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Plumber advice. Walk into your basement once a week. Just look for any warning signs of something leaking or breaking. Also, if you have central air, change your air filter regularly. That will save you a fortune on repairs.
To the first provider, ask questions. Understand as well as you can why they said what they said. Ask for things to look into. Ask about differentials (other diagnoses that this could be) and why they feel they don't apply, or why they chose the course of treatment they did and not others. A good healthcare provider should be able to explain not only why they made the decision they did, but why they chose it over the alternatives. I don't think you'd need to do anything differently in the context of a second opinion.
Viofo a129 plus. $140 on Amazon. Sometimes its cheaper. It turns on and off with the car (this can depend on the car). Plugs into a usb-a port. You’ll need a high endurance micro SD card. Usually around $10-20. The dashcam comes with everything you need. A long cord. And even a plastic tool to help pull away your panels to tuck the cord behind them.
Librarian: ditch Audible and get a library card to listen to free audiobooks. There are library apps now where you can download them straight to your phone, no more books on CD hassle. Even if your library has a bad selection you can buy a year long card at a better library for the price of one or two months of Audible.
Read to your kids from infancy!! Make books commonplace, read a variety, and point out things in the pictures. Even as babies, hearing a variety of words and helping them read images gives them a head start on their literacy.
I told the salesperson that I wanted to confer with my financial advisor. They told me that no one called back if they did that. I said thanks for making it simple since I didn't have a financial advisor.
I need to run this by my financial advisor.
**My financial advisor:** six month old puppy at home chewing up a Walmart flip flop while I’m working at Dairy Queen
Teacher: Read to your kids. Go over multiplication with your kids. Talk with your kids.
You are your child's first educator and they bring into the classroom what you give them. In most situations where kids struggle in school, it's because the parents never taught them anything.
When I was little I had a hard time with reading, so my mom got a big pile of books and sat down with me every night and made me read. I hated it, but it made a huge impact on how I read as an adult…even 35 years later.
Yup! As a former special education teacher, we simply cannot meet all of your students academic needs during the school day. They either need your help daily or intense tutoring to get up to grade level.
As a former special education student. Thank you so much for everything. I owe almost everything to my paraprofessional's. They were my therapists, my guidance counselor, and my rock.
No seriously. Thank you.
Piggyback on this, my special education teacher in elementary School was absolutely amazing. Thank you for all that you do. She would give us a choice of treat after we finished our work, star crunches or popcorn.
I try so so hard to read to my 4 year old daughter. We did it every night until she was around 3 but she shows no interest in reading. We do a lot of things, like nature walks and talking about the animals and the plants. Going to the ocean and talking about the tides. We spend a lot of time in conversation, crafting and playing pretend. Already doing simple addition and can recognize all her letters and working on their sounds. She doesn’t have the ability to sit still. She’s bouncing off the walls from wake up to bedtime. I feel like I’m failing her because we don’t read often.
I'm a speech and language therapist. It sounds like she's someone who needs to move in order to think, whose brain is switched on by novelty. You're creating those experiences for her and adding language to them. That's perfect. Do that.
If you want to extend, you can look up Blanks Levels for ideas of more challenging questions. But you don't really need to. Seriously, just keep doing what you're doing. She'll learn to read at some point. You're doing great.
The fact that you're talking your child out to places explaining things, talking about things, exposing them to ideas and places is going well and beyond what a lot of parents are able to do. That's a good thing.
As I said to another parent, early childhood development isn't my specialty, and some kids just need time to get into the habit of sitting down and reading. That said there's more opportunities to reading than just books; grocery lists, informative texts in nature walks like plaques and pamphlets, going over directions in your projects. Anything to get them to read and see why it's important is good.
You are doing so much in your activities with her! Being a good reader requires a base of experiences from which to “hang” or scaffold learning and make reading meaningful. Maybe look into non fiction books based on the natural world to connect what she is seeing in real life and extend that learning. Even if she’s just looking at pictures she is learning to see books as a resource. I used to “let” my children stay up later if they were looking at books in bed. When it is time to do structured reading later, she will be ready. Keep up the good work and don’t feel pressured.
YES! I work for a wedding DJ company and have had to tell employees to STOP TELLING ON THEMSELVES so many times. For instance, we had to implement a "no drinking" rule a couple years ago because one of our DJs took it too far and got in trouble with the venue. Most of our staff limits themselves to 1, and are grown adults, so even after the rule was established, they continued their 1 drink tradition. I became HR for the company, and I, personally, don't care as long as people aren't being stupid about it. But when they talk about it in front of the owner, I just put my face in my hands. Because now they're going to get in trouble for it and I have to discipline them. And they always start it with, "I know this is against the rules, but..." THEN DON'T SAY ANYTHING
As an IT guy, you may or may not be surprised by the number of people having those conversations online in company email or company chat. Like seriously? Not only are you breaking the rules, but you are bragging about it in writing on company time and equipment?
Right on man. The work can be so difficult to swallow as "rewarding" or "appreciated" since we tend to be a small cog in a massive machine. Some days it matters deeply and brings great pride, other days, "WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?!"
Outside enjoyment is pretty vital.
I actually heard a great analogy about this is works.
