8 Most stressful jobs

When it comes to jobs, you always hear about the most popular and hated in the country. But what about the stressful ones? The careers which leave you tired, overstretched, and constantly worried – what about those?

Well, the level of stress a job can trigger is often dependent on your personality and your ability to handle high workloads. For instance, some thrive because of the constant pressure to succeed. Instead of letting it get them down, stress brings out the best in them and keeps them motivated. However, for others, the prospect of working 50-70 hour weeks or constantly being barraged/verbally abused/underappreciated, makes them want to run the other way.

Whatever mould you fit into, it is good to know in advance which jobs are more likely to leave you stressed. With that in mind, we have created the following list of the 8 most stressful jobs in the UK:

1. Recruitment consultants – this post makes the top spot due to the amount of pressure to meet targets, as well as boost sales and marketing. Combined with the competitive nature of this role and it is little wonder that 82% of consultants feel stressed at work.
2. Lawyers – From long hours to the need to win every case, being a lawyer is very cutthroat. 3 out of 4 lawyers suffer from severe stress.
3. Teachers – There is a common misconception that teachers get time off during the school holidays so have no reason to be stressed. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Not only do they have to contend with 30+ children on their own for 7 hours of the day, 5 days a week, but they also need to plan, strategize and teach children a diverse range of skills and subjects.
4. Health care, nursing, and social services – Even before Corona, those in the healthcare profession have always had to deal with profound levels of stress, as their working conditions have never been ideal. From violent and abusive patients to working long hours, with little or no appreciation, caring for the sick and impaired can be mentally and emotionally taxing.
5. Banking and city traders – The financial market is constantly dipping and rising, meaning if you want to work in this industry you’ve constantly got to be on your toes.
6. Librarians – You might be thinking “how is this job stressful?” However, it has been statistically found to be more stressful than being a police officer or firefighter. The problem lies with its low wages and job satisfaction, the lack of challenge/ career control, and its highly repetitive nature.
7. Head chefs – Being the head chef of a large restaurant is not only stressful but is one of the most pressurised jobs out there. Every day there is the constant worry of meeting customer expectations, cooking and serving food quickly and to a high standard, ensuring you have got plenty of supplies, and even dealing with customer complaints and abuse.
8. IT helpdesk advisers – Whilst they might not deal with the public face to face, the amount of stress and abuse they experience due to complaints, targets, and pressure – is high.

Now, as we said before. Whilst these jobs may be stressful to some, this doesn’t mean you cannot add them to your list. You just need to be conscious of the mental and emotional impact they may have on your health.

For more information on these roles and how to get the right qualifications to apply for them, then why not take a look at our range of online courses?