Misconceptions about your work.

C

Clak

CAGiversary!
Everybody seems to think they know what everyone else's job consists of, but often times they don't seem to know at all. So what are some of the common misconceptions people seem to have about your work? For me working in IT everyone assumes I'm sitting at a desk all day looking at a monitor. I'm sunburned today from being outside so much.
 
Well I'm currently unemployed and I'd say most people probably think I'm a bum and feel bad. I'm actually making the same money while out of work and I didn't have to go out at all in this blizzardy winter from heck.
 
That professors work short hours and have summers off. I'm always shocked how many of my students, non-academic friends and family members and random people think that way, and don't know that we do a ton of research work and that's the main part of our job (at least those of us at research universities) etc. Not to mention all the other crap work of serving on committees in the department and university, doing outside consulting work etc.

I work a ton of hours during the school year and pretty much never take more than 2 or 3 days off without working at all year round as winter break and summer break is precious time to focus 100% on research which is key in this publish or perish profession.
 
I'm a doctor. There are too many misconceptions to name, which is why how health care system, and attempts to fix it, are all screwed up.
 
As an accountant, I always hear, "Oh you must be good at math."

All of the math involved is extremely simple and handled by either the software or excel. We're just balancing a huge checkbook is all.

We're not all tax experts either (although I maintain that anyone can do it if they take a few minutes with the instruction manual and google anything odd)
 
In my county...it's not how hard you work that gets you the job, but how less you work that does.


Oh to add something I get lip about here on CAG, I get the usual "But your a teacher, you are suppose to know (insert subject here)!"

WRONG... I teach Computer Graphics and Technology classes ... I hate math classes, hate language arts but don't mind teaching SS/Science!

I know SS teachers who can't do anything higher than Basic math and I know science teachers who have trouble listing all 7 continents.
 
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[quote name='QiG']As an accountant, I always hear, "Oh you must be good at math."

All of the math involved is extremely simple and handled by either the software or excel. We're just balancing a huge checkbook is all.

We're not all tax experts either (although I maintain that anyone can do it if they take a few minutes with the instruction manual and google anything odd)[/QUOTE]

Agree with this 100%

Work as a management accountant for the Bureau of Finance and I use very mundane math. More of it is conceptual knowledge of (to me common sense) how to manage a budget effectively. This always means people ask if I can help them budget their money, and at that point I direct them to a financial planner...
 
Behavioral therapist. I always get asked how I can alter or extinguish behaviors when I have no background knowledge about the person or the specific behavior. People think I can wave my hand and magically make it happen.
 
[quote name='seanr1221']Behavioral therapist. I always get asked how I can alter or extinguish behaviors when I have no background knowledge about the person or the specific behavior. People think I can wave my hand and magically make it happen.[/QUOTE]


Just tell them that only the Jedi can do this.
 
People think testing video games is fun.

I'm on my thirty fourth straight day of work and just got done working five thirteen-hour days in a row. And the game sucks. Jubilation.
 
Technology / computer consultant

Some people think that for the price they pay you, you should be able to fix anything. My old CRT is broken, fix it. You hire a consultant to tell you your best course of action based on your needs and budget, not to magically fix the old and broke ass shit you currently have.

Something I learned quick is that some people are _really_ attached to their stuff no matter how stupid it may seem/be.
 
pornographic actor; pay is horrible, and its hard to get in the mood when you dont give a fuck about the girl youre boning. also us actors dont like to piitb. it leaves a horrible stench.. eww; but i need to provide food on the table so..
 
[quote name='SneakyPenguin']People think testing video games is fun.

I'm on my thirty fourth straight day of work and just got done working five thirteen-hour days in a row. And the game sucks. Jubilation.[/QUOTE]

ok seriously.. it makes me wonder.. do video game reviewers get to enjoy games at all? i mean, dont they rush through a game so they can put up a review of the game ahead of other reviewers (so the site, or company they work for get more hits)?
 
[quote name='QiG']As an accountant, I always hear, "Oh you must be good at math."