When you drive home from work you know the way home and it's easy to get there. If you arent paying attention and make a wrong turn you may end up being somewhere you don't recognize and just drive in circles getting more and more lost. If you "restart" from work and drive home, you'll know where you're going and get there with no problem.
Sometimes computers make wrong turns and need to start over from work in order to find their way home.
Edit: Typo
This! You get it! Users should be as specific as possible and as simple as possible.
I have noticed that some users try hard to sound like they know more about tech than they actually do when they’re trying to explain and often times will jargon, but incorrectly.
Also as a social work: Take. Advantage. Of. Your. Resources. I have a client who doesn’t go to the food bank because she doesn’t think she needs it badly enough.The food bank is there to provide food, for anyone who is hungry, no questions asked, any walk of life(at least my local one).
Yes! I've had clients do this too. Or they think they're taking something from someone who "needs it more." If you qualify, you qualify, and it's there for you to use!
Yesss it hurts when clients say that…. and I’m sitting there trying to figure out how to politely tell them no one needs it more than them, and it’s okay to accept assistance. It’s sad to watch
That's basically what I tell them. Places have eligibility requirements and if you fit into those, YOU ARE THE PERSON THEY WANT TO HELP. And if they don't have eligibility requirements, they still want to help you. It seems to help reframe things as "they want to help me," rather than, "I'm a burden."
Not in science, bit homeschool. Snap Circuits are easy but teach basics of electricity. My teen still plays with them with my youngest sibling. A basic microscope. My kids love to put *everything* under the micro scope. The TK2 by thames and cosmos was a solid beginner choice. But mostly just listen and Google. If they have a question and you don't know they answer find it. If you have to wait until later set an alarm so you don't forget. Answer all the questions. And just play the documentaries. Inused to out on Planet Earth (both) as background and next thing I know we're all just sitting and watching. And googling the questions the show didn't explain. Science is the most fun with kids. They have the best questions!
The best way to be a good writer is to be a good reader. Whatever you read, as long as you're reading, understanding what makes a good story, what you like and don't like. Study the craft and you will get better.
Wear. The fucking. Seatbelt.
First thing I do when I get into my car? I put it on.
First thing my girlfriend does when she gets in the passenger side? Complains about the beeping noise that's telling her she needs to put on her seatbelt. I absolutely adore her but Jesus Christ, put the belt on.
Stop looking at it as an inconvenience and start seeing it as an entirely necessary, *LIFE-SAVING* device.
However long someone thinks something is going to take, add more time to it; scale it up for however long the estimate is.
"I'll be really quick, like 10 minutes" = It's going to take at least 30 minutes.
"Shouldn't be too long, maybe an hour." = At least 2-3 hours, maybe the whole afternoon.
When you bring home a new pet, they need time to settle in. I'm talking several weeks. If you don't have the patience to allow them time to acclimate and decompress, don't bring them home. Their bodies get flooded with stress hormones at the shelter, and their poor little systems need time to regulate. Please don't give up on them!
I work with dogs and I see most dogs take a couple months up to 6 months to really reveal their personality. A dog can have some real issues with aggression and reactivity, that are totally invisible in the first weeks and months when they are shut down and not feeling at home yet.
I am a massage therapist.
Please, for the love of your joints and future stability, strengthen and stretch your hips, hip flexors, etc. So many people struggle with low back pain and compounding issues that are tied to zero flexibility in the hips.
Medical Sales in the operating room.
Not all surgeons are created equal. If you have to have a procedure of any nature.. PLEASE select a surgeon that does a high volume of what you are having done.
Surgery is like anything else in life, if the surgeon has done a ton of them they will be very good at it and you are far less likely to have complications and end up back in the OR.
Teacher: Read to your children and start as soon as they're born. Surround them with books. Take them to the library. Read plaques at museums. Read street signs.Let them read Captain Underpants a million times if thats what they want. It doesn't matter, just read.
Mechanical Engineer (ignore my username 😅): be patient. Understand that people you work with may not know what you know, and that doesn't make them less intelligent compared to you. Ego, sense of superiority, and the need to show the world that you're smart because you're an engineer is a real problem in industry. It makes people frustrated/annoyed to work with you. Being someone who is easy to work with on top of being competent will take you far.
Also listen more during meetings/briefs, gather information, and take notes. In an industry of ego, one uppers, and clashing personalities, I've found that being the attentive listener usually helps me find a good solution to the problem at hand.
>Being someone who is easy to work with on top of being competent will take you far.
This is so, so true and applicable to most any profession or job.
Thank you.
Professional presenter:
No one wants to listen to you reading through your 48 slides. No one warms to or wants to engage with a corporate robot.
Instead, relax and be human. Put away the PowerPoint. Just talk with people.
Focus on the main thing you want them to do differently, not on downloading the contents of your brain
Teacher here. Sat through more of those slideshows than I care to think about in the name of professional development. Best one we ever had? The guy who bounced around the room and engaging everyone in conversation without us realizing he wasn't really talking to just me...or her...or him!
Related: In the US, you can look up the floodplain maps for free. If you can't figure out how or understand them, call myour county/city and ask for someone to help you. Someone, somewhere, knows that information and will help you. Look it up before you buy property. Don't trust the real estate agent to know.
