Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Jobs That Aren't As Prestigious As They Once Were

For hire sign
shallow focus photography of red and white for hire signage

Reddit user probablyuntrue asked: 'What job used to be prestigious but isn't any more?'

If you were to ask most parents these days what they hope their child might be when they grow up, chances are the majority of them will say a doctor or a lawyer.

Or, at the very least, they might say they hope their child marries one.


However, had you been growing up in late Victorian or Edwardian England, being a doctor or a lawyer, let alone marrying one, was not exactly something to brag about.

For if you were someone of any means or rank, you probably wouldn't work at all.

Thankfully, the stigmatization of those jobs wore away over time, and people now respect them for the important professions they are.

Sadly though, the passage of time has not been as kind to other professions, whose pedigree has suffered the reverse fate.

Redditor probablyuntrue was curious to hear which professions people believe no longer carry the same pedigree they once did, leading them to ask:

"What job used to be prestigious but isn't anymore?"

If Anyone Rues The Invention Of The Automobile...

"Blacksmith."

"They were the town engineer, manufacturer, craftsman, and problem solver all in one."

"Now they are mostly just hobbyists."- BaconReceptacle

And All They Told Was The News...

"Newspaper columnist and local news anchor."

"They used to be celebrities when they were the primary mediums people got their news from."- 4Ever2Thee

Blame It On The Name Change...

"Flight attendant."

"Back in the 1970s, if you were dating a 'stewardess', all your friends were jealous."- Earguy

Cabin Crew Applause GIF by KLMGiphy

Maybe It's People's Taste Which Has Taken A Hit...

"I was a furniture and cabinet maker in the 2000s."

"I designed and built entertainment centers for the new flat-screen tv fad."

"Paid great, everyone thought I was cool."

"No one gives a sh*t anymore and the pay has scaled way down with this economy so I’m back in school."- Low-Abbreviations-38

Owing To Certain Connotations, Perhaps?

"Spice trader."

"I was of course talking about reading actual spices."

"With the new movie, being a character in Dune is probably more prestigious than it has ever been."- I_might_be_weasel

Thanks Spotify...

"Nighttime radio DJ."- Scrappy_Larue

"They used to set what music was cool and not."- laudinum

Dj Puppet GIFGiphy

Before There Was Kinkos...

"Printer."

"Lithographic or various others."

"Used to be an amazing career and essential to society."

"Since the rise of the internet and decline of printed media the industry has died."

"Not that long ago, the spread of information was made possible through printers, not anymore."- Advanced-Stupid

There Sevice Has Been Expedited, or perhaps "Expedia'd"...

" Travel Agent."

"Finding flights, booking good hotels, knowing the cool places to go, how to get tickets to events, and how to pull it all together for someone used to be fairly useful skills to have."

"Now the job is basically nonexistent apart from super high-end or specialty positions."- MrMojoFomo

Their Cargo Is Seldom Precious...

"Letter carriers for the postal service."

"All I deliver now is junk mail and Amazon packages."

"Certified letters used to be treated like it was a classified gov document(because it could be) that you were responsible for."

"You even had to sign out to receive them because you were accountable for them."

"Now they come mixed in with the bulk junk mail."- flyjum

Postal Worker Vintage GIFGiphy

"Bank manager."- biga204

"I would argue that position is still prestigious in towns under 20k pop."- 2cats2hats

Some Money Management Isn't So Glamorous...

"Working at a Bank."- DogusEUW

"Before the credit score was invented, working as a banker was prestigious because you got to decide if someone got a loan or not."

"Everyone want to be buddies with a local banker because he could sign off on a loan and set the terms."

"How do you think grandpa bought the house?"

"Now individuals don’t do that algorithms do."- Limp_Distribution

"...All The Livelong Day..."

"Freight conductor/ engineer."

"Used to be a great career."

"The hours and schedule have always been rough but the pay made up for the inconvenience."

"Now corporate greed, sh*tty contracts, mass company surveillance, and insane attendance policies have turned railroading into a sh*t job."- Boo_Blicker

Survey Says...

"Land Surveyor."

"3 of the 4 presidents on Mount Rushmore were land surveyors, and owning property was a big deal so people who could give you legal authority over ownership were pretty well respected."

"Now you make $12 an hour starting to dig holes lol."- HandsOfJazz

When You Realize You're On The Wrong Track...

"Working in academia, in a way."

"Over last several decades, tenure tracks got way more competitive."

"Young scientists are now often overworked, underpaid and have uncertain future."

"No wonder that many leave the academia for private sector."- MyKinkyCountess

It's Very Easy To Judge..."

"Is any job considered prestigious nowadays?"

"It feels like the internet has allowed us a deeper look into what every profession really is like and the aura of mystery/awe that used to surround particular jobs just isn't there anymore."- justgonnaknowaway

What Do You Do For A Living GIF by Hot BenchGiphy

It's certainly worth wondering what makes people think a job is prestigious or not?

The pay? The duties? The qualifications?

None of which should ultimately factor in, as when push comes to shove, all jobs have value.

After all, most of the jobs that were considered "essential" during the height of the pandemic were generally anything but lucrative.

But where would we be today without them?

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Newt Gingrich; Joe Neguse
C-SPAN

Dem Rep. Brings The Receipts After Newt Gingrich Claims Biden Judges Are Staging 'Coup'

On Tuesday, the House Democrats of the Judiciary Committee countered Republican efforts to undermine the constitutional role of an independent federal Judiciary branch—which is to provide checks and balances against the Executive and Legislative branches.

House Republicans—led by Judiciary Committee chair and friend-of-Donald, Jim Jordan—seek to retaliate against federal judges for following the United States Constitution and the rule of law.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nettie and Darrel Yeager
Darwell Yeager III/Facebook

Mississippi Restaurant Sparks Outrage After Offering Discount To Straight Couples Only

A Mississippi couple are in hot water online after offering a straight-couples discount at their restaurant.

Darrel and Nettie Yeager, owners of Darwell's Happiness Café, took to Facebook on March 25 to announce that any couple "who can produce a child" would get a special bonus.

Keep ReadingShow less
Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Jesse Watters
Fox News

Jesse Watters Slammed Over Crass Question He Wanted To Ask Stranded Astronauts

Fox News host Jesse Watters shared a cringey question that was one giant leap backward for mankind.

NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore gave their first official interview after safely returning from their nine-month long extended stay aboard the International Space Station after thinking they would return in eight days.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kid Rock
Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

Kid Rock Dragged After Donning A Truly Over-The-Top Outfit For His White House Visit

Singer Kid Rock was slammed for wearing a loud patriotic costume inside the Oval Office as Republican President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday against ticket scalping.

The rocker's outfit consisted of a red, white, and blue jacket emblazoned with two eagles facing each other above the American flag with the number 250, a nod to America's upcoming 250th anniversary, and white stars on his sleeves.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Bill Cassidy
CNBC

MAGA Senator Just Said The Quiet Part Out Loud With Epic Freudian Slip About Medicare

Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy was widely mocked following his inconvenient slip of the tongue during a CNBC interview as he mused about finding ways to "cut" Medicare before quickly correcting himself.

The exchange occurred after host Rebecca Quick pressed Louisiana Republican and former physician Bill Cassidy on how his party intended to fund the “trillion-dollar tax cuts” sought by President Donald Trump.

Keep ReadingShow less