In today’s world, there are two types of occupations: jobs that most people can do relatively calmly and jobs that are so stressful on a day-to-day basis that only a select few dare to undertake them.
From being a government spy overseas to fighting fires for a living – and everything in between – here are ten jobs that most people don’t have the guts to take on professionally.
1. Underwater Welder
We’re kicking off the list with a job title we didn’t even know existed: underwater welder. The upside to this profession is that it’s incredibly lucrative. The downside, however… well, one person put it all into perspective for us. “No joke, my friend trained for it and gave up after three years,” they said. ”
Told me scary stories about underwater currents (jet streams?) like everything is fine, then boom, swept away in the darkness.”
A great-paying job that comes with the risk of being swept away underneath the sea, all while working with electricity in darkness? Yikes!
Related: 30 Fun Jobs That Also Pay The Bills
2. Skyscraper Window Washer
If cleaning windows from thousands of feet up in the air isn’t brave, we don’t know what is. An ex-skyscraper window washer made himself available to give his two cents.
He revealed that the job had affected his day-to-day life: “The weird thing is, though, once you’re a window cleaner and have done a few buildings, you feel extra weird approaching the edge of anything when you’re up high and aren’t hooked up to ropes and harness.
I haven’t done window cleaning for like 15 years, but even now, looking down through a high-up window, my brain goes ‘WHERE’S THE HARNESS? WE’RE NOT HOOKED UP.'”
3. Government Spy
For most people, any job that involves you voluntarily putting yourself into life-or-death situations is not a job. Being a government spy in a foreign country has to require peak courage. In addition, one user pointed out the obvious: “Spies don’t get much in return,” they shared. “People living for adrenaline can only do these jobs.”
4. Crime Scene Cleaner
Any fan of Breaking Bad is undoubtedly familiar with the unsettling occupation of crime scene cleaners. One individual put it bluntly: “It’s gotta take a lot of guts to clean up the remains of people who have been killed in some way.” It takes a special kind of person to be comfortable enough to work in this field, and the courage they must show daily is admirable.
5. First Responder / EMT
Much like a crime scene cleaner, first responders face some unreal situations. Imagine having a job requiring you to report to an emergency immediately – we’re sure all first responders have seen things they wish they could un-see.
Dozens of users nominated first responders in the discussion, showing that only the very brave can muster having a job like this.
6. Cell Phone Tower Technician
Naturally, a keen fear of heights will cause a job at any altitude to require serious guts. One person confessed that they could never work on cell phone towers for a living: “Even just watching videos of people climbing those towers gets my fear of heights going,” they said.
7. Firefighter
When an occupation has inspired countless TV shows and films over the years, you know that job is stressful!
One person said, “No way I could do it,” they admitted. To be frank, that comment doesn’t surprise us – not many people can! Fighting fires requires the utmost concentration, skill, and courage.
8. Neurosurgeon
Perhaps the most stressful and important job on this list is that of a neurosurgeon. Operating on a person’s brain requires courage that most people can only dream of. Not surprisingly, an actual neurosurgeon made his presence known to lead credence to this theory: “Neurosurgeon here. I can confirm that a huge amount of stress comes during operation.
Some operations can last hours, and you must be 100% focused during that time since the brain is a very fragile organ and one slip up can cause many problems.”
Wow, talk about pressure.
9. Air Traffic Controller
Imagine being in charge of the mayhem of an endless stream of airplanes taking off and landing – it’s getting our heart racing just thinking about it!
One person with experience in this field had this to say about air traffic controllers: “I used to work parallel with ATC,” he revealed. “The best quote I heard describing the work was ‘98% boredom, 2% terror.'”
2% terror is 2% more than we can handle!
10. Exterminator
Of all the jobs on this list, an exterminator has to be the least appreciated in today’s society. People worldwide were near-unanimous in rallying around the sheer bravery needed to battle rodents of all sizes at all times.
Call us crazy, but we’d rather be a crime scene cleaner than deal with the little pests that exterminators handle regularly!
Credit: Reddit.
