeling program all day. Most days are drawing 'small' wine cellars to hold 250-1000 bottles of wine, but every few weeks we get a request for a design to hold 10,000 bottles. We design, manufacture, and ship all over the world. They're incredibly expensive but the quality is unmatched. 10,000 bottle cellar would cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $300,000 installed. Maybe more. The job has its drawbacks like any other, but for the most part I love what I do. Before this I worked in landscaping for 10 years, started using sketchup to design my hardscape projects to help me lay it all out and accurately figure material costs. Don't be afraid to learn a new skill, it changed my life."
Things You Ride
One job requires operating a train, while the other requires maintaining a horse, of course.
Staying On Track
"Train driver."
"I arrive and pick up my schedule card for the day, I read through it and see if there are any safety notices relevant for the day. I make my way to my train either departing from the station or depot, following the schedule for stopping pattern on that trip. Breaks are put as part of the schedule, occasionally there are moments to snag a coffee here and there. There may be requirements to travel as a passenger depending on the work. Finishing up may be taking a train back to home station and stabling there/being relieved by a driver or shunting into the depot."
Animal Care
"I work in horse breeding, and it is horrible."
"I lost my job as a waitress during the pandemic and was looking for work, and thought 'hey, I rode horses for a while in high school, let's apply for this.' And the salary was better than a waitress..."
"But the work is just plain gross. Spending all day around stinky, horny-as-f'k stallions who want to f'k anything that moves (particularly if it smells like a mare), cleaning smegma out of horse penises...ugh. No fun. I'm not sure how I'm still here, except the money's good."
– nogus2
The Final Word
Every job has its drawbacks. But in challenging times, any job is better than no job – even if it entails "cleaning smegma."