I think we can all agree that working in certain industries makes you realize things you would have otherwise never known. So, Reddit user u/WoOoOoOoShHhHh recently asked people to share industry secrets in the field they work in. Here are some of the top responses...
1."I design slot machines for casinos...don’t play slots."
2."I'm a server. No matter how much we insist it's 'okay' that you are keeping the entire restaurant open after we've closed, please know we are 100% lying. We will get fired if we deviate from anything other than pure delight that you are keeping us from going home. We dread it. Please don't believe us."
3."I'm an attorney. The secret is to shut the fuck up."
4."Auto insurance agent. Please, for the love of god, don’t tell auto insurance agents more than you have to. They ask you a question, just say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and answer the question as straight as you can. If you go on and on about your life story, you will probably end up saying something you don’t have to and making your rate higher or getting yourself declined. We WANT to get you that policy as cheap as possible, only tell us what we need to know and don’t say anything else."
5."In Microsoft Office, Word specifically, you can upload recorded interviews, and it will transcribe it, and it even has speaker one, speaker two, three, and four! Basically, eliminates a huge annoying part of the job."
6."The fruits and veggies you buy at the grocery store...wash them."
7."I’m a musician. It’s not really a secret, but 90% of our revenue is from merch. Spotify plays, show guarantees, etc., everything is menial in comparison to shirt sales. In fact, a big reason bands tour as often as possible is because we can sell more shirts when we’re in front of people."
8."I’m a dentist. Here’s the lowdown on toothpaste. As long as it has fluoride, they are all basically the same. When I was in dental school, the Colgate lady came by and said that everything that says Colgate Total on it is exactly the same; the only difference is the packaging. So whether it says whitening, gum protection, or whatever else, it is all exactly the same. The exception is sensitivity toothpaste, which typically does have an extra active ingredient, KNO3, which helps with sensitivity. Don’t ever feel obligated to buy expensive toothpaste because you think it will be better for your teeth, just buy whatever you like best."
9."As a beginner counselor, I worked with a lot of children and adolescents. Consistently the discussion with my colleagues was how it was the parents who were the biggest problem and the kids were just adapting to a crazy environment."
10."A lot of librarians will waive your fines if you have an excuse and you don’t ask too frequently, even large fines. Also, librarians DON’T CARE about your fines and aren’t judging you. Please come back. We personally have more fines than you. Librarians are ALWAYS overdue with their books."
11."Not an industry I work in per se, but I used to be in a sales role. One of my customers was a milk bottling plant. I was somewhat surprised that they were putting the exact same milk in both organic and non-organic cartons. Turns out, all of their milk is organic, but in order to not miss out on the sales of non-organic milk, they just bottle them differently and sell them at different prices."
12."Former industry: commercial radio. It's never caller five. It's the caller who sounds best on air."
13."I used to screen résumés for small companies. Job 'requirements' are more of a wish-list situation. Never let some unchecked boxes deter you from applying — you have no idea what the applicant pool is like. The biggest boon, especially at small companies, is someone who legitimately cares."
14."The cheapest bottle of wine in the restaurant has the biggest markup."
15."Construction boy here. If your windows or sliding doors are tough to open and close, nine times out of ten, we put our own dish soap on tracks, and the thing works perfectly. It takes five minutes, and we charge $150. Dish soap, people, it's better than WD-40 sometimes."
16."If you order a pizza but like to choose your own toppings, it’s often cheaper to choose an existing pizza like a Meat Supreme or something with loads of toppings, then swap out all the toppings for ones you want, than to go for the 'Create Your Own' option in the menu. Note, this is much less awkward if you order online than on the phone."
17."I'm in the weight loss industry. This might be obvious, but most of our business comes from return clients after they've gained their weight back (and then some). To be clear, the plan isn't rigged to make you gain it back, but the fact that it happens easily as a result of dieting keeps us in business."
18."Former Bath & Body Works associate here. The scents they 'discontinue' will come back with a different name and new marketing. They’re just recycling the scents."
19."Teacher: The parents are more of a hassle than the students. I doubt that is a secret, but there it is..."