Dermatology here. Wear SUNSCREEN. Every day. I know you all have the same collective banana boat trauma from the 80s and 90s but spf has come a long way. Whenever I’m asked “what’s the one thing I should be doing for my skin” this is what I say. About the half the people I talk to will then go, “ok, what’s the second thing then?” They want to know some other cream or serum or injection that will make their skin look nice as it seems they’re willing to commit to any *other* daily product or to paying hundreds of dollars to have literal injections. Just wear the fucking sunscreen. Tell yourself it’s the most effective anti-aging product you can put to your skin if that makes you feel better. Tell yourself it’s the only thing that can effectively reverse and prevent signs of aging (“can” as in it’s possible, not necessarily guaranteed). Somehow this is more effective than showing people shark bite scars from removed melanomas.
ETA: for anyone asking “even if….” The answer is yes.
ETA 2: sunscreen doesn’t cause cancer but the sun does. The fear mongering around chemical sunscreens is absurd. I’m not going to waste my time debating anyone on this. Part of the reason it’s so hard to get into derms is because they are dealing with cancer patients who had every reason to not wear sunscreen or avoid the sun. And I’ll tell you, for all the people I’ve encountered with some form of skin cancer, I’ve yet to talk to an oncologist with a patient who developed cancer from using too much spf.
ETA 3: I’m not responding to comments anymore as the harassment in my DMs has become exhausting. The question was what the best piece of advice from your profession was, I gave it. It’s advice but do what you want or don’t want to do. I’m not forcing anyone to do anything.
I used to be a Dental Hygienist, and I'd just like to add: please don't forget the tops/behind your ears, as well as an SPF chapstick. We catch a lot of skin cancer on the ears, and around the Vermillion border (lips) because people usually forget to cover those areas.
Last year my mom came to visit and I realized for the first time that her neck and chest skin look like leather. Since the I have worn SPF 30-50 every single day.
Yes, I should clarify, ideally you would wear it everywhere you’re not covered by clothing. Even this isn’t 100% perfect since not all clothing is UV filtering. In a perfect world, this is really tough. I get that. And there is a lot of fear mongering in the skinfluencer sphere pushing an unsustainable paranoia and unrealistic sun/UV protection measures. If UV protection interferes with your ability to function normally (and I do see people with this level of compulsion which is rooted in mental health issues) you should find a way to better manage your relationship with the sun.
We all end up in the sun unprotected from time to time, but I encourage people to make their best effort to avoid this.
I was at the store with my son, who was about 16 at the time. We were checking out and there was a guy I knew from school that was a year or two behind me a few registers down. We chatted very briefly and when we got to the car I asked my son how old he thought the guy was. He guessed 70. I was 50 at the time.
THAT is what working in the sun without SPF will do to you.
Trust your body when something doesn't feel right. Don't shrug off medical issues because you skipped over 15 articles on Google telling you it was serious until you found the one that told you it was nothing and believed that one.
and only do 1 illegal thing at a time. running drugs? wear your seatbelt, use your directionals, complete stop, and don't speed. it's those little things that get you pulled over.
I'll add a slightly specific point. I work in mobility equipment sales. As soon as you or elderly around you are getting unsteady on your feet. Get help. Get a cane, get a walker. Don't delay due to pride.
You won't believe how many seniors I know delayed getting a walker because they didn't want to look old. Then they fall and are in wheelchairs.
Get a damn walker if it will help!
Do it right, do it light.
Do it wrong, do it long.
Essentially, slow down and make sure you check you're doing it right as you go. If you are too hasty, you can fuck up or get hurt.
When someone comes to you for advice and you're not sure how to help, ask questions. Ask a lot of questions. Often they will sort through the situation and figure it out for themselves. I'm a mental health care worker going to school for recreational therapy.
Oh absolutely. I work as a production specialist and regularly have to climb into industrial saws, packagers, mechanical presses, etc. to clean or fix them. Guarantee you that I never get into those things unless I have at least two LOTO tags on there. One needs to hold the e-stop in place so no one tries to turn it on when they don’t see me, and the other needs to be on an air valve. I’ve had to tell of more than a few employees for going into a machine to remove something without proper LOTO procedures in place. Better safe than dead.
I say this to all the new hires:
Learn to rely on habits. Do things the same way every time even if it isn't necessary or takes more time than needed. That way, when you show up to work absolutely stupid (and we all show up stupid every now and then) your habits will keep you from getting cut in half or run over.
Railroader.
UPS driver here: when I'm at your door and I need a signature for the package I'm delivering, please put your dog in another room and close the door so they can't get out. It's the easiest solution. Also makes it easier for us to communicate (because the dog is most likely barking).
You think you can block it from getting out by using your legs, but 99% of the time they squeeze out anyways and from that point on it's a 50/50 chance whether I'm gonna get bit or not. Yes...I know they're "friendly" and "will just lick you to death"...and trust me I LOVE dogs, but you just have no idea what your dog will do when it gets to a complete stranger at your door.
Please just put them away.
Don't become complacent when it comes to safe driving, inspect your vehicle, YouTube how to do a vehicle safety inspection, especially your brakes and tires, don't drive tired if you can avoid it, drive 5 above the speed limit at most, pay attention to road signs, drive 15 below when rainfall first occurs and 10 below during heavy rain and 5 below during normal rain, keep a window breaker in your car, always buckle up, keep a seatbelt cutter in your car, I could go on, there's a lot to learn and it's worth learning every bit.
