There are lots of lists about jobs: the most and least stressful, the best and worst paying, and the dirtiest and the most dangerous. But what about the most demanding jobs? You know—the ones that require you to be in the moment for the most amount of time? Here’s our unscientific opinion about what the eight most hands-on, mind-on jobs might be. Today we’re looking at the top 4:
1. Physicians and surgeons
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, physicians and surgeons have the highest percentage of workers who report working 60 hours or more a week. And, it’s intense since they hold life in their hands. We sure hope they’re not daydreaming.
2. Firefighters
This one ranks as both as one of the most stressful jobs and one of the most dangerous jobs. According to CareerCast.com, firefighters typically work shifts up to 48 hours straight, which seriously cuts into other aspects of life. (And the rate of heart attacks in this profession is high at 44 percent.) Firefighters are physically on-call to fight fires every day, and they too have life in their hands.
3. Small business owners
Most small business owners may not have life itself in their hands, but they do hold their future and the futures of their employees in their hands. That’s a big responsibility because If they fail, others fail. Even momentary failures – such as losing a big account – can cause stress if it means they may not make payroll. It’s a false belief that small business owners own their own future, because in reality they don’t have that much control. Just responsibility–a truth hardly any business owner would deny.
4. Funeral directors
Like other jobs that deal with life or death, funeral directors don’t work by the clock. They work when their customers need them. That can be any time of day or night, and jobs almost always start with a very sad call. They face physical and emotional realities day in and day out. It takes a strong person to do that. (Some funeral directors handle the embalming part of the job, too, which ranks as one of the dirtiest.)
Stay tuned for our next post where we’ll reveal the next four most demanding jobs.
