12 professionals share misconceptions about their job they wish people would stop believing
“I run an animal rescue and I get a lot of people who think they're just gonna cuddle animals. A shocking number of people are very upset there's poop and manual labor involved.”

People share misconceptions about their job that they're tired of hearing.
Remember when we were kids and we’d get asked the question: What do you want to be when you grow up?
So often the responses would be fairly glamorous jobs—doctors, marine biologists, firefighters, performers, etc.—all based on simplistic ideas of what the job might be like versus what the job actually entails.
Recently, user stiengineer asked the Reddit community, “What's a misconception about your profession that you're tired of hearing?” And the responses—from graphic designers to vegetable farmers and everywhere in between—just go to show that unless you’ve actually worked in an occupation, you’re probably making a few assumptions about it. (Spoiler: no job is without its fair amount of work.)
Check out what some professionals wrote about their often misunderstood jobs that prove the grass isn’t always greener in the workplace.
1. “I’m a librarian, and people think we just read books all day. In reality, we manage databases, assist with research, and conduct community programs.”
Librarians would also like to get paid to sit and read all day.
Another librarian added:
“The cardigans are 100% fact, though. The back room and the stacks are two wildly different temperatures all the time.”
2. “I drove a taxi. We don’t meet a lot of famous people. Not all passengers are unhinged lunatics.”
3. "As an electrician, the misconception that it’s not a skilled profession is frustrating. It requires rigorous training and adherence to safety standards.”
4. "Vegetable farmer. We get so many applicants wanting to ‘connect to the soil,’ yet have never touched a shovel before. So many people don't seem to understand that farming is manual labor with long hours and hardship every day. And It's all just to limp by. We aren't making much money.”
"People don't seem to understand that farming is manual labor."
5. “I run an animal rescue and I get a lot of people who think they're just gonna cuddle animals. A shocking number of people are very upset there's poop and manual labor involved.”
6. “Fire Sprinkler Designer here: Fire Sprinkler water IS NOT clean and clear like the movies depict...That water more than likely has been in those pipes for decades and is filled with corrosion and cutting oil. As soon as a sprinkler goes off, you are getting doused with black tar water…”
One person commented:
“Oh so that's why I've seen so many people complain that their furniture got ruined by fire sprinklers going off! It's quite obvious now that you pointed it out, but I always thought it was weird so many things could get so badly damaged ‘just by getting wet.’”
Yep, we all learned something today.
7. "As a software developer, I'm tired of hearing that we're all just nerdy guys who code in dark rooms all day. It's actually highly collaborative.”
But you can hack into anything, right?
8. "I’m a graphic designer, and no, I can’t just whip up a complex project in an hour. Good design takes time and thought.”
“Most of the time I'm trying to protect the client from making really bad decisions."
This prompted a few graphic designers to chime in.
One wrote:
“Most of the time I'm trying to protect the client from making really bad decisions because they feel they could ‘do it themselves if they could just draw a little better.’”
While another added:
"I had a client one time who didn’t like a color we chose. I asked her what color she would prefer and her answer was ‘I saw this real pretty purple one time. I want something like that.’ When asked what shade of purple it was or what the item was so we could get an idea, she scoffed and said ‘you’re the artist, you should know.’”
9. “Lawyer here. Just because you fail to understand a nuance doesn’t mean it’s a 'loophole.’"
Another lawyer shared:
“The one that gets me is the idea that we're unethical tricksters just trying to run up our fees. First, there are some slimy lawyers out there, but I think as a whole we're probably more ethical than the general population. Our entire career depends on having a license that can be taken away for minor ethical lapses.”
10. “I'm a long time caregiver to mother who lives with dementia. For some reason, people don't consider it ‘work.’ That includes doctors. I'm on call 24/7. I can't leave for long periods of time. My own health went to shit. Geriatric care costs are astronomical. Yet, all people hear is ‘you're not working.’"
11. “People think being a chef is glamorous thanks to cooking shows, but the reality is long hours in a high-stress environment.”
One chef lamented:
'”'You must eat so well!' I eat cold pizza while crying, actually.”
And last but not least…
12. “I’m a locksmith, and people often think it’s just about cutting keys. It involves complex problem solving and security expertise.”
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."