15 Most Useless Jobs in the World that you never knew existed

David Graeber, an American anthropologist spoke about “bull-shit jobs”, referring to jobs that he considers most useless and non-beneficial to society.

He spoke about the decrease in blue-collar jobs and the increase in white-collar jobs, which are totally unnecessary and can be done without.

In his opinion, managerial and administrative jobs are not so necessary and should not be so heavily paid as they are.

Rather, professionals like nurses, teachers, etc should be better appreciated as they are more important and contribute significantly to individuals and the nation at large.

Meanwhile, here is the table of content below.

Are there useless jobs?

To answer the question, I would start by saying “useless” is relative, hence, while it may seem unnecessary to one person, it would be of immense importance to another person, based on their need and preferences.

So, I would say there are some jobs, which are actually not needed, yet, they exist and are paid for.

What classifies a job as useless?

One major point which classifies a job as useless is when it makes no meaningful contribution to society.

Now, this is relative because some jobs do have direct significance to society, while some don’t. This does not translate that the jobs which have an indirect impact on society are useless.

However, if a job has no impact whatsoever, whether directly or indirectly on society, then it is definitely useless.

Also, when a job can be done without, and it doesn’t cause an issue, then it can also be regarded as useless. That is, if these jobs do not exist, they would go unnoticed, and such jobs can also be classified as useless.

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Why do people take up useless jobs?

There are various reasons people may take up useless jobs, and the first is that they may not see them as useless.

Yes, they may actually consider it an important job, and see it as worthy to have; hence, they take it up.

Another reason why people take up useless jobs is because of the pay, and the desire to earn a living. Money is one of the essential needs of man, and a job can provide you that, no matter how little.

Hence, some people take up some of the most useless jobs, because they are unemployed and need to earn a living.

Top 15 Most Useless jobs in the world in 2024

1. Professional Paint-drying watcher:

This is a person, who is employed to watch paint as it dries off a painted surface. They are usually employed by paint-producing companies, to check how long their paint takes to dry and how it dries.

This job is useless because, it is almost an unnecessary task, as a timer can be set to discover how long a paint dries, without someone spending his whole time standing and watching it as it dries.

However, they may have a justifiable reason for existing, since these companies need this information for their clients to know the amount of time needed for the paint to dry when it is used.

2. Professional Snuggler:

Yes, people have the job of snuggling with people, in order to make them fall asleep. These professional snugglers work with an agency, which sends them to people who require their services.

This job is almost pointless because you should be able to sleep without being snuggled.

However, there are some people whose teddy bears can never snuggle them to sleep, or who experience insomnia and other sleep-related issues. Hence, this category of people need professional snugglers to lull them to sleep.

3. Sign Spinners:

Sign spinners are individuals who spin sign boards, in order to pass across the information written on it to people passing by.

This job is useless, as people may not even be able to read what is written on the sign properly when it is being spun. This is because the information would be better read and understood if the sign is hung in a place where it is stable.

However, on second thought, these sign spinners could also draw people’s attention to the sign, as they do some dance while spinning these signs.

4. Professional Sleepers:

These professionals are hired by bed-making companies, who hire them to test the strength of their beds and for other reasons.

This job is really unnecessary, as the quality of these beds can be ascertained without hiring these professional sleepers.

5. Restroom Attendants:

Restroom Attendants are professionals, who help people in the restrooms with some convenience, such as pouring soap into their hands, giving them a tissue, reminding them about the restroom rules, etc.

This is a pointless job, as one would naturally be able to use the restroom without the help of these attendants.

However, they are not entirely useless, as they help to maintain decorum with keeping to the restroom rules.

6. Pet Psychologists:

Pet Psychologists are professionals, who are believed to be able to read the minds of pets and understand their psychics. They deal mainly with dogs and cats.

These pet psychologists are almost useless, as an animal can be easily understood, without the fuss of having to read their minds and other things.

7. Pet Food-tasters:

This set of individuals taste food meant for pets, to ascertain its quality, before the food is fed to the pet. However, these professionals do not swallow the food.

This is a ridiculous job because if the correct procedure and ingredients are employed in the process of producing the food, they do not require a human actually to taste the food, to ascertain its quality.

However, they can be useful in several ways, to check for the taste and texture of the food.

8. Elevator Operator:

These professionals are employed to help people who use elevators operate them. This is a pointless job, as there is nothing complicated about using elevators, other than pressing the number of the floor you want to get to.

