Top 5 Regrettable Careers

most regrettable jobs

Often times people find themselves in careers that they simply do not like. When you work in a career for an extended period of time, your options outside of what you specialize in diminish significantly. Finding a new job would require a new educational pursuit and years of experience in another discipline. Some jobs simply leave workers disappointed and wanting more. Here is the top 5 list of jobs people regret the most, and what they usually pay. Turnover rates and work life balance we taken into consideration when crafting this list.

1.)    Cashier

For some, working as a cashier is an excellent line of work, because it provides an interesting blend of customer service and money handling job duties. However, for others, the work day cannot end soon enough. Cashiers earn anywhere from $8-$12 per hour in most places, which translates to about $20,000 per year. Being a cashier will require you to interact with customers and stay positive, but this is hard to accomplish when most of the people in this profession dislike their jobs. Most cashiers move on to different jobs later in their careers.

2.)    Insurance Agents

Being a successful insurance agent can definitely be a great career move, but grandiose salaries are typically reserved for those with a certain combination of luck and sales acumen. Many of the major insurance agencies constantly recruit and hire new employees, but since your salary is based off of commission the workplace will be extremely competitive. Insurance sales agents don’t realize the degree of schmoozing, wining and dining, cold-calling, and aggressive marketing tactics that go into becoming a successful insurance agent. A lot of these workers regret their career choice. It’s also not a job that translates well into other careers, so once you become an insurance agent your options will be limited. The average salary for insurance sales agents is $35,000 per year, but the more successful agents can earn six-figures.

3.)    Factory Workers

Depending on your job, factory work can actually be a highly sustainable career. Managers in factories earn an excellent salary and enjoy great work-life balance. However, for some factory workers with a manual labor or unskilled trade type role, the end of the day cannot come soon enough. The work can be difficult and the grind of continuous labor can really take its toll. If you don’t get promoted to a management role within a few years, then it might be time to look into a new industry. The average American factory worker makes an average salary of $25,000 per year, but union workers will earn a significantly higher amount.

4.)    Overnight Stocking

If you stock shelves overnight as a part time job, then there is no issue with this line of work. Extra money is good, and moonlighting is an excellent way to earn supplemental income. However, most full time overnight stockers in retail regret their jobs. The hours are very long and seem longer when you are working the overnight shift. Heavy labor, bending, twisting, and standing for long periods of time are a requirement. Overnight stockers do earn a slightly higher wage than the day shift workers, but the pay increase isn’t worth the headache. The average salary for retail stockers is about $20,000 per year.

5.)    Lumberjack

The allure of working outdoors is enticing to some, but most lumberjacks regret their career choice. It’s very hard work, and the grind of physical labor can really take its toll. Lumberjacks have a very low average salary at $25,000 per year. The dangerous nature of the work usually doesn’t justify this pay grade. Many lumberjacks enjoy what they do, but it’s not a sustainable long term career. The turnover rate is high. People regret becoming lumberjacks because it’s incredible dangerous and the pay is lower than average.

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Matthew Welch

Jobdiagnosis blog author Matthew Welch is an SEO strategist and content marketer from Boston, MA. Read blog content relating to job search by Matthew Welch.

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