A lot of people say they’d do anything that brought in a paychack if they were unemployed. What jobs could you not bring yourself to do, even if you had to go on public assistance or shoplift your food?
I couldn’t work in the euthanasia room at the dog pound. In fact, I couldn’t work for the dogpound in any capacity, knowing that 9 out of 10 animals brought in are killed.
I could no more work in an abortion clinic than I could work the gas chambers at Auschwitz.
Previously I have worked in the deli at Costco, wearing a hairnet and making pizzas and slicing meats and cheeses. I’ve worked at Target unloading trucks and doing stocking. But I couldn’t take another life.
I don’t consider myself anti-abortion as I do pro-life (i.e., I’m happy with reasonable restrictions, think Roe v. Wade is terrible constitutional law, and wish there were far fewer abortions-- but couldn’t support an outright ban). Thus, I’d have real trouble working at Planned Parenthood, NARAL, etc.
Also, I’ve had several offers to work in the lobbying business (I live in D.C. area). While I know honorable lobbyists, and I have no philosophical objection to lobbying (we all have a right to petition the government-- how do you think that works in practice?), I still can’t help but be skeeved out by the whole business.
Ditto working for a foreign government/representing their interests, etc. Not for me.
I just had some blood drawn today. I couldn’t do that. It is an honorable and necessary job that someone has to do, but my phobia of needles would mean that I’d be taking breaks to go vomit every few minutes. Plus my hands would shake as I tried to put the needle in, and I don’t think that helps…
I’d have similar problems with any job involving significant blood or gore. I have a weak stomach.
I couldn’t be an exterminator, either. Not that I have any moral problem with killing insects or rodents, but they scare me when they are in big swarms.
I’d have trouble being a veterinarian. I love animals and want them to love me. My cats do not love the vet (putting it mildly…). I imagine they eventually stop taking it personally when the animals growl at them, but that must be hard.
Well, there are lots of jobs I could never do - vet, pilot, for a start. But there are also a few jobs that I would never do by choice. The main one is bailliff. Never ever ever.
I had a friend that worked at CPS investigating claims of abuse and occasionally removing children from their homes. That is an extremely emotionally taxing job, and while I’m so very glad that there are people who do it, I don’t think I could be one of them.
Like other people mentioned, I couldn’t do the animal pound or an abbatoir or be a butcher, etc.
I’ll say telemarketer for one of the ripoff companies.
Evangelical preacher.
There are some things I’m not qualified to do, like piano tuner (I’m tone deaf). Then there are some things that I both wouldn’t and couldn’t do, like enforcer for the mob. Think Woody Allen as muscle.
I couldn’t do anything that involved extreme cold or extreme hot weather. I cannot take either one. I would work in a morgue before I’d work as, say, an electrical line person or anything like that.
The one that always comes to mind is sales. I can do Ok with people I know but no way could I ever have to meet strangers and try to sell them anything. I get sick just imagining it.
Things like abortion clinic staff/soldier/executioner are on the absolutely no list, and I don’t work well under pressure like EMTs or other emergency workers.
I could not be one of those people that work for Liberty Tax Service standing out on the street dressed in a Statue of Liberty costume waving like an idiot at all the cars driving by.
Enclosed spaces, so down the pit would be out for me and contrasting that - painting the Forth Bridge Forth Bridge - Wikipedia - I feel a bit nervous in high places - I have an urge to jump!
I was fired from a telemarketing job after two weeks. And it was for a charity, one that I was proud to be representing (though I was admittedly not proud to be calling people up at the dinner hour).
A typical phone call would go something like this:
Me: Hi, this is Ms. Cromulent, calling from (Charity name here), would you like to make a donation to —
TelemarketingVictim: No, not really.
Me: Ok, thanks for your time, bye!
I’m surprised I lasted two weeks. I was just too polite to be a telemarketer. And yeah, I’m a born-and-bred New Yorker, so go figure.