Image: vip2014 / Moment / Getty Images
About This Quiz
If you'd like to know what's the best occupation out there right now, the answer depends on how we define "best" in this situation.
With so many kinds of personalities on this planet, it's only natural that different jobs will also suit eclectic individuals. We can choose from traditional careers laid out for us by our families or we can deviate from that norm and pursue professions that make our hearts beat faster. So if you ask a creative person about their best job idea, their answer will differ from those who geek out on science or math stuff. That's just one typical example of how to differentiate between workers.
These days, though, there's another rubric used to differentiate workers: soft skills. Many corporations now say that the best workers for their jobs are those who have balanced soft skills and hard skills. This may sound like hipster HR buzzwords for people who can deliver hard KPIs in a heartbeat. But the best occupations out there identify new things to measure as performance indicators such as communication skills, leadership abilities or just honest-to-goodness attitude.Â
So if you see different professionals out there right now, we're sure that they're doing the best they can in their respective jobs. There are those whose hard skills are immediately obvious while there are workers whose soft skills also come across as admirable. If you see them in these screenshots, can you tell what work they do? Open up this quiz and apply yourself better!
Dietitian
Nutritionist
Farmer
The early 1900s, U.S. immigrants were farmers from agricultural nations like the Philippines. That's why Hawaii established a "Sakada Day" commemorating the first batch of Filipino sugar cane and pineapple plantation workers. Author John Steinbeck also wrote about his interactions with these farmers.
Food server
Advertisement
Forklift operator
Chauffeur
Truck driver
Taxi driver
Taxi drivers are on the list of the top 15 best social service jobs in America at present. In this 2019 survey, this profession became more flexible because of mobile ride-hailing apps. Drivers under Uber or Lyft services, for instance, got classified as taxi drivers, too.
Advertisement
Freight mover
Interior designer
Architect
Architects need to work closely with engineers because their professions complement each other. Architects are the ones who design the aesthetic feasibility of a house, building or structure while the engineer ensures the safety and functionality of the architects' designs.
Electrical engineer
Advertisement
Photographer
Photographers are versatile professionals since they can enter different industries where their services are much needed. Those into glam lifestyles can enter fashion photography, while those who like working in the news can work as photojournalists.
Fashion designer
Actor
Gaffer
Advertisement
Lawyer
Correctional officer
Sheriff
Judge
In a 2019 list of the 100 Best Jobs in America, it's interesting to note that being a lawyer is at number 42 in ranking but being a judge is not even on the list. But a judge position is a revered one in the U.S. whether they serve in the local courts, the state courts or in federal courts.
Advertisement
Occupational therapist
Dentist
The world will never run out of health care professionals since it's been one of the basic industries since ancient times. In a 2019 U.S. survey, though, dentistry ranked as the second most important health care job in modern times. Dentists surpassed physicians and pediatricians in this list.
Anesthesiologist
Podiatrist
Advertisement
Housekeeper
Garbage collector
Plumber
Plumbers don't work solely on water supply problems involving private houses or buildings. They can also work in companies that provide heating systems or those providing sanitation and drainage services.
Fabricator
Advertisement
Baker
Packer
Short-order cook
Butcher
If you're the kind of diner who can differentiate a rib from a shank or can tell sirloin from tenderloin, you may have been a butcher in a past life! But butchers aren't experts in pork and beef cuts only; they can also expertly slice up poultry, fish, and game.
Advertisement
First-line supervisor
Executive secretary
Police officer
Watch Spike Lee's biographical film "BlacKkKlansman" to see the story of Colorado Springs' first African American police detective in the '70s who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan of that area. History-wise, though, African Americans have served as police officers as early as the 1860s.
Operations manager
Advertisement
Bank teller
Thanks or no thanks to heist movies, we may harbor this idea that a bank teller's job is highly stressful. But outside those isolated robbery threats, bank workers don't have huge stressors in their profession. Job recruitment site Glassdoor pegged their yearly salary at $28,000.
Bookkeeper
Auditing clerk
Customer service representative
Advertisement
Tractor-trailer driver
Diesel engine specialist
Pilot
Australian airline safety and ranking site AirlineRatings.Com honored Singapore Airlines pilots and workers by ranking them as the 2019 top airline in the world. Other happy pilots included in this yearly Airline Excellence Awards include those from Air New Zealand, Qantas, Emirates and EVA Air.