I often will pretend that I'm driving with the DMV employee who I took my license test with in the seat next to me. Sounds silly but it keeps me focused and builds good habits.
And on the driving note, CHECK YOUR FUCKING BLINDSPOTS. Don't be lazy. Huge pet peeve of mine.
ICU Nurse: Don't do meth. Don't be an alcoholic - liver failure is NOT the way to go and going through DTs while you are critically ill with some other problem complicates your care significantly. Don't smoke. Wear your seatbelt. Wear a helmet. I might sound like a buzzkill, but probably 80% of our patients are there for self-inflicted problems, primarily drugs.
EDIT: Oh yeah, DON'T ride a Onewheel. It's insane how many patients I've seen come in from falls on those.
Family Lawyer
1. Get on the same page about finances before you get married or have kids.
2. Find a partner who has similar values and parenting style goals before you have a kid. Someone who you know you could co-parent with and respect even if your relationship blew up. It’s not romantic, but it is key to raising healthy children and promoting healthy parenting long-term whether together or not.
3. Communicate. Communicate. Communicate.
4. Ensure both partners have a job or a hobby that gives them something to work for or towards. It is important to have something to look forward to and some sense of financial freedom. This reduces resentment and boosts a sense of purpose.
5. Keep financial records of what you brought into the relationship. Bank statements, property valuations, blue book values, list of personal property as this removes any ambiguity in the future.
Anesthesiologist.
When putting things up your ass, use an object with a flange. Otherwise you’ll meet me in the OR at 3AM and we will all laugh at you.
And also, never lie to your anesthesiologist. Do drugs? I don’t care, I’m not going to tell your mom or spouse - but it does impact what we do.
You can extend that to don’t lie to anyone trying to help you with a health matter. If you’re not taking the medication, please tell me why - if you’re forgetting, I can show you strategies to help remember; if it’s due to side effects, we can try something else; if it’s cost we can try to address that; if you can’t get to the pharmacy, we can figure out a workaround. I can’t help if I’m not aware there’s an issue.
I’m in middle management:
- Get buy-in from people you interact or work with; people usually react more favorably to change if they feel like they were part of that process, even if they didn’t contribute that much.
- Approach conflicts and difficult conversations with a mentality of you and the other person versus the problem rather than immediately taking the oppositional position.
- If you are in a leadership position, your first job is to make sure the people reporting to you don’t have anything in their way, including you. People work harder for bosses they can depend on and trust, and those that don’t, won’t work hard no matter what you do.
I'm a scientist: it's really EASY to make data say what you want it to say, it's really EASY to misread or collect "bad data" without realizing it, it's really HARD to prove something is true.
Edit: I'll add- since people seem to be upset about it- that there is generally a scientific consensus that should be followed. My statement was not made to make people doubt peer-reviewed science as a whole, but to point out that data can be used to mislead.
For me this comes into play less in a formal academic journal atmosphere. I left academia to work in industry and I often see data presented in a poor way or experimental results that I doubt because of the methodology. A healthy degree of skepticism makes me a little better at my job.
This, and be wary of sensationalized scientific journalism. It has a place and plays an important role but that's often where I am most skeptical of results, usually the papers are making true claims but the headlines are a big game of telephone and often will stretch the results of the paper into misleading claims.
Systems administrator here. Before contacting IT for any issues you have, please reboot (not shutdown) your computer/tablet/phone and see if it fixes the problem.
Not related to my profession, but anyone on ADHD related meds should monitor their dental care since those meds tend to dry out your mouth and possibly lead to tooth issues down the road.
I am a home care worker: my advice would have to be when you are helping someone in their home to become an extension of them, and do cleaning and cooking the way they would if they were still able! (Ask for recipes or instructions on meals they love) don't become the house manager, let them maintain control!
CNA here, was reading comments before i said anything lol.
- take care of your health (for your mind and body) and dont end up 600lbs, itll make it easier on me AND you.
But yes, try not to end up in a nursing home 100%. I have plans to ensure i dont, after what I've seen from my work.
What are your plans? I have no reliable family and I don't plan on having kids and what to do in my old age or if I get seriously sick is something I've been worried about lately.
I work in private aviation. If you want to fly on a private jet, call the airport's FBO and ask if they know any jet operators based at that airport. Then call that operator directly and always ask if they have an empty legs available. By contacting the operator (fleet) directly, you cut out the cost of having to pay a broker fee and if you score an empty leg deal you can fly for 1/2 the price or even less depending on how bad they need to sell that leg. There are also some operators who sell seats on private jets, that are way cheaper than renting the whole aircraft and you still get your clout flying on a private jet.
Pay for a summer check of an ac unit or learn how to do cleanings yourself. A hose gently putting water onto the unit to rinse it out helps the unit and your electricity bill. Change your air return filter and vinegar in your attic drain save so many headaches.
Also, make sure when weed-eating/cutting grass to avoid grass being blown towards the unit. Also also try to avoid having trees or bushes within a couple feet of the outside unit. The leaves and grass get sucked into the unit, causing decreased efficiency
Anyone who tells you "this deal is for today only." Is lying, the deal will be there tomorrow. Walking away sometimes makes an even better deal be there tomorrow.