All of the math involved is extremely simple and handled by either the software or excel. We're just balancing a huge checkbook is all.[/QUOTE]


At least you're aware that it's not really math. I studied physics & engineering which meant my friends would constantly ask for help with their "math" assignments. If I ever again hear another person mutter "why does math have to be so hard?" because he or she is calculating interest by hand I'm going to punch said person square in the face.
 
I'm a character animator, but so few people seem to know exactly what "animating" entails.
As far as my family is concerned I "draw" the entire game by myself; my neighbors think I make every character from scratch. I've resorted to telling people that I make characters like Mario jump.
 
[quote name='giantqtipz']ok seriously.. it makes me wonder.. do video game reviewers get to enjoy games at all? i mean, dont they rush through a game so they can put up a review of the game ahead of other reviewers (so the site, or company they work for get more hits)?[/QUOTE]

Yea, really - when you go home, do you - CAN you play games?
I've heard the people who write the strategy guides for games often were testers for them? Is that true? It makes sense, because they'd know the game inside and out.

[quote name='QiG']As an accountant, I always hear, "Oh you must be good at math."

All of the math involved is extremely simple and handled by either the software or excel. We're just balancing a huge checkbook is all.

We're not all tax experts either (although I maintain that anyone can do it if they take a few minutes with the instruction manual and google anything odd)[/QUOTE]

Most accounting is just basic math.

Confession time - I have a 2YR accounting degree and I don't balance my checkbook. I just look at my balance online. Only my small cash checkbook that I use for paypal

There's no real misconceptions about the Medical Device industry that I can think of, but when I worked at a photo lab, people might have thought we got paid the same as people at the register. We get slightly more + we get commission based on selling certain extras.

SeanR sounds like he's a psychiatrist. That explains his defending the drug companies. He probably gets kickbacks for recommending Ambien to patients that costs $100 a bottle rather than giving them something like Temezepam that costs $4 out of pocket.
 
Technology and Teleconferencing Specialist / University IT

1. It's a classroom, not an amphitheater
2. If you have no clue what a webcam is... please don't expect to take courses online.
3. I will provide you with whatever software you may need, but I'm not going to assemble your project for you.
4. When I let you "borrow" an item, that doesn't mean I gave it to you for keeps. I will find you... and subsequently embarrass you.
 
The people I know always thought that newspaper carriers got good money (and one or two others who thought it wasn't a real job). Honestly, it depends on the route, but this isn't necessarily true. At least for the Herald Mail, you got a base pay (iirc) and then got paid by paper you delievered. If you had a small route with a lot of papers you might have made out ok, but a lot of routes were a lot of miles (I did two different routes at different times with each being around 80-90 miles). Sure I got paid $450 every two weeks and only had to work 2 to 3 hours every day (with NO days off which sucks), but around half that money would go into gas, and then you have car insurance and all the wear and tear on your vehicle. Nothing kills a car faster than a paper route, so it can get pretty costly.

The only good thing was you can listen to whatever you want on the radio and I'd always stop at a gas station for a quick drink or snack mid-route. Plus it was pretty easy. I can't speak for single copy (the people who do the stores), but this was the case at least for me doing home delivery.
 
Medical Technologist/Clinical Lab Scientist

- I don't draw blood. That's a phlebotmist.
The machines do all the work. I just press buttons.
By law I'm not actually allowed to interpret your results or diagnose you.
The average age of people in this field is 40+. (I'm not 40+)
 
[quote name='2DMention']Yea, really - when you go home, do you - CAN you play games?
I've heard the people who write the strategy guides for games often were testers for them? Is that true? It makes sense, because they'd know the game inside and out.[/QUOTE]

I play games when I get home from work. Haven't recently due to the cockblocking amount of overtime but I usually do. It's nice to play something without a critical eye, something that's already finished and (usually) good as opposed to the shit I deal with daily.

As for strategy guides I have heard of testers at the very least assissting in the production of the guides but I haven't done that myself. Hell, at this point I could probably write a 100% guide from memory though.
 
[quote name='IanKazimer']I'm a character animator, but so few people seem to know exactly what "animating" entails.
As far as my family is concerned I "draw" the entire game by myself; my neighbors think I make every character from scratch. I've resorted to telling people that I make characters like Mario jump.[/QUOTE]

pretty cool man. im always awed by people specializing in things other than business. like the arts or the sciences (especially bio and physics), architecture or even computers. basically just anything other than business.. and i mean ANYTHING..
 
