The Worst Job in History?

JM4CY

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My uncle bred cattle for decades so he was on the other side of it...

Come to think of it he did a hell of a lot of jobs. He was in the Navy during WWII, and worked as a barber after the war. He tested milk, bred cows, was a high school custodian, a handy man, did lawn care.... I definitely missed over half of the jobs he did in his day.
I would say in that line of work being "on the other side of it" is exactly the concern...
 

clones_jer

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it's not a gross job like most of the others, but the most soul-draining job I ever had was scamming people into credit cards at place called APAC Telemarketing. Sadly, I was good at it and got bonuses and worked FAR longer than most (usually people quit after less than 30 days). it was a year and a half of making double what my other HS friends did, but it was terrible, looking back I wish I had quit far earlier.

moved on to pizza delivery, which I will argue is one of the happiest jobs on the planet: 1) drive around listening to tunes 2) always smell pizza / get pizza discounts 3) EVERYONE is happy to see you 4) decent tips usually 5) you don't really have to do as much work as the rest of the pizza place workers because you're so in and out. It was great times - highly recommend it.
 

VeloClone

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it's not a gross job like most of the others, but the most soul-draining job I ever had was scamming people into credit cards at place called APAC Telemarketing. Sadly, I was good at it and got bonuses and worked FAR longer than most (usually people quit after less than 30 days). it was a year and a half of making double what my other HS friends did, but it was terrible, looking back I wish I had quit far earlier.

moved on to pizza delivery, which I will argue is one of the happiest jobs on the planet: 1) drive around listening to tunes 2) always smell pizza / get pizza discounts 3) EVERYONE is happy to see you 4) decent tips usually 5) you don't really have to do as much work as the rest of the pizza place workers because you're so in and out. It was great times - highly recommend it.
When I was delivering in college if you weren't out actively delivering you were in the dishroom. And being really busy with deliveries didn't mean you got out of doing dishes, it just meant that you had a longer night ahead of you catching up in the dishroom.

I literally did every job at that place from dishes/deliveries to ice cream/soda jerk to dough to assistant manager. From that list you can probably guess what pizza place it was.
 

clones_jer

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When I was delivering in college if you weren't out actively delivering you were in the dishroom. And being really busy with deliveries didn't mean you got out of doing dishes, it just meant that you had a longer night ahead of you catching up in the dishroom.

I literally did every job at that place from dishes/deliveries to ice cream/soda jerk to dough to assistant manager. From that list you can probably guess what pizza place it was.
heh. "soda jerk"

I'm guessing Happy Joes? I worked Pizza Hut in my hometown and had dishes duty, but they'd cover for you if you were out. Dominos in Ames was ALL delivery, but the volume is higher and you're always out for deliveries. Also worked for a mom&pop local place that was super chill, basically you helped with dishes if you felt like it lol.
 

cydnote

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The normal things a kid on the farm used to do: Sorting hogs for market in an open lot after a rain, butchering chickens, scooping out a oats or bean bin or worse yet, moldy corn, repairing a manure spreader, scooping dirt/crap out of a shed used for pasture farrowed pigs, dragging dead animals out of a pen for the rendering truck (on a 90 degree day), cultivating corn on an open tractor with no radio on a hot windy day, etc., etc. Hell, walking beans and baling hay was like a day off.
 

clones_jer

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I had a buddy that was an electrician at a rendering plant. told stories of opening up outlets that weren't working and animal carcass "sludge" flowing out.
 

VeloClone

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I had a buddy that was an electrician at a rendering plant. told stories of opening up outlets that weren't working and animal carcass "sludge" flowing out.
In college I worked with a kid who had worked for a time at one of the pork processing plants. He said he would come home not able to open his hands all the way from weilding the knife for 8+ hours and pretty much cry himself to sleep. I don't think he even lasted the whole summer.

I remember the not being able to open your hands all the way thing from detasseling. When I think about it I can still feel the ache all the way up the inside of my forearm. I would sit around pushing my fingers back trying to loosen up those muscles and work that soreness out.
 

cytor

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God bless our families and employees of farming. It's really hard, thankless work and it takes a lot of dedication and determination. I spent a couple of summers working on farms and I learned to appreciate all they go through. To those of you in that field (no pun intended), you have my utmost support and respect.
 

Mr Janny

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it's not a gross job like most of the others, but the most soul-draining job I ever had was scamming people into credit cards at place called APAC Telemarketing. Sadly, I was good at it and got bonuses and worked FAR longer than most (usually people quit after less than 30 days). it was a year and a half of making double what my other HS friends did, but it was terrible, looking back I wish I had quit far earlier.

moved on to pizza delivery, which I will argue is one of the happiest jobs on the planet: 1) drive around listening to tunes 2) always smell pizza / get pizza discounts 3) EVERYONE is happy to see you 4) decent tips usually 5) you don't really have to do as much work as the rest of the pizza place workers because you're so in and out. It was great times - highly recommend it.
It seems like a lifetime ago that I did telemarketing, and yes it was absolutely terrible. I ended up getting into the QA side of things which wasn't at all better, because I had to listen to people do it and kick back their sales if they didn't do things by the book. It was a good way to have your soul crushed AND have people hate you.
 

clones_jer

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In college I worked with a kid who had worked for a time at one of the pork processing plants. He said he would come home not able to open his hands all the way from weilding the knife for 8+ hours and pretty much cry himself to sleep. I don't think he even lasted the whole summer.

I remember the not being able to open your hands all the way thing from detasseling. When I think about it I can still feel the ache all the way up the inside of my forearm. I would sit around pushing my fingers back trying to loosen up those muscles and work that soreness out.
I did so much detasseling. even became a supervisor in later years. we had one summer where my family did 55 acres. (50 wheel pull, 5 full pull) its one of those things where I remember it being awful, but there are lots of fun memories too. I think it was like the bonding through traumatic experience lol
 

clones_jer

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It seems like a lifetime ago that I did telemarketing, and yes it was absolutely terrible. I ended up getting into the QA side of things which wasn't at all better, because I had to listen to people do it and kick back their sales if they didn't do things by the book. It was a good way to have your soul crushed AND have people hate you.
lol - yeah I remember those poor bastards. APAC would give you warnings and "final written warnings" - where you'd be fired if you did something again (not ask for a spouse, not rebuttal 3 times, etc). I really gamed the system, I had NINE final written warnings when I quit. all for nine different things, but they never caught me again!
I even had one that said "employee will not cover microphone with hands and say 'luke i am your father' between calls" ... that one was my favorite
 
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cycloner29

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Shelling corn back in the day. Was in corn crib where the ear corn had a green like mold and it made the air green with haze. That one or taking twine to tie your pant legs shut to prevent mice and rats from running up you legs. I swear one job I help at the wall of corn moved there were so many mice in it. Uncle had a mouse crawl up is pants, so he just took is hand and squeezed it to death.

Another fun one was having to pull pigs from sows. Nothing like sticking your arm up a sows uterus. Didn't use the full length plastic glove either as they would get ripped by the pigs teeth if you had them coming out head first. Even got my fingers cut on pigs teeth a couple of times.