# Jobs that don't require good attention to detail **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 25, 2012, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-good-attention-to-detail/629367 "2012-07-25T18:33:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-good-attention-to-detail/629367/1 "2012-07-25T18:33:26Z")
From what I have been told, one of the biggest requirements in healthcare jobs is a strong attention to detail. If you make one dosing error every 100 times (e.g. you were supposed to give the patient an antibiotic but you gave them an antipsychotic instead, or you gave them the right thing but accidentally quadrupled the dosage), that could mean that dozens, if not hundreds, of patients may get sick or die every year because of you, and this is considered bad. I was thinking about how important “attention to detail” is in many jobs outside of healthcare. What are some jobs where attention to detail is not important, or is of very low importance? For example, are there any jobs where getting 80% of the assigned tasks done right is considered good enough? ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-good-attention-to-detail/629367/2 "2012-07-25T19:08:45Z")
Erm… government work? :: d & r :: ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-good-attention-to-detail/629367/3 "2012-07-25T19:09:45Z")
Reporter Meteorologist Writer ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-good-attention-to-detail/629367/4 "2012-07-25T19:30:57Z")
_Life_ requires good attention to detail, period. Doesn’t matter what you do. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-good-attention-to-detail/629367/5 "2012-07-25T19:33:03Z")
I’ve seen some shoddy but (apparently) passable construction/road work. Drove over some this morning as a matter of fact. Not the way it SHOULD be, but guess the contractor will probably get paid. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-good-attention-to-detail/629367/6 "2012-07-25T19:35:23Z")
Garbage collector. There is some attention to detail so that you don’t miss big piles of trash but you basically just have to grab things and heave it into a large opening in the truck. It pays pretty well in many places as well. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-good-attention-to-detail/629367/7 "2012-07-25T19:37:44Z")
Repetitive line-jobs where you are doing the same thing over and over again probably doesn’t require attention to detail, as long as you aren’t required to make too many different decisions based on your observations. Porn stars probably don’t have to be very detail-oriented either. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-good-attention-to-detail/629367/8 "2012-07-25T19:40:03Z")
> [@](#): > > jobs where getting 80% of the assigned tasks done right is considered good enough? ummmm… Politician?? 🙂 Professional atheletes. It’s high pressure work; every mistake is on film, and recorded and the statistics are public. (unlike the healthcare workers of the OP). But that’s okay—if you make only 80% as many goals as the best players on the team, you’re not going to lose your job. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-good-attention-to-detail/629367/9 "2012-07-25T19:48:09Z")
Let’s move this over to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-good-attention-to-detail/629367/10 "2012-07-25T20:01:40Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > Porn stars probably don’t have to be very detail-oriented either. Are you kidding me? We have _HD_ porn now. Their main assets are their bodies, and it takes a lot of work to make those look flawless. _They bleach their assholes fer chrissakes_! Tell me that’s not attention to detail. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-good-attention-to-detail/629367/11 "2012-07-25T20:04:50Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Are you kidding me? We have _HD_ porn now. Their main assets are their bodies, and it takes a lot of work to make those look flawless. _They bleach their assholes fer chrissakes_! Tell me that’s not attention to detail. No, that’s attention to de tail. _flees_ ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-good-attention-to-detail/629367/12 "2012-07-25T20:17:11Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Garbage collector. There is some attention to detail so that you don’t miss big piles of trash but you basically just have to grab things and heave it into a large opening in the truck. It pays pretty well in many places as well. In my subdivision, he doesn’t even get out of the truck anymore. We have these special bins, and the truck has arms that line up with slots in the bins, and then flips the bin upside down. So you need enough attention to detail to make sure the arms line up correctly. After that the truck handles it. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-good-attention-to-detail/629367/13 "2012-07-25T20:39:09Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > What are some jobs where attention to detail is not important, or is of very low importance? For example, are there any jobs where getting 80% of the assigned tasks done right is considered good enough? In professional baseball, someone who got a base hit 80% of the times they went to bat would be considered a ghod. Hell, they’re considered a ghod if they hit 33% of the time. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-good-attention-to-detail/629367/14 "2012-07-25T20:47:16Z")
Baseball. Go to the plate 100 times, and if you hit the ball 30 times, you’re pretty decent. Hit it 40 times, and you’re freakin’ awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-good-attention-to-detail/629367/15 "2012-07-25T21:00:01Z")
Heck with detail, I want a job where I don’t have to be a team player AND a self starter. Why are both of those necessary? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-good-attention-to-detail/629367/16 "2012-07-25T21:22:47Z")
Off the top of my head, I’d say working in a big store like WalMart. It’s a huge chain and there are lots of other employees there. So if you’re a lazy screw-up, you might cause other people to have to do a little extra but you won’t cause any major disasters - your incompetence will just sort of get absorbed into the big picture and fade away. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-good-attention-to-detail/629367/17 "2012-07-25T21:31:17Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > In professional baseball, someone who got a base hit 80% of the times they went to bat would be considered a ghod. Hell, they’re considered a ghod if they hit 33% of the time. > [@Keeve](#): > > Baseball. > > Go to the plate 100 times, and if you hit the ball 30 times, you’re pretty decent. > > Hit it 40 times, and you’re freakin’ awesome. I think you guys are going for an unrealistic standard. It’s not about only doing 80% of some theoretical perfection. It’s about only doing 80% of what’s expected. If they signed you up in the expectation you would hit .290 and you end up only hitting .232, you’re going to be cut from the team. You’re held up to a high standard in professional sports and you’ll be replaced if you fall below those standards. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-good-attention-to-detail/629367/18 "2012-07-25T21:31:49Z")
Service jobs. Nothing earth shattering happens if you screw up. Someone’s food is late, you get the wrong topping on your burger, maybe break a dish. You may not make a lot of tips, you may even get fired, but no one’s life or future hangs in the balance. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-good-attention-to-detail/629367/19 "2012-07-25T21:34:53Z")
I’m seeing more and more news articles these days where being first is more important than being accurate. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-good-attention-to-detail/629367/20 "2012-07-25T21:39:20Z")
SDMB Mod? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-good-attention-to-detail/629367.md?page=2)