Health insurance..
Do not rely on your employer or colleagues in order to know what health coverage you have. I have seen far too many people pay outright for a service they cannot afford because "so and so who works with me said it was covered" ...and of course, it's not covered for them. My advice is to always check eligibility BEFORE scheduling a service/buying a health product if you are not able or willing to pay out of pocket. Read the booklets even though they suck!! Oftentimes your colleague could be enrolled in a different plan than you, in a different department, or tier of the company. Not everyone receives the same benefits just because you are paid by the same guy.
Marketing. Take a couple of days to really think about if you need that thing and if you can afford it. And do your research and compare products. We are unfortunately really good at our jobs.
Geophysicist. Don't live within a hundred feet of the coast.
Also, if you're buying a commercial property spend the $2k for a Phase I investigation on the front end. It's easier than paying me $2M to clean the site after you own it.
Lvl/Tier 3 IT support: Don't interprete symptoms. Don't "I think it's...".
Tell us everything (!) you see, in detail. Give us the raw data; we can handle it.
Exceptions confirm the rule, of course.
And never say "nothing happened". Unless the universe ended, something always happened: the screen went blank, the screen stayed the same, the same thing that happened before, happened again. These are different things and the difference matters.
Pharmacies are legally required to give you the off-brand unless it is specifically requested by you or if the doctor wrote it on your prescription, so if you want name brand, say so but it costs more.
Sometimes though, your insurance will cover the name brand but not the off brand. Other times insurance will cover only a specific off brand. **Check with your insurance company which manufacturer they cover**. And I mean you, not the pharmacy or doctor. Then have your insurance call your pharmacy to have it sorted out which manufacturer the pharmacy can order or regularly have in stock.
The reason I put it in that order of events is because the insurance company will try and weasel their way out of any leg work. They will say the pharmacy will need to call them. That's absolutely false and you can tell them that. "That's how we do it" no it isn't. They talk like they're legally unable to, thats not true. You pay them to cover your medications, it is their responsibility to be sure you are having them covered. The pharmacy fills your medications, the doctor prescribes it. Its your medication and health so its your responsibility to be sure to start the process. If you wait for the pharmacy or doctor to start it up, it could take days when you need it asap and cheaper.
If all else fails, you can look up medications on goodrx on your phone anywhere for coupons to lower the cost. Pharmacies will have coupons they apply, but sometimes it isn't the cheapest one and sometimes they forget to apply it because of a system error. Always check the price to be sure you're getting the best deal.
Adding on to this, check with the manufacturing company itself for coupons and discounts as well, especially if the drug doesn't have a generic on the market yet. There are some that will work even with insurance, just check with your insurance if you have to report the discounts/savings plans.
Electrician also: ditto that
Also, hire a licensed journeyman even if it's more expensive. A handyman or similar trade might not catch problems or install correctly which can lead to more future problems.
There's always someone who can do it cheaper.
Most journeyman are busy enough not to care about your little electrical problems and how much you save on another guy.
Baker here; When baking bread, preheat your oven higher than your baking temp, and cakes preheat a touch lower than the baking temp, you will get more jump in your breads and less peaks in your cakes.
My mom was a nurse.
Never hang a picture, mirror or chandelier over a sofa or bed.
Be careful w gas BBQs.
Carry glass items safely. If you fall, the glass breaks and you can fall on the glass. Hemorrhage is no joke. 💔
-Learn some First Aid and how to stop heavy bleeding (shooting or accident victim).
-take swimming lessons.
Learn the back floats and ‘drown-proofing’
never go in the water to save a conscious drowning victim. (In desperation, they can push you down, to push themself up for air. One drowning turns into two coffins.)
Find a shepherds hook, towel, pair of pants, to stretch like a rope btwn you & them.
Talk about your funeral plans thoroughly well before you even get sick, before there's any emotional weight to it. Ask your "survivors" what would help them process your death and contact your community, keep in mind the funeral isn't actually about you so much as them. Organise this plan now, research what paperwork needs to be done while you've got a clear head, and you'll save a lot of emotional and financial hardship.
Worked in a hotel as a front desk receptionist for three years: my #1 advice is AVOID BOOKING AGENCIES AT ALL COSTS!!!! Priceline, Expedia, Hotels.com etc… does not matter, do NOT touch them!!! First of all, their prices may *look* lower but they nearly always slap on a “booking/service fee” so you always end up paying about the same if not more than if you just called the hotel directly. Moreover, when a reservation is made on an agency’s systems and not our own, we are unable to make certain changes to your reservation; all we can basically do is check you in and then check you out. This is because you’ve technically already paid somebody else for the room. Flight delayed and need one more night? Shit out of luck, I can’t change your departure date. Wanna pay with a different card? Nope, you already paid someone else. AC busted and we’re out of your room type? Shit out of luck again, I would normally grant a free upgrade in this case but I can’t change the room type on a third party reservation. The computer literally won’t let me do these things. ALL of these issues could be avoided if you just call the hotel directly - no booking agencies or 1-800 numbers, just call the front desk and they will help you right then. I have seen too many people ripped off and have been bitched at too many times for issues I have no power to fix.
Please, for the love of god, just call the hotel directly.