Shipping clerk
Advertisement
Barista
Even though multinational coffee shops like Starbucks and Tim Horton's helped popularize the barista job, the term already existed as early as the '80s. Baristas receive special training in espresso shots and espresso drink preparations. There's even a World Barista Championship competition.
Mixologist
Event organizer
Influencer
Advertisement
Patrol officer
Firefighter
We used to call them "firemen," but today's gender-friendlier term is "firefighters." But certain male firefighters don't mind being objectified a bit when they strip off their uniforms and pose for yearly calendars. Proceeds from their buffed efforts go to local charities.
Management analyst
Software developer
Advertisement
Dance instructor
In the U.S., PayScale.Com identified that a dance instructor can earn an average of $22 per hour. Since they are instructors, they also get classified as teachers. But their profession's specific category is "self-enrichment teachers" since they teach lessons outside basic literacy needs.
Medical secretary
Sales representatives
Child care worker
Advertisement
Librarian
If being a librarian sounds like an easy profession which requires minimal credentials, think again! Librarians need to have expertise in many areas that involve books and their management, too. That's why librarians take up a bachelor's degree or a diploma course in library and information studies.
Caregiver
Business development officer
Bookbinder
Advertisement
Maintenance worker
Billing clerk
Tailor
Thanks to films like "Kingsmen," the idea that a tailor makes bespoke suits for men gets spread widely; the seamstress gets regarded as the one doing women's clothes. But a tailor can also create suits and gowns for women. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lumps the two under one category, though.
Human resources specialist
Advertisement
Labor relations specialist
Production workers
Cashier
Cashiers these days need to learn how to operate a POS machine instead of the traditional cash register. These point of sale system machines can record additional data instead of merely punching up the sale and releasing a receipt. Cashiers can also input various product inventory details.
Machinist
Advertisement
Cosmetologist
Ophthalmologist
Speech pathologist
Pharmacist
If you think pharmacists exist only to fill out prescriptions, think again! They are important professionals in the medical field since their expertise lies in an extensive knowledge of medicines. They know if medicines will interact negatively with each other and which proper dosage to dispense.
Advertisement
Hairstylist
Loan officer
Teacher
It's interesting to note that being a high school teacher is at number 75 out of the 100 best jobs list in the U.S. for 2019. But higher in rank is the school counselor at number 63 and the school psychologist at number 45.
Telemarketer
Advertisement
Physical therapist
Midwife
Doctor
Confused about seeing a doctor, a physician or a surgeon? Doctors are basically physicians in the sense that they diagnose your symptoms and provide overall medical care. But if you need surgery, that's where the surgeon comes in. In the medical field, note that not all physicians can be surgeons.
Chiropractor
Advertisement
Social worker
Purchasing agent
Lifeguard
It's no surprise if young people wanted to pursue lifeguarding as a profession back in the '90s. This was due to the popularity of the lifeguard show called "Baywatch " led by David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson.
Claims adjuster
Advertisement
Recreation attendant
Market researcher
Counselor
Bartender
Today, a typical bartender should know the ingredients for cocktail recipes since they're "cooking up" the concoction. But this task suits mixologists more, since mixology deals with the knowledge of mixed drinks creation. An older definition of bartender means to attend to the orders in a bar.
Advertisement
Crop worker
Order clerk
Baker
Bakers often open up their own shops or bakeries to sell their bread and pastry stuff. But the French distinguish these two shops according to what's made there. A boulangerie is a bakery that makes fresh bread within that shop while a patisserie only sells French pastries and not bread.
Poultry trimmer
Advertisement
Social scientist
Philosopher
Writer
In a data-driven and 24/7 content-hungry global society, the writer's profession should have a higher rating than 95 in a 100 Best Jobs list. But the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an 11% jump for the 2016-2026 employment decade bracket, at least for the technical writer profession.
Graphic designer
Advertisement
Veterinarian
The American Veterinary Medical Association lists down 22 veterinary specialists for various needs. Unlike regular vets, these specialists underwent extra training in different areas. There are those who focus on animal behavior, dentistry, surgery, eye diseases and internal medicine, to name a few.
Wrangler
Meat cutter
Machine feeder
Advertisement
Machine feeder
Meatpacker
Chef
Not all chefs aim to become the executive chef in a restaurant, since there are other occupational options for them. They can be the executive chef's assistant called sous chef, a pastry chef, a station chef to oversee a specific kitchen section, or even a sauce-focused chef called saucier.
