\n<\/p>\n
Some jobs<\/a> may look easy on the surface but involve a significant amount of unseen work<\/a>. That\u2019s likely what prompted a netizen to post this question on a Reddit thread<\/a>: \u201cWhat job in Singapore looks easy but is actually exhausting?\u201d<\/p>\n Singaporeans<\/a> quickly chimed in with their answers, with some naming jobs such as artists<\/a>, personal assistants, social service roles, and IT support roles \u2014 positions that often involve far more effort and preparation behind the scenes than the finished product lets on.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, the most common answers, as many agreed, are those who work in the education sector and in healthcare.<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t take much to see why teaching, especially in early childhood education, can be exhausting. Imagine spending most of your day with a group of young kids, tending to their needs while also fulfilling the demands of teaching them, five days a week.<\/p>\n Some also pointed out deeper issues, saying that in certain cases \u201cthe pay doesn\u2019t commensurate with the teaching workload\u201d. Plus, there are\u00a0\u201cexpectations from parents\u201d who feel it is also the teacher\u2019s responsibility to parent and coddle their children.<\/p>\n One netizen, who specifically mentioned student care teachers, explained: \u201cYou get paid so little, and parents expect you to do all the teaching in the hours the kids spend at the centre. If their kid has low grades for their spelling, the teachers get blamed. It is tough dealing with these lazy parents and kids who are so entitled you want to smack their heads together.\u201d<\/p>\n Another added: \u201cTeaching is harder than it looks\u2026 especially in Singapore. If you think it\u2019s hard, it\u2019s waaay harder than you think. No one wants to be a teacher these days.\u201d<\/p>\n Those who brought up healthcare workers also shared specific examples to support their point. Some said that nurses are not always treated well, often having to deal with problematic patients, and that much of their work beyond patient care \u2014 such as administrative duties \u2014 is often overlooked.<\/p>\n \u201cHealthcare is so limited in speed and efficiency by manual labour, and the managers keep expecting workers to go beyond,\u201d shared one netizen, while another echoed: \u201cEven those departments that involve shift work are expected to stay back for admin stuff nowadays. Might as well make it office work.\u201d<\/p>\n One commenter said that a job in healthcare is \u201cno joke,\u201d pointing out that it is not just physically tiring, with an average of 10,000 steps a day, but also mentally draining. They shared that healthcare workers are often expected to respond to messages after shifts and on weekends due to the \u201c24\/7 nature\u201d of the job. Despite that, they added, many are still on a fixed salary with no allowances or bonuses.<\/p>\n Another popular answer also included customer service roles, where staff often have to deal with all walks of life, including those who are demanding, rude, or simply lacking in critical thinking skills.<\/p>\n As one netizen puts it: \u201c<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>As long as that role [requires one] to deal with people with no common sense or knowledge.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n One answer that was summed up in a single word \u2014 \u201cMom\u201d. Completely valid though, as many often underestimate the amount of work and effort that goes into a mother\u2019s day, whether she is working full-time or a stay-at-home parent.<\/p>\n From logistics roles to delivery services, Singaporeans had plenty to say about their jobs, saying how they may look straightforward to the public but actually require far more time and effort behind the scenes.<\/p>\n Perhaps the truth of it is that we should never assume someone has it easier just because they are in a different line of work, or that their job is simple simply because we don\u2019t see the effort that goes on beyond what we know of.\u00a0<\/p>\n What\u2019s your take?<\/p>\n Photos: Yan Krukau, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Cedric Fauntleroy\/ Pexels, Reddit<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/em><\/div>\n