Hence, the job of these individuals is simply to ask for the floor number the elevator user is going to, and input it for them, while also trying to make small talk, as the elevator mounts up.

However, in a situation, where the person using the elevator is using it for the first time, they may prove useful.

They would also be useful in situations when the elevator jams, as they are able to calm others down while trying to relay the issue to the management of the building.

9. Parking Attendants:

These individuals must instruct people on how to park their vehicles properly in a public parking space. While this may seem useful, it is not really necessary, as people should be able to do that, without hassle.

However, they may prove useful when people are in a rush and are disorganized when parking their vehicles.

10. ATM Guard:

These guards are stationed at ATM spots to guard it and help ATM users out, as well as prevent ATMs from being burgled.

However, this is almost not necessary, as the ideology behind ATMs is to replace the work of a bank teller. Hence, having an ATM guard is almost ridiculous, as the person can be put to work at a more rewarding endeavor.

However, they can prove useful, when helping first-time users of ATMs use the machine.

11. Lifeguard at the Olympics:

This job is a very unconventional one, as it happens only once in four years.

The job is also useless because swimmers at the Olympics are professionals, who have mastered the art of swimming. Hence, they do not require lifeguards.

However, they can still prove useless, in case a professional swimmer is drowning. However, the chance of that occurring is very low.

12. CD Rack Manufacturers:

The time of buying racks to store CD sets is already gone. Nowadays, people rarely buy CDs to listen to, not to talk of buying racks to store the CD sets in.

Hence, CD Rack Manufacturers have a better endeavor to engage in, than produce things that people do not necessarily require.

13. Odour Detector:

Odor detectors are responsible for detecting the odor of things and people around them. It can range from sniffing people’s armpits and breath to detecting the fragrance of perfumes, the smell of food, etc.

This job is not totally useless, as it is essential to know how pleasant or offensive something smells.

14. Gumologist:

These people are paid to taste and bubble test gums to give their opinion on the flavors.

15. Chocolate Taster:

These individuals taste and sample chocolates of different flavors to determine the taste, texture, and smell.

This job is not as easy as it seems, as one needs to smell the chocolate to note its smell, then taste it.

What can be done for people to see the value or dignity in these jobs

Seeing value and having a sense of dignity in one’s work starts from taking pride in the work and a purposeful approach towards carrying it out.

It has to do with having a sense of work ethic, and knowing that no matter how menial or seemingly unnecessary that work is, it is actually fulfilling someone’s need at a particular point in time.

Also, when you feel connected to a group of people in your field and understand that you are contributing to a noble cause, which has a positive effect on society, this also helps you have a sense of value and dignity in your work.

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What can you do to avoid doing a useless job?

In choosing a career path to delve into, it is very important to choose one that takes priority in your heart, in terms of what you love to do and how you live to serve the world.

The financially rewarding aspect of a career is also important, however, more factors should be considered, before a final decision is made as to the career path to delve into.

Here are some steps to take, to avoid doing a useless job:

1. Examine your area of Interest and Passion:

To avoid doing a useless job, it is important that you do a job that piques your interests and one that you are very passionate about. Passion fuels commitment, and when you are committed to a thing, you sure would see value in it.

2. Develop a relevant skill set:

To avoid doing useless jobs, you must also acquire relevant skills to help you get a good job in a reputable field. Nowadays, skills are as important as your certificate, hence, it is vital to learn and improve on your skills to help you get a good job.

3. Examine the impact of your skill on society:

The impact of the job on society at large would also help you determine whether the job is a good fit.

Examine to see how relevant the skills you possess are to society; this would also help you determine whether you are doing a useless job or not.

4. Set Personal Goals and check the relevance of any job to those goals:

The relevance of a job to your personal goals and ambition is another important aspect to examine to avoid doing a useless job.

What are the most useful jobs?

Below are the most valuable jobs, in the world today:

• Content Writer
• Medical Practitioners
• Data Scientist
• Full-stack developer
• Teachers
• Software Developer
• Accountant
• Pilots
• Psychologist
• Project Manager

A job is a sense of dignity, duty, and belonging. A job gives one a sense of purpose and fulfillment, as you contribute your quota to developing your field.

Hence, it is essential for one to take pride in whatsoever job you are doing, and give it your very best.

Read: 13 Free Free Online Writing Classes| Beginners and Pros

Frequently Asked Questions on the Most Useless Jobs

References

• https://www.welcometothejungle.com/
• www.nytimes.com/
• https://bestlifeonline.com/
• www.afterschoolafrica.com/
• https://skillroads.com/

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