Vanya Wryter Consulting Services

Tag: career

  • What is your dream job? (how to switch jobs for a day)

    What is your dream job? (how to switch jobs for a day)

    Daily writing prompt
    What’s your dream job?
    View all responses

    My dream job is a job that I’ve had before, which is to interview people and learn about what they do for work. I think it’s an eye-opener to learn what people do. A person’s job is never as simple as you think. Spending a short time in their shoes gives you a better appreciation of other people’s work when you see it through their eyes. It’s like that behind-the-scenes moment of a movie.

    First, I interviewed people about what they do. What is a typical day? What do they read? Who do they talk with? Surprisingly, most people think the interviewer will be bored from listening to them talk about a typical workday. But when you ask questions like, “What is this machine used for? Why do you enter information in this way? What do you do to protect yourself from injury?” They are excited about explaining how calculations are done, and how equipment works, etc. You open their eyes to a new perspective on what they thought was an ordinary task. Now they see their own job through the eyes of an outsider.

    Second, I get to spend time at their job, whether it is an office or an atypical job site. It may seem boring, but not everyone gets to go to a construction site, the staff areas of a hotel, or a manufacturing plant, just to name a few places. You feel like you’re an actor trying to fit into a scene where you feel out of place. If you usually work in an office, like I do, you become hyper-aware of the hazards around you when you’re working out of an office. The worker you’re interviewing isn’t afraid of heights (falling), fearful of the dark (in a mine) or wary of moving machinery (in a warehouse). 

    These places and situations are a chance to put on a different hat and be another person for a day. But when you watch a movie that features workers for the jobs that you interviewed, you find yourself saying, hey, that’s not how they actually do it! So fake! You’re not at the job site observing anymore. Now you want to walk into the movie set and change the incorrect ways of doing things, the unrealistic portrayals of jobs.

    These interviews are certainly interesting experiences. Definitely one of the best jobs in the world is discovering what other people do. You are constantly learning, never bored, and increase your appreciation of what other people accomplish.

    What’s your dream job?

  • Scary and Creepy Jobs: Want to Try?

    Scary and Creepy Jobs: Want to Try?

    It’s that time of year when it’s normal to switch identities by wearing masks and dressing up in costumes. Some people become superheroes, movie and book characters, robots, monsters, or people from various professions.

    So, in keeping with this frightful time of year, let’s take a closer look at some scary and creepy jobs. Would you want to try any of these jobs for a day? Have you ever dressed up as one of these professions for Halloween?

    Bomb technician

    The job is highly stressful and you need to be level headed or you could have a really bad day and not make it home. The job includes deactivating explosives, explosive devices, and explosive chemicals.

    High-rise window washer

    This job isn’t for those who are afraid of heights. You’re responsible for cleaning the windows of tall skyscrapers that are several storeys high. When you look down, it can be a long way down.

    Miner

    Miners work in dark and damp settings in confined spaces if they work underground and face exposure to weather conditions if they work above ground. They work long days, doing repetitive and backbreaking labor. The work is definitely not for those who are afraid of possible cave-ins, explosions, or toxic air.

    Clinical trial subject

    Participants who are part of a clinical trial have the opportunity to experience an experimental drug, surgical procedure, or medical device. Because a drug is part of a clinical trial, there is less information about the safety and risk of the drug. The treatment may not be effective. Or the test subjects could have mild to severe side effects.

    Crab fisherman

    Crab fishermen face freezing, icy, weather conditions, strong waves that can cause heavy crab pots to slide or fall on the deck and cause injuries to the crew, or drowning or hypothermia from falling overboard or the boat capsizing. The US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health found that mortality rates are “26 times higher (80%) than those of the average worker.”

    Psychiatric ward attendant/psychiatric aide

    Psychiatric ward attendants assist those in psychiatric wards with daily needs, such as serving meals, grooming, and administering medication. Risks of the job include effects on mental health from exposure to aggressive behavior or violence from patients on a regular basis, and possibly physical harm from the patients.

    Crime scene cleaner

    Crime scene cleaners clean up and sanitize the area where a crime, suicide, or accident has occurred. They may encounter blood, body fluids, broken glass, or needles. If you don’t wear the correct personal protective equipment, you risk contracting a disease.

    Forensic entomologist

    An entomologist is considered one of the creepiest jobs. On the downside, entomologists identify maggots collected from corpses. They must be comfortable getting dirty. They go to crime scenes to collect bug specimens to determine the cause of death or go out at night to study the behavior of moths.

    Mortician

    Morticians plan and manage tasks related to upcoming funerals. For this job, you will be handling corpses and risking infection or disease if you disregard safety training. You are around death on a regular basis, hearing stories about death and loss. This environment can be emotionally draining.

    Security guards

    Depending on the type of work, the job can be low risk to high risk. It can be physically demanding if giving chase or dealing with rowdy crowds. In extreme cases, there can be injury or death. As an extra note, in horror movies, they are one of the first to meet the bad guy, and depending on the type of movie, the antagonist can be a crazy person, zombie, or supernatural entity.

    Which of these jobs would you want to try? Are there any scary or creepy jobs that you would like to add to this list?

  • What Should You Do If Your Career Takes A Wrong Turn

    What Should You Do If Your Career Takes A Wrong Turn

    Regret is a powerful motivator.

    Recently my memories seemed to morph into the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. I thought about the career I used to have, and how stable and comfortable that job had been. It was my dream job, but things changed, and I found myself looking for a new career.

    I had decided to take my skill set and become an entrepreneur instead of taking another job, building up my career from scratch at another company, and risk being laid off again. Today, just a week before a new year begins, I face an uncertain future. The future is scary.

    It’s scary because so much is unknown about it. Will the pandemic come to an end? Will the economy improve? Will I need to make more pivots to my business so that it will thrive?

    When I first started my business, I made some mistakes. Looking back at the wasted time and the wasted money is painful. The regrets are painful. But looking forward, I see a chance to do things better. More wisely. More efficiently.

    If you’re thinking about changing careers, or your future is unknown because of COVID, consider these tips whether you’re looking for a job, or working on a business like I am:

    • Assess your financial situation. How much do you have in savings? How much debt? Should you borrow money to pay expenses while you work to get your career back on track?
    •  Look for options in which you can develop your skills while working. Can you use your current skillset to get some employment while you continue to build on your skills by taking courses or learning on the job?
    •  Build a professional support network. I’ve joined Facebook groups and attended online network meetings to get to know people. Through these connections, I have found clients and work opportunities.
    •  Work with a mentor. A career coach or someone with more experience than you in an industry or field can guide you. They can point out what you need to work on, steer you away from making potential mistakes, and share important wisdom with you.

    A year from now, I want to feel like 2021 was the year I made progress. At that time, I will look at the past fondly, the present with satisfaction, and the future with bright hope.

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