Lighter Side: Four most over-rated jobs

Being an HR professional isn’t exactly glamorous but some jobs definitely get far better press than they deserve…

Human Resources doesn’t exactly have a reputation for being glamourous but – believe it or not – our career is actually rated much higher than many coveted jobs.

Taking a number of factors into account – including work environment, stress and hiring outlook – CareerCast revealed the top 200 jobs and Human Resources Manager was ranked #13.

HR managers were beaten to the post be a string of prestigious professions including biomedical engineer and university professor – but what about the jobs everyone wishes they had?

The job-listing site also revealed some of the most overrated roles going…

Lawyer - #126

Legal dramas may have viewers on the edge of their seat but, according to one former lawyer, that’s not quite the case in real life – it’s more about incredibly long hours, mountains of reading material and relentless paperwork.

“While studying law is interesting, practicing law is boring, repetitive and done in a highly negative environment," admitted one former attorney.

Lawyers do bring home big bucks though – with an average annual salary of $113,530.

Advertising executive - #no rank 

The ad execs on Mad Men might have the world at their feet and a drink in their hand but those days are long gone – now, the industry is shrinking and stress levels are rising.

The projected number of jobs in the field is expected to shrink by 1 per cent over the next eight years and, with an average salary of $46,290, they pay isn’t anything to shout about.

Stock Broker - #no rank

See yourself strutting down Bay Street in a brand new suit? Don’t – the job might not be as lucrative as you think.

The average annual wage for a stock broker certainly isn’t to be sniffed at but at $71,720 – it’s less than we were expecting and it’s definitely not enough to lead a lavish life of excess à la Wolf of Wall Street.

Surgeon - #92

Grey’s Anatomy may give you the impression that being a surgeon is all about saving lives then having sex in the on-call room but real-life doctors say otherwise.

Dr. Sandeep Juahar recently published an essay in The Wall Street Journal – “Why doctors are sick of their profession” - he says that despite the $233,150 salary, surgeons are “Discouraged, insecure, unhappy and anxious.”

Those that failed to rank were beaten by a range of less-than-popular positions including: sewage plant operator, nuclear decontamination technician and dishwasher.