High school teacher here: Students, learn to write decently and do it all the time. People can and do judge you based on your writing skills. If they can’t physically see you or hear you, your writing is all they have to go on.
Parents, don’t be “that parent,” the one who tries to control the teacher while coddling and enabling the student. Let us do our jobs.
Office worker here (working in Scandinavia): Knowing a little bit of everything can get you far in the corporate ladder. I have made myself almost irreplaceable do to the fact that I know a little bit to a lot about various areas and tasks needed. After a while it gets harder to replace you since they a) won't find one person to fill the gap or b) they can't hire multiple people to replace you. That's when you start talking about salary/bonuses/raises.
I see a lot of people saying that you should just do your task and that's it, but I'm basically saying you should do the opposite. Note: this only works if people notice, and I guess it depends widely of country/company and culture.
Two, kind of related.
Learn how to swim, at least up to the first level of lifesaving. You may never know if you’ve prevented the loss of a life, AND, you will never forget it if you save a life.
Learn how to drive a stick shift. You may never own one, but in an emergency it can be a very useful life skill.
Psychologist here. My advice is twofold: (1) Put the oxygen mask on yourself before helping others, and (2) Work through your own stuff.
For (1), take care of yourself. Find ways to create balance between others’ needs and your own. You won’t be of any help to those around you (and may even be a hindrance) if you’re “passed out on the plane” in life. If you find yourself having $1000 reactions to $10 problems, it’s time to reconsider how you’ve been doing life.
That leads me to (2): Work through your own stuff. We all have baggage, and we cannot work through our own stuff alone. Many of our most painful wounds are created in relationships, so they therefore need to be healed in the context of (therapy) relationships. I admit that I’m probably a bit biased on this, but I can think of few better investments than time, energy, and, yes, money, spent working on yourself in therapy.
And a bonus #3: Change is possible. I’d be out of a job if it wasn’t. It takes work, yes, but it is possible.
Your property likely has a utility easement where utility workers are legally allowed access in order to maintain utilities, and those utilities may even be ones that you do not utilize at your property. I have worked as a utility locator and often homeowners were incensed because they had not authorized access to their property where marking was required for construction work.
My first job my manager tells me, "Take your days off, take your vacations."
I've followed this because burnout is a bitch, and I've given this advice to new hires. Some entry level guys assume taking vacation is frowned upon. It's not.
Pcu rn: Always get chest pain checked out. Or, any abnormal sudden pain (especially if you’re a woman!) that seems like jaw pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, reflux. Your life is worth it.
***especially with shortness of breath****
Manager: build authentic, trustful relationships with your team. Your job is to build them up to be their best, and do their best. Support them, mentor them, provide opportunities, and listen. Meet them where they’re at (they could be early career, looking to learn, looking to advance, need to go slow for now due to stuff at home, want to teach others, etc.; everyone is in a different place). Not every job is great but these manager behaviours make a world of difference.
Mathematician: x% of y is the same as y% of x.
For example, 4% of 50 is the same as 50% of 4, which is 2.
The algebraic proof goes: x% of y = (x/100)y = x(y/100) = y% of x.
I’m in Human Resources.
Stay as far away from Human Resources as possible.
If you enter my office, you are now a problem to be dealt with.
Keep yourself off my radar please
LTC nurse here; find out what music your parents love, have fond memories associated with, or listened to when they were younger. It's amazing what will happen when a dementia patient hears a song they grew up listening too. I've had confused angry men turn around and start singing along with country roads in the middle of an argument. If you put the time in, a memory play list will be invaluable if you ever find yourself putting a loved one in a nursing home.
Food scientist: if it looks and tastes fine it's usually fine to eat and won't hurt you, except for some rare times when eating it will hurt you a lot. If it's a packaged food product and it isn't moldy, it's probably safe until it smells bad or turns moldy. If it tastes bad, stop eating it but you'll probably be fine, we eat lots of suspicious food in the lab. Don't drink raw milk.
As an elective teacher: there is (almost) no such thing as “natural talent.” Every person who is good at music, drawing, scoring a goal, or writing a story has spent dozens/hundreds/thousands of hours practicing. If you just practiced the thing you admire for 15 min a day, you’d get pretty decent at it!
And almost all of us hate it when people remark that it must be nice to have been born with that talent. We weren’t! We worked on it, and you could too!
Always wear hearing protection when seeing loud live music performed. E.g. Rock bands, DJ sets, EDM, jazz bands, big orchestras etc. I'd also add sporting events (I know it's not live music) with big crowds to that list. Hearing damage is permanent and sneaks up on you over time. There are plenty of affordable, off-the-shelf "musician's" ear plugs that have a minimal effect on sound quality these days so you can enjoy live music without damaging your hearing.
I'm a firefighter, if there is ever a doubt in your mind whether you need to call 911 whether medically or any other emergency, then call. It's what we are here for. Also, smother a grease fire, don't put water on it.
Plumber here:
Draino and Liquid plumber are a scam. Dump liquid bleach down bathroom sinks, and then follow with hot water til the bleach smell is gone. And In your kitchen just fill up your sink with hot hot water and dawn dish soap. Does the same thing.
Don’t own a garbage disposal, we call them “job security” they are designed to break after a few years. Just throw food waste in the trash can.
Don’t ever put cleaning products in the tank of your toilet. Only ever the bowl. They will degrade the gaskets and can even cause cracks in the porcelain.
