EDITOR’S NOTE: He calls himself the Owl, and his words, the Sparks. He’s a young Argentinian thinker who loves hats. His name is Carlos Miceli. His blog, Owl Sparks, is an insightful commentary on the state of things in today’s world. Suggested reading for anyone seeking a fresh perspective. Here is what he has to say to those looking for a job that will teach them about themselves, others, and just about everything else.
These are five jobs that we should all try at some point:
Waiter: I’m looking forward to doing this soon once I move to Perth. There’s so much more to this job than just serving people. Marketing, sales, customer satisfaction and psychology, it’s all in there. Also, and more importantly, we should all be on the other side of the waiter-customer relationship at least once. See what it feels like. See if it’s as easy as it seems (and be wrong). I’m convinced this is one job that can make you nicer with others.
Construction Worker: Or any other job that involves mainly physical strength. Everyone should feel what it’s like to be TRULY exhausted at the end of the day. To be out of energy and still have to keep digging/building/hammering, and to know that you have to do it again and again every day. Be aware of how lucky you are of not HAVING to take this job, but do it someday to understand what a lot of less lucky people go through during their whole life.
Taxi Driver: Few jobs must give you the true insight of a city and its people better than this one. A no brainer. I’m guessing you won’t collect more interesting anecdotes than when you are a taxi driver.
Teacher: Imparting knowledge may be a good enough motive to teach for most people, considering the personal satisfaction that it can bring, but I think everyone should teach for a more altruistic reason: We need more passionate teachers. Passion is the best motivator, and we need everyone’s help to find it. Maybe everyone trying is the best way to do it.
Librarian: 6-8 hours surrounded by books. Seriously, do I need to say more?
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Hey Owl:
Thanks a million for your guest post. Quedo muy bien! I did a summer stint as a waiter back in the day in the southern coast of Spain. I agree that a tenure in that profession at some point during the course of one’s life can be very instructive in many ways and rewarding. As you say, it gives you a different perspective of people when you are serving them. You learn how to treat people with their differences and nuances and how they treat you in return. Any customer service profession is very useful in this regard but being a waiter is one of the funnest. Serving others is loads of fun if you have the right attitude. Good luck with your stint in Perth. I have no doubt you will enjoy it!
Thanks a lot Gentleman!
I agree with you 100%. A girl that I used to date was a waiter and she always had a blast. Sure, you get into some harsh moments with some clients, but the experience is worth it.
Depending on the school district here in Texas, starting salaries for teachers can be pretty decent, and every single one of my friends who teach really enjoy it. It’s something I’ve considered doing( teaching/coaching) because despite the fact that I know I’d probably let some people down (you’re expected to do so much more if you’re smart, have Master’s Degree, etc.) I really think I could make a difference.
Most of the really intelligent people are trying to really get wealthy and so many teachers were middle of the pack students, and while that doesn’t necessarily correlate to being a bad teacher (it doesn’t), I wonder what our education system would be like if all the top students were incentivized to become teachers.
Great last point. I have never thought about it before… Maybe teaching should pay more than being an investment banker?
Carlos,
Wow! I don’t think I’ve heard anything more arrogant and middle-class elitist in my life than what you just wrote about construction workers. You seem to think that just because manual labor is hard and dirty, no one could ever enjoy it. For some of them, I have no doubt you’re correct. They go into construction, agriculture, plant operation, etc. because that’s the only thing they think they can do. But many, many others love their jobs. I know too many of these hard working people who are proud of what they do and feel LUCKY to be able to use their hands AND minds everyday. They feel LUCKY that they don’t have sit in front of a computer mindlessly typing, typing, typing like so many of us do. And they feel LUCKY to be filling such important needs in society that without them there would be no society. How many of us can say that about our jobs?
Although I now work in the world of dress suits and cubicles, I grew up on a farm and know what it feels like to spend the day getting my fingernails caked in dirt. It was hard work and there were plenty of nights I went inside stiff and aching. But, I loved every minutes of it. Carlos, get off your high horse and find some humility.
First of all: I’ve lived as a kid in a mountain town and in a farming town. I used to help around in the farm and I KNOW what a that kind of lifestyle is, so get your facts together before getting offensive.
Are you one of those americans that I hear about that live in a the bubble that US might be for some? Because you definitely sound like one. I have no idea what kind of employment situation the people that do construction have in the US, but why don’t you come to Argentina and you tell me if those people feel LUCKY of what they are doing.
If you look at the biology of people that work in construction or mining for their whole life, they get older quicker than most of us, they die younger. Those wrongs are just WRONG, because they are not healthy. Read a little about mining in Bolivia, for example, and you tell me how glad those people are of having those jobs. But no, of course everything is great in the United States of America, everything is fill with pride, so you have no idea what I’m talking about.
This kind of ignorance really pisses me off.
Also, there’s nothing more middle-class elite than being a farmer. This is the XXIst century.Those pick-up trucks aren’t cheap, you know…
What pick-up truck are you looking at? Ours was used, under $1500, and we still had to finance it.
My point is that at least here, being a farmer in no way is a synonym of “hard work for no money.”
I have often thought about trying many of these professions. As an architect (in addition to being a blogger), I still hold great ambitions of teaching design at the University level. It is a long term goal of mine, once I have more experience under my belt. Being a waiter is something that is always lingering in the back of my mind, because having branched out on my own recently, and given the current economy, things are fluid, and always fluctuating between success and slowness. So that one is constantly in my back pocket, depending on the times. But most importantly, I should have liked to be a construction worker. As an architect, if there is one thing I feel I lack is that true appreciation for craftsmanship, hard work, and physical exhaustion. I love working with my hands, and being outside. And I think there is alot to be gained, and alot that can be fulfilling about pushing your limits everyday, about being exhausted. That is when you know that you have truly been productive, and perhaps done something that was truly worthwhile. I wish I had performed such manual labor in order to fully understand what goes into creating a structure, and erecting it from scratch.
I also had an idea for another job that could be added to the list, and wanted to get your thoughts: TRUCK DRIVER. I think being a truck driver alters your perception of time in an incredible way. The idea of being in constant motion, and every day visiting a new place, and being surrounded by new things and new people. Many of these guys spend more than 300 days a year on the road. I assume that lifestyle changes your perspective about the way we live. Perhaps it lets you see the world through a different lens … Or just see the world … Period.
Holy damn, truck driver! Absolutely. It’s the enhanced version of taxi driver. Great way to see the world, I completely agree Gianpaolo.
Well said, fellow optimalist. Well said!