Appreciating All Professions During and After a Pandemic

People from all industries have been struggling financially during this pandemic.

We cannot deny the economic hardship that owners and their employees have had to face. A small, skeleton staff has kept some businesses afloat, while the rest are laid off and thrown into either finding a new job or filing for unemployment.

It has been an absolute struggle for people. And whether you’re on the side of we need to open and let this virus roar through the country or you want us to stay locked down until we all have access to a vaccine, there is something I hope we can all learn from all this.

We need one another.

This country as a whole needs jobs of all kinds to keep the economy driving forward. Not just the ones some may deem higher status, higher-skilled, or more important.

All jobs.

We need bartenders. We need servers. Baristas. Fast-food attendants. Cooks. Bakers. Chefs. Farmers.

We need truckers.

We need teachers. Band teachers. Art teachers. History teachers. Special Education Teachers. Speech therapists. Nannies. Coaches. Paraprofessionals. School cooks.

We need nurses. Doctors. Epidemiologists. Phlebotomist. Scientists. Pharmacists. Forensic specialists.

We need entertainers. Actors and Actresses. Directors. Comedians. Musicians. Singers.

We need artists. Writers. Illustrators. Scenic designers. Costume designers. Composers. Interior designers. Tailors. Hairdressers. Make-up artists. Photographers. Tattoo Artists. Cake decorators.

We need mail carriers. Processing clerks. Warehouse workers. Mail sorters. Delivery drivers.

We need cashiers. Retail sales associates. Customer service representatives.

We need police officers. Firefighters. EMTs. 911 Dispatchers. Ambulance drivers. Bus drivers. Construction workers. Contractors. Electricians. Engineers. Mental health workers. Therapists. Social workers. Pastors.

We need computer scientists. Computer support specialist. Software developers. IT Security Specialists. Database administrators. Historians. Curators.

This list doesn’t even remotely scratch the surface of the types of jobs out there.

We need all these positions not only to keep the engine of our economy going but in many cases for our mental health. To destroy one industry you not only displace thousands or millions of workers into unemployment, but you also destroy an industry people have depended on as part of their culture, livelihoods, and routine.

Realistically, we know over time some jobs do shift and some will naturally dissolve as the years go on. But to have an entire industry up and suddenly disappear one morning would set off a negative chain reaction to many other jobs that depend on it.

With Covid-19, we have lived in a world where so many industries have closed their doors to customers. I hope the pandemic has brought some light to what the world would be like if all of the service, hospitality, food, or travel industry jobs suddenly disappeared for good.

When Covid first hit, there was this sense of togetherness.

The message, “We’re all in this together,” resounded across the country. As months passed and people got tired of the lockdowns, many cried in unison, “Where are the bars? Where are the concerts? Why is my delivery taking so long? Why is all the furniture sold out?”

When millions of jobs disappear, so do the products and services connected to those professions. That is why we need to appreciate everyone who commits themselves to any of these jobs.

Every job has its own function. Its own purpose.

We need that trucker to deliver the food to the sit-down dining and fast-food restaurants. We also need that chef to cook it. We need that server to take your order, to your specifications, and bring it to you. If that service didn’t exist, people would miss it. The same thing goes for any other industry.

Don’t look down on them. Appreciate them. They deserve a livable wage, food, and a place to sleep just as much as the paying customer.

It is the diversity of all jobs, professions, and skill levels that keep the country going.

When you wake up and get a morning coffee from a coffee shop, that person handing you that cup of coffee doesn’t deserve to be looked down on just because you think your job is more important.

You’re both important.

When you go through a fast-food line, that fast-food worker handing you a bag of food and a drink deserves to be able to pay for their own groceries.

“These are just entry-level jobs for high schoolers,” is an argument often stated that dismisses hard-working people from deserving a livable wage. However, it holds no reality to how our country runs.

If all these jobs are only meant for high schoolers, who would be working these jobs while school is in session? Does our country close down in the afternoons while our youth is in school? No. Statistically, most low-wage jobs are filled by people over 20. Not high school children.

Furthermore, for many reasons, teenagers also deserve a livable wage. These reasons include, but are not limited to, teens that have recently left the foster system, teens that help support their families, new parents, or those leaving abusive situations.

We can’t all major in the same degree. We can’t all take the same job.

Just because you believe a job is beneath you or doesn’t require a lot of skill does not mean that person working it is lazy.

Each job requires a different variation of intellect, creativity, patience, physical strength, stamina, etc. And we need different types of people to fill these roles.

It all matters.

We don’t all fit into the same mold of skill sets. Something easy for you may be hard for someone else, and vice versa.

We need each other’s strengths to make us a strong, united front. We will not achieve unity or strength as a nation if we continue to pick apart each other’s differences.

Some of us are computer wizards that fix any tech-related problem. Some of us can handle just about any customer related issue with a smile with immeasurable patience.

Some of us work well with children. Others work well and thrive in the isolation of a home office.

Some of us are artists, bringing color and design to everything we see. Some of us are musicians that keep this world from going silent.

Some of us drive truck and love the open road. Some of us are farmers, waking up at the crack of dawn before the rest of the country wakes up.

Some of us work in the medical industry and care for people during their darkest hours. Some of us feel a sense of pride when the groceries on the store shelves are fully stocked and ready for customers.

Some of us found our calling within the military or the police force. Some of us don’t make an income but are invaluable assets to society. This would include but is not limited to stay-at-home parents, caretakers, and volunteers.

We need each other.

We can show support and appreciation for one another by uplifting each other’s differences and talents.

The more we insult and look down on each other’s current job and career, the more divided we become.

An honest day’s work is an honest day’s work.

I hope that through this pandemic, we can come out the other end appreciating each other and finding strength in our differences.