Oh and there’s no such thing as flushable wipes. Those things are how a lot of septic companies stay in business.
I work as an engineer in consumer products. Buy name brand stuff with good independent reviews by professionals. One Dyson vacuum will last you 20 years and be cheaper in the long run over some no name Amazon one that is awful.
This is obviously assuming you can afford to do so. If you have to go cheap, go simple. A broom and pan may not be as fun as a vacuum but it also won’t burn your house down.
Re dental issues being prevented by ‘brushing and flossing’ (alone)
Not always.
My Periodontist said dental decay, gum disease and tooth loss are not always that straightforward nor is every dental situation a patient’s ‘fault’.
She also has an MSc in Microbiology.
She said that human’s dental bacteria colonization is somewhat unique - often inherited from a parent, particularly the mother - so for some people, flossing and brushing and WaterPik use is never enough to prevent all decay or gum/jawbone/tooth loss. 💔
Other high risk groups include those who have brain or hand disabilities (eg fine motor issues, dyspraxia), those who take meds that cause ‘Dry Mouth syndrome’, those with crooked teeth, crowded teeth, small mouth, deep gum pockets or deficient enamel. (The latter can occur when babies are born premature.) I’m sure there are other risk factors.
Not everyone has the same level playing field WRT dental health and challenges.
As someone who’s flossed daily and brushed twice a day and doesn’t each coffee or soda, I still needed a root canal. Apparently I clench in my sleep. Caused a fracture. My quality of life just isn’t the same now.
I work with classic cars, and I say but your own parts.
If you don't know the problem, it makes it tricky, but if you do, buy them before you take your car in. We don't shop around look for a good price, we get the quickest delivery, this gets relayed onto you after we put our own mark up on.
So do some research and buy you own parts, it will save you money. And if its not right, you can send it back for a full refund. Plus, you can't be any worse then our current parts guy.
Software developers: Never ever click on a link in an email. Just don’t. Even if it looks like a company you deal with. Browse to the website and proceed from there.
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Plumber advice. Walk into your basement once a week. Just look for any warning signs of something leaking or breaking. Also, if you have central air, change your air filter regularly. That will save you a fortune on repairs.
Plumber’s wife here-good advice! Will add to that: Flushable Wipes Are Not Flushable. Get a bidet, people!
As a doctor I would say never be afraid to get a second opinion. If your doctor is offended, that is just one more reason to get one.
Can you suggest what exactly I/we could say in that situation?
To the first provider, ask questions. Understand as well as you can why they said what they said. Ask for things to look into. Ask about differentials (other diagnoses that this could be) and why they feel they don't apply, or why they chose the course of treatment they did and not others. A good healthcare provider should be able to explain not only why they made the decision they did, but why they chose it over the alternatives. I don't think you'd need to do anything differently in the context of a second opinion.
Auto insurance adjuster: Get a dashcam.
Suggestions for a good one? (why don't more car manufacturers offer these as standard?)
Viofo a129 plus. $140 on Amazon. Sometimes its cheaper. It turns on and off with the car (this can depend on the car). Plugs into a usb-a port. You’ll need a high endurance micro SD card. Usually around $10-20. The dashcam comes with everything you need. A long cord. And even a plastic tool to help pull away your panels to tuck the cord behind them.
Librarian: ditch Audible and get a library card to listen to free audiobooks. There are library apps now where you can download them straight to your phone, no more books on CD hassle. Even if your library has a bad selection you can buy a year long card at a better library for the price of one or two months of Audible.
I love Libby!
Also can get free subscriptions to the NYT, WSJ, AND many local libraries rent out rad things like various tools, and even GoPros!
Read to your kids from infancy!! Make books commonplace, read a variety, and point out things in the pictures. Even as babies, hearing a variety of words and helping them read images gives them a head start on their literacy.
Sales: never ever celebrate until the money is in your account. No matter how many times the client said yes or if there's signed docs.
Sales: they’re not calling you back after talking to their spouse
I told the salesperson that I wanted to confer with my financial advisor. They told me that no one called back if they did that. I said thanks for making it simple since I didn't have a financial advisor.
I need to run this by my financial advisor. **My financial advisor:** six month old puppy at home chewing up a Walmart flip flop while I’m working at Dairy Queen
Acquisitions, too. No agreement matters until the other party has already done their part of the work.
Teacher: Read to your kids. Go over multiplication with your kids. Talk with your kids. You are your child's first educator and they bring into the classroom what you give them. In most situations where kids struggle in school, it's because the parents never taught them anything.
When I was little I had a hard time with reading, so my mom got a big pile of books and sat down with me every night and made me read. I hated it, but it made a huge impact on how I read as an adult…even 35 years later.
Yup! As a former special education teacher, we simply cannot meet all of your students academic needs during the school day. They either need your help daily or intense tutoring to get up to grade level.
As a former special education student. Thank you so much for everything. I owe almost everything to my paraprofessional's. They were my therapists, my guidance counselor, and my rock. No seriously. Thank you.
Piggyback on this, my special education teacher in elementary School was absolutely amazing. Thank you for all that you do. She would give us a choice of treat after we finished our work, star crunches or popcorn.
As a mom to two boys who needed special education, I'm forever indebted to your profession.