[quote name='2DMention']
SeanR sounds like he's a psychiatrist. That explains his defending the drug companies. He probably gets kickbacks for recommending Ambien to patients that costs $100 a bottle rather than giving them something like Temezepam that costs $4 out of pocket.[/QUOTE]

Not even close.

And you missed my point about that too. I was saying drug companies aren't withholding magic cures so they can make more money off of people. Remember my whole point how improbable it would be for EVERY doctor to be in on this giant conspiracy to make money off of sick people?

PS, Temazepam is a highly addictive benzo, but go take it, I don't care what you do.
 
[quote name='seanr1221']
PS, Temazepam is a highly addictive benzo, but go take it, I don't care what you do.[/QUOTE]

You sound like my wife. Are you my wife? Ginny?
 
[quote name='metaphysicalstyles']You sound like my wife. Are you my wife? Ginny?[/QUOTE]

his username starts with sean, so clearly there is a high probability that his name is sean.
 
[quote name='giantqtipz']his username starts with sean, so clearly there is a high probability that his name is sean.[/QUOTE]

My username starts with meta... and I can assure you that my name isn't meta.

Joke perception fail.
 
[quote name='metaphysicalstyles']My username starts with meta... and I can assure you that my name isn't meta.

Joke perception fail.[/QUOTE]

i wouldnt have assumed that his real name is sean if in real life, the name sean is not a common name. i havent met or heard of a person named meta, so it would be a bad assumption on my part to assume that your real name is meta.
 
[quote name='giantqtipz']i wouldnt have assumed that his real name is sean if in real life, the name sean is not a common name. i havent met or heard of a person named meta, so it would be a bad assumption on my part to assume that your real name is meta.[/QUOTE]

My real name is meta.
 
I think about this a lot, being a farmer there is a definite stereotype to what a farmer is. We are all supposed to talk with the most extreme of Southern accents and wear overalls everyday. Oh, and be incredibly simple, stupid people. Maybe this is all a tad extreme but that's what I feel people conceive farmers to be. But hey, maybe someday things will change for the better.
 
Public Library worker. (I can't technically be classified as a "librarian" because I don't have a degree. Try telling that to the public as I help them find their books, get them new library cards, deal with their questions, update records, process their requested items, etc...all the stuff a traditional Librarian does. So yeah, feel free to call me "librarian" if you want!)

Common misconceptions about my job:

Its quiet and relaxing. Hahahah! We have loud people on cell phones (who security has to throw out), noisy study groups, screaming out of control children with oblivious parents, hard of hearing older folks who talk loud and don't even realize it, giggly teenagers. And this is on the "quiet" weekday hours...weekends are a madhouse. I swear, its like working at the DMV with books!

Its a safe place to be--which is why we have armed security guards.

A library only has books. The DVDs, CDs, and internet computers we have--those are really just for show!

Educated people go to libraries--nope. EVERYBODY goes to the library, including that crazy person off their meds, homeless people, closet pedophiles, desperate, unemployed people without computers and internet access at home who need to fill out job applications, wierdos who think ferrets and small reptiles are "service animals," etc. I could go on and on...I'll let you fill in the rest with your imagination. On top of all this, many of these people leave their manners at home.

I swear, I keep telling myself I should start a blog/webpage called "Dumbassedry At the Public Library" just to post some of my experiences.
 
[quote name='ZForce915']Everyone always thinks their boss is an idiot and they could do it better.

Nope, and that why you're not boss.[/QUOTE]

There's a principle called the Peter Principle, which basically says everyone is promoted until they stop being competent at their job, at which point there's no reason to promote them, and they'll stay at that position, usually a management position.

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

I subscribe to this theory.
 
A common misconception about my job is that we all make a lot of money - that isn't close to being true. Another misconception is that we are all assholes - that's only 98% true. I know a couple of cool people and by couple I mean 2.
 
