We’ve made a list of high satisfaction jobs and now it’s time to look at the other end of the spectrum. It’s not surprising that low satisfaction jobs lack many of the traits of jobs with happier workers. Some common characteristics among low-satisfaction jobs: monotony, low pay, and low autonomy. See the list of low satisfaction jobs below.
Legal Assistants/Secretaries
Combine the stress of working in the legal field with a lack of autonomy and you’ve got a pretty unsatisfying job. Of course, some legal secretaries enjoy more autonomy and higher pay than average but many work in stressful environments without much positive social interaction.
Telemarketers
Although social interaction is an important part of job satisfaction, telemarketers usually have unpleasant interactions with others. Their jobs are very high stress due to call quotas and they have very low autonomy, often having to follow scripts without being allowed to deviate from them. They must also face constant rejection with little or no praise from customers or coworkers. Adding to the misery, telemarketers are rarely compensated well for the amount of stress they must face.
Customer Service Representatives
As with telemarketers, customer service representatives often face negative interactions with angry or frustrated customers. They are blamed for problems they didn’t create, and have little control over how to handle problems. Being stuck between management and the customer can lead to tremendous stress.
Food Preparation and Service Workers
Employees in the food service industry face monotonous tasks with little room for creativity expression or social interaction. Pay is generally very low and autonomy is virtually non-existent.
Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators (except postal service)
Monotony, lack of social interaction, and low pay may explain the low satisfaction mail clerks face. Their jobs vary little day-to-day and they get little or no appreciation from others within their organizations. Mail clerks are often at the bottom of the ladder and are paid very little.
Municipal Clerks
Municipal clerks work for town or city councils. The job can be monotonous and low-paying. It’s also a job where employees often don’t see the direct benefits of their work and may have trouble finding greater meaning in their jobs.
Housekeepers and Maids
Housekeeping is physically demanding, tedious work that usually offers very low pay and little social interaction. Housekeepers rarely receive praise or recognition for their work, often working after business hours or at times when hotel guests are out.
Insurance Processing Clerks
Insurance processing clerks process insurance claims, insurance applications, and policy changes. Like many unsatisfying jobs, their work allows for little creativity expression and can be quite boring. Also, they may spend a great deal of time alone and feel little appreciation for their work.
Hotel and Motel Desk Clerks
Working with the public can be mentally and emotionally exhausting, particularly in roles where you must put on a happy face for customers and have little or no opportunities to vent frustrations to anyone throughout the workday. Being polite to angry or rude guests can be frustrating for hotel clerks, especially since they get paid low wages.
Shipping and Receiving Clerks
Monotony, lack of autonomy and social interaction and low pay are all characteristics of this job. Shipping and receiving clerks may also be under a great deal of pressure to meet productivity quotas due to high volumes of shipments.
Sources:
http://www.myplan.com/careers/top-ten/lowest-job-satisfaction.php
https://www.careerbliss.com/facts-and-figures/careerbliss-happiest-and-unhappiest-jobs-in-america-2015/#/_=_
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