Product promoter
Advertisement
Psychiatrist
Travel agent
Tax examiner
Fitness trainer
If you're a people person and a health buff, then you can pursue fitness training as a profession. You can specialize as a yoga trainer, a camp counselor or a personal trainer, too. In the U.S., trainers need to get certification first before they can train to garner practical experience.
Advertisement
Crossing guard
Patrol officer
Credit analyst
Coach
A good sports coach knows how to train and motivate athletes according to their sport's requirements. But a better coach knows that having an athlete-centered approach to coaching works best to train individual players. Many Olympians today prefer this coaching style more than the traditional ones.
Advertisement
Mail carrier
The U.S. Postal Service has been employing women since the 1840s yet pop culture normalized the term "mailman" instead of "mail carrier" for decades. An academic historian and former USPS employee noted how the term "letter carrier" became prominently used in their profession during the '90s.
Mechanical drafter
Appraiser
Real estate agent
Advertisement
Hairdresser
If you want a straight-up neat and quick cut, go to the barbershop. But if you have more complicated hair needs such as coloring, relaxing, weaving, conditioning and other procedures, proceed to a hairstylist. Expect to pay more for a hairdresser's services, though.
Optician
Chemical technician
Health educator
Advertisement
Pipe fitter
Mechanic
In a 2019 survey on the best kinds of maintenance or repair jobs, being an auto mechanic is at number five. With so many cars out there, especially in metropolitan areas, it's not surprising to see this rank. In the U.S., the highest earning mechanics are in Alaska, Michigan and California cities.
Brokerage clerk
Transport engineer
Advertisement
Abstractor
Excavator
Cartographer
In a U.S. News survey of the top jobs for millennials, cartographer came out at number nine on the list. That's because this generation's keen abilities to manage software or applications like Google Maps are helpful in making maps. It also helps that they're knowledgeable of geography.
Surveyor
Advertisement
Bellhop
Sonographer
Medical technician
Nurse
Nurses also have specialties much like how doctors can have specializations. For example, emergency room nurses differ from operating room nurses and even ICU registered nurses. In handling specific patients with particular aspects, there are pediatric nurses for kids and psychiatric health nurses.
Advertisement
License clerks
Eligibility interviewer
Accountant
Since more millennials pursue college degrees than the earlier generations, they end up in professions requiring these degrees. One of those professions is being an accountant, the seventh best-paying job for millennials according to a U.S. jobs survey, with an average pay of $75,000 yearly.
Retail buyer
Advertisement
Usher
Teaching assistant
Massage therapist
Massage therapists need to have a license to operate; this means they receive official accreditation from legitimate governing bodies. This also indicates that someone who wants to pursue this profession need not have higher education degrees.
Editor
Advertisement
Roofer
Painter
An existing occupation carried over from the industrial revolution era is the painter, specifically those who apply coats of paint to cars, machines and other kinds of vehicles. Today, painting and coating workers are in high demand not only in the automotive sector but in other sectors as well.
Underwriter
Machine setter
Advertisement
Gaming dealer
Computer operator
Procurement clerk
Singer
Media scholars observed that the proliferation of social media influencers may have altered the way people think of singing as a profession since singers can easily get discovered via YouTube. Professional singers still encourage newbies to pursue voice lessons because there's always a lot to learn.
Advertisement
Database administrator
Computer programmer
Different tech companies might use varying terms for the computer programmer position. They can also be software analysts or software developers, even mobile app developers for companies focused on mobile tech. The term "coder" also applies to them.
IT manager
Data scientist
Advertisement
Paramedic
News and TV shows often confuse EMTs or emergency medical technicians with paramedics. Aside from having longer training hours than the EMT, the paramedic's difference lies in their jurisdiction over a victim's "skin access" and medication use. EMTs don't give shots; only paramedics do.
Health aide
Practical nurse
CSI
Advertisement
Financial manager
Dental hygienist
Actuary
Flight attendant
When the American commercial aviation industry took off, '50s stewardesses were all good-looking young women who also needed to have registered nursing licenses. Today, flight attendants can be males; those who majored in college-level tourism and hospitality industry courses get hired more.
Advertisement
You Got:
/40