[quote name='Moses144']There's a principle called the Peter Principle, which basically says everyone is promoted until they stop being competent at their job, at which point there's no reason to promote them, and they'll stay at that position, usually a management position.

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

I subscribe to this theory.[/QUOTE]

I do too. Working with one of those now actually.

As for my job. I'm a game dev. Everyone thinks you have a cushy job where you get to make/play videogames all day. It's nothing like that at all. It requires a heavy amount of education, patience, skill, and dealing with unrealistic expectations from a lot of people.

I also work at home, and a common misconception is that people think you can somehow work in front of a TV, or at will, or do whatever you generally want to do. It's nothing like that at all. You have to be extremely focused and dedicated to what you do because those distractions are there. Sure, it's nice to not have to drive to an office, but that also means that your home is your office. There is no separation anymore.
 
[quote name='Javery']A common misconception about my job is that we all make a lot of money - that isn't close to being true. Another misconception is that we are all assholes - that's only 98% true. I know a couple of cool people and by couple I mean 2.[/QUOTE]


Well you should add that another misconception is that lawyers know every single law out there, when in actuality they know specific laws related to their field..... in other words you can't go to a guy who deals with traffic issues to defend someone for murder.
 
[quote name='ITDEFX']Well you should add that another misconception is that lawyers know every single law out there, when in actuality they know specific laws related to their field..... in other words you can't go to a guy who deals with traffic issues to defend someone for murder.[/QUOTE]

That a great one. 99% of the questions I get asked by friends and family I have no idea what the answers are. Most of them are tort, family law, real estate or trusts and estates questions and I don't know jack about any of that stuff.
 
[quote name='Moses144']There's a principle called the Peter Principle, which basically says everyone is promoted until they stop being competent at their job, at which point there's no reason to promote them, and they'll stay at that position, usually a management position.

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

I subscribe to this theory.[/QUOTE]
That makes so much sense....:lol:
 
Oh and to add another one to the thread, just because I'm in IT doesn't mean i Know everything about every piece of technology you can think of. There is a little thing that's really hit it big the last few years called the internet, and it has all kinds of information on all sorts of things.

This is how you set up an exchange account on an iphone: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2480

How in the hell can someone not do that themselves?
 
Even though I'm now doing controls for HVAC, the belief that I'm always in the airconditioning because I'm an airconditioning man. We only are in the airconditioning when we are driving to a job or have fixed the unit and are leaving.

And if we are going to keep on the people that ride your ass and complain and tell you that you need to hurry up and fix the unit because the thermostat is on 74 and its not working and its 78 and they are fixing to die from the heat.
************NEWSFLASH**************

To fix your unit which is causing it to be 78 I will probably be working in the attic, anywhere from 30 minutes until the rest of the day, btw its anywhere from 100 to 160 degrees where I am working.
 
[quote name='Clak']Oh and to add another one to the thread, just because I'm in IT doesn't mean i Know everything about every piece of technology you can think of. There is a little thing that's really hit it big the last few years called the internet, and it has all kinds of information on all sorts of things.

This is how you set up an exchange account on an iphone: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2480

How in the hell can someone not do that themselves?[/QUOTE]

Laziness and/or ignorance. Tell them to RTFM. D:

I work in IT myself doing helpdesk and I get a lot of ID 10 T errors. I can't read minds so people have to be a little bit more descriptive when they call. Saying : "The computer isn't working" just isn't good enough; because that can be any number of issues. Usually those calls are because they didn't check to see if the power was turned on.
 
[quote name='mtxbass1']I do too. Working with one of those now actually.

As for my job. I'm a game dev. Everyone thinks you have a cushy job where you get to make/play videogames all day. It's nothing like that at all. It requires a heavy amount of education, patience, skill, and dealing with unrealistic expectations from a lot of people.

I also work at home, and a common misconception is that people think you can somehow work in front of a TV, or at will, or do whatever you generally want to do. It's nothing like that at all. You have to be extremely focused and dedicated to what you do because those distractions are there. Sure, it's nice to not have to drive to an office, but that also means that your home is your office. There is no separation anymore.[/QUOTE]

working at home is tough. I can vouch.. Because of this I am very selective about who I allow to work from home.
 
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