The New York Times created an online app that uses data from the Labor Department to determine what the polar opposite of a given job is.
For example, here are some polar opposites:
- kindergarten teacher and physicist
- news editor and model
- chief executive and agricultural grader
- writer/author and mobile home installer
The Labor Department keeps detailed records on the skills and tasks required for each job. Some of those skills are physical: trunk strength, speed of limb movement, the ability to stay upright. Other skills are more knowledge-based: economics and accounting, physics, programming. Together, they capture the essence of what makes a job distinctive.
It is this set of skills that helps determine job opposites.
Of course, I had to try it for myself. I did not see accounting teacher as a choice, so I first chose accountant/auditor and the opposite was agricultrual grader, just like the CEO above. I then tried college teacher, but I did not find that either, so I chose Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School, and the opposite was once again agricultural grader. So that makes it pretty easy to guess what would happen if I combine accountant and teacher; the opposite would be agricultural grader.
So I was curious what skills an agricultural grader requires, since apparenelty I don’t have them. The app gives a list of such skills:
- Trunk strength
- Handling and moving objects
- Manual dexterity
- Foreign language
- Public safety and security
- Static strength
- Arm-hand steadiness
- Controlling machines and processes
- Finger dexterity
- Production and processing
So apparently I am weak, uncoordinated, can’t handle machinery, and I don’t speak a foreign language.
This app is eerily accurate…
Here’s the link if you want to try it; not sure if it requires a subscription, but it seemed to work without my being logged in.
Thanks for the laugh! I am a Medical Asst, a caregiver now, but Medical Asst is what they had. My opposite is a model! Yup, def never had any intentions of being a model!
LikeLiked by 2 people
the article did note that “The most distinctive jobs in the American work force are model and physicist, at least according to the data; they’re the two opposite jobs that appear most frequently on our list.”
so I guess you are not alone in having model as your opposite 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOL!
LikeLiked by 1 person
This reminds me of those dumb quizzes I used to encounter when I was on Facebook. I don’t believe it. I think you’d make an excellent agricultural grader. First, you get a crop of new students every semester. And second, you grade them at the end of each semester.
LikeLiked by 3 people
well played…
I might have to steal this…
LikeLiked by 2 people
Be my guest. But if nobody likes it, don’t blame me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I will accept full responsibility…
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is too funny, but interesting too. I held many jobs and I am sure that some were opposites. Not sure what that says about me or the app for that matter.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think the most interesting part is just finding out what skills the Labor Department claims you need for various jobs…
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is super interesting! I can always learn something new on your blog!
LikeLiked by 1 person
nothing worthwhile though… 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Try the category WordPress guru, Jim.
LikeLiked by 3 people
And if I did, probably my name would come out as the opposite…
LikeLiked by 2 people
I will make only one argument here. If you can juggle, you are surely, by definition, not uncoordinated.
LikeLiked by 2 people
perhaps uncoordinated when it comes to doing anything meaningful… 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love this and I must say that I completely agree with the first example. I see that you don’t fit the bill for your opposite either.
LikeLiked by 1 person
you’re not teaching your kinders quantum mechanics? I am certainly not teaching my students how to plant organic vegetables… 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha, Jim, an agricultural grader is pretty far off the intricacies of IFRS. I consider myself to be quite dexterous with my hands, though, so it’s not 100% right. I wonder what the opposite of an artist is?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Robbie. I checked. The opposite of an artist is a physicist, which I have no doubt you would also be successful at!
LikeLike
Fascinating – but I dare not try it, in case it tells me I’ve been wasting my life so far!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think it will make you happy that you chose to do what you are doing…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I got agricultural grader too – after 5 iterations of my recent jobs!
This is SO due for an overhaul!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think it’s trying to tell you something – don’t even think about being an agricultural grader!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It works! I’m a mobile home installer and a physicist. Many will die if I take these jobs hahaha 😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂 I think I’d rather do the opposite of those jobs as well!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Seems the app is not all encompassing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No, not quite…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well the opposite of a registered nurse is a model!! Cracked me up!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
well one requires lots of skill, the other one not so much…
LikeLiked by 1 person
We have many more skills and abilities than required for our jobs. I agree that juggling provides skills that an agricultural grader could use. My opposite job is also agricultural grader.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It seems like an agricultural grader should be asking for a pay raise, since they seem to have skills that most people do not possess… 🙂
LikeLike
Jim, I plugged in my former career, so I ended up in the same place as you. One job I thought about at times when I was still teaching was journalism. I guess my writing here will have to suffice.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had thought about journalism as well… my oldest son was a journalism major in college, and did work as a reporter briefly after he graduated…
LikeLike