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The rise of the pointless job

theguardian.com

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Re: The rise of the pointless job

#291

Post by nikanj »

edraferi wrote: post #239
modbait wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Through my long career, I've notice virtually no correlation between my pay and the utility of my position. And indeed, I've had one or two jobs like yours. Sadly for my bank book, I can only stand being useless for relatively short stretches. I still reminisce about my lowest paying job, my first. It was probably the most enjoyable and satisfying. It was also useful, though perhaps not at the top of that list. It's…

There's an economic theory that job satisfaction is a kind of compensation. That is, you have to pay people more to do unsatisfying jobs.

“Passion” careers are a great example of this. Many people would gladly save the planet or do art for free, so the pay in arts and environmental protection is really low.

Re: The rise of the pointless job

#292

Post by HillaryBriss »

expensivedrone wrote: post #80

I'm a programmer working at a big-tech company. I make ~$350k/year, even though my job could be done equally well by a college intern. I only do ~2 hours of productive work in an average day. My previous jobs were far more interesting and challenging, and I had apparently done extremely well in my interviews. Hence why I got an offer with an extremely good compensation package. However, the team that I go put into, i…

you are my hero. i live vicariously through you. please keep up the good work.

Re: The rise of the pointless job

#293

Post by HillaryBriss »

not_real_acct wrote: post #118
expensivedrone wrote: post #80

I'm a programmer working at a big-tech company. I make ~$350k/year, even though my job could be done equally well by a college intern. I only do ~2 hours of productive work in an average day. My previous jobs were far more interesting and challenging, and I had apparently done extremely well in my interviews. Hence why I got an offer with an extremely good compensation package. However, the team that I go put into, i…

On a Monday I quit my job and gave my two week notice. The next day my wife was fired. The day after that, my old boss offered me a raise if I would stick around. I did both jobs simultaneously for six months. In my entire life nothing has been more lucrative than this. I've tried investing in stocks, bonds, and real estate. Nothing has been more lucrative than double-dipping. The thing that's so bizarre, is that it…

FWIW, according to Warren Buffet, most people will easily make more money through their actual work / expertise, than they ever will through investing.

Re: The rise of the pointless job

#294

Post by Clubber »

marcosdumay wrote: post #265
ouid wrote: post #263

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those signs say stop on the other side and are used in conjuction with someone on the other end of the construction holding up the opposite sign so that a single lane can be used to handle traffic in two directions. That job would need to be automated with a traffic light.

A smart traffic light that can count how any cars enter and exit the zone. It's perfectly possible to automate, but it may not be the best ROI around.

The system would also need to detect which direction the traffic was going. In morning rush hour, outbound would be much heaver than inbound (of your neighborhood) so it would typically be unidirectional.

Re: The rise of the pointless job

#295

Post by Clubber »

expensivedrone wrote: post #80

I'm a programmer working at a big-tech company. I make ~$350k/year, even though my job could be done equally well by a college intern. I only do ~2 hours of productive work in an average day. My previous jobs were far more interesting and challenging, and I had apparently done extremely well in my interviews. Hence why I got an offer with an extremely good compensation package. However, the team that I go put into, i…

I wouldn't be able to stand it. The only thing that combats the suck of going to an office every day is having something to do to make the time pass. I would go insane.

Re: The rise of the pointless job

#296

Post by ConceptJunkie »

dominotw wrote: post #289
throw_away wrote: post #278

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You too may experience this "luxury" by going to pretty much any club (dance or strip) on pretty much any weekend in pretty much any major US city. The opulence wears off quickly, as it is made clear that you're expected to tip and all you want to do is wash your hands like a decent person.

Oh. Gp made it sound like it was a common thing in America.

I'm 53 and the only time I've ever seen a washroom attendant was in Mexico.

Re: The rise of the pointless job

#298

Post by nojvek »

dominotw wrote: post #289
throw_away wrote: post #278

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You too may experience this "luxury" by going to pretty much any club (dance or strip) on pretty much any weekend in pretty much any major US city. The opulence wears off quickly, as it is made clear that you're expected to tip and all you want to do is wash your hands like a decent person.

Oh. Gp made it sound like it was a common thing in America.

It is a common thing in US if you go clubbing.

Re: The rise of the pointless job

#299

Post by vorg »

c22 wrote: post #56

A lot of people have pointless jobs, but it seems even more people have jobs that are actively contributing to the wanton destruction of our entire world. I suspect these are both symptoms of our elevation of capital to the status of universal good . This will only get worse as long as we continue to espouse the default view that people who "don't have a job" are useless moochers and people who have high paying jobs…

Virtually all jobs in Western societies are bullshit jobs (as defined in the article). But you've alluded to the real reason such BS jobs exist -- to give people something to do and keep them occupied so they don't go out and fight wars. Sport fulfills the same purpose. Better people work in a cube all day and practise baseball after work than sit around on the UBI until they form some political party, take over the government, and go to war against another country for their plutonium mines.

Re: The rise of the pointless job

#300

Post by epc »

jopsen wrote: post #256
WJW wrote: post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is visited the USA just once (in 2003), but there was an old man that took my bag off the end of the luggage belt at the airport and handed it to me. I could easily have picked it up myself, but he was there for those 30 centimeters of bag travel. I remember being amazed about it and remarking the pointlessness of that job to my coworkers.

In the US you often see people holding a sign saying "slow" next to construction or road work. This is a job that could literally be automated with a pole :)

I was that guy as a kid, at least for road work. The role rotated through my crew while everyone else worked in the manhole or on the street. Part of the reason for it to be a human is to serve as a witness for the police when a distracted driver plows into the road crew. This was in the 1980s, I’m sure drivers pay much more attention today.
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