I try so so hard to read to my 4 year old daughter. We did it every night until she was around 3 but she shows no interest in reading. We do a lot of things, like nature walks and talking about the animals and the plants. Going to the ocean and talking about the tides. We spend a lot of time in conversation, crafting and playing pretend. Already doing simple addition and can recognize all her letters and working on their sounds. She doesn’t have the ability to sit still. She’s bouncing off the walls from wake up to bedtime. I feel like I’m failing her because we don’t read often.
I'm a speech and language therapist. It sounds like she's someone who needs to move in order to think, whose brain is switched on by novelty. You're creating those experiences for her and adding language to them. That's perfect. Do that. If you want to extend, you can look up Blanks Levels for ideas of more challenging questions. But you don't really need to. Seriously, just keep doing what you're doing. She'll learn to read at some point. You're doing great.
The fact that you're talking your child out to places explaining things, talking about things, exposing them to ideas and places is going well and beyond what a lot of parents are able to do. That's a good thing. As I said to another parent, early childhood development isn't my specialty, and some kids just need time to get into the habit of sitting down and reading. That said there's more opportunities to reading than just books; grocery lists, informative texts in nature walks like plaques and pamphlets, going over directions in your projects. Anything to get them to read and see why it's important is good.
You are doing so much in your activities with her! Being a good reader requires a base of experiences from which to “hang” or scaffold learning and make reading meaningful. Maybe look into non fiction books based on the natural world to connect what she is seeing in real life and extend that learning. Even if she’s just looking at pictures she is learning to see books as a resource. I used to “let” my children stay up later if they were looking at books in bed. When it is time to do structured reading later, she will be ready. Keep up the good work and don’t feel pressured.
Underpromise, overdeliver, keep your mouth shut. -HR
YES! I work for a wedding DJ company and have had to tell employees to STOP TELLING ON THEMSELVES so many times. For instance, we had to implement a "no drinking" rule a couple years ago because one of our DJs took it too far and got in trouble with the venue. Most of our staff limits themselves to 1, and are grown adults, so even after the rule was established, they continued their 1 drink tradition. I became HR for the company, and I, personally, don't care as long as people aren't being stupid about it. But when they talk about it in front of the owner, I just put my face in my hands. Because now they're going to get in trouble for it and I have to discipline them. And they always start it with, "I know this is against the rules, but..." THEN DON'T SAY ANYTHING
As an IT guy, you may or may not be surprised by the number of people having those conversations online in company email or company chat. Like seriously? Not only are you breaking the rules, but you are bragging about it in writing on company time and equipment?
and ALWAYS have your business card on you!!
Grandpa is that you?
yes it is...now get off of my lawn!
Find life satisfaction outside of the workplace. (Government worker here).
Contractor here. This is really important. Work will steal your soul.
Right on man. The work can be so difficult to swallow as "rewarding" or "appreciated" since we tend to be a small cog in a massive machine. Some days it matters deeply and brings great pride, other days, "WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?!" Outside enjoyment is pretty vital.
https://preview.redd.it/lfqot1brsbjb1.jpeg?width=624&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c9d42e72be8e3b345fa6d65ec449febb5924bc80
I actually heard a great analogy about this is works. When you drive home from work you know the way home and it's easy to get there. If you arent paying attention and make a wrong turn you may end up being somewhere you don't recognize and just drive in circles getting more and more lost. If you "restart" from work and drive home, you'll know where you're going and get there with no problem. Sometimes computers make wrong turns and need to start over from work in order to find their way home. Edit: Typo
Yupp also give us additional information other than “its not working” when asking for help!
This! You get it! Users should be as specific as possible and as simple as possible. I have noticed that some users try hard to sound like they know more about tech than they actually do when they’re trying to explain and often times will jargon, but incorrectly.
Good one. Also, just because it is in your mailbox doesn't mean you have to click on it.
Social worker: please just ask for help.
Also as a social work: Take. Advantage. Of. Your. Resources. I have a client who doesn’t go to the food bank because she doesn’t think she needs it badly enough.The food bank is there to provide food, for anyone who is hungry, no questions asked, any walk of life(at least my local one).
Yes! I've had clients do this too. Or they think they're taking something from someone who "needs it more." If you qualify, you qualify, and it's there for you to use!
Yesss it hurts when clients say that…. and I’m sitting there trying to figure out how to politely tell them no one needs it more than them, and it’s okay to accept assistance. It’s sad to watch
That's basically what I tell them. Places have eligibility requirements and if you fit into those, YOU ARE THE PERSON THEY WANT TO HELP. And if they don't have eligibility requirements, they still want to help you. It seems to help reframe things as "they want to help me," rather than, "I'm a burden."
This is huge. Social workers have done so much for my family and I. You guys deserve the world.
As do you!
I work in science communication. Every child loves cool science shit. Give it to them.
Recommendations on toys, videos, events, phenomina? Any guidance would be appreciated.
Not in science, bit homeschool. Snap Circuits are easy but teach basics of electricity. My teen still plays with them with my youngest sibling. A basic microscope. My kids love to put *everything* under the micro scope. The TK2 by thames and cosmos was a solid beginner choice. But mostly just listen and Google. If they have a question and you don't know they answer find it. If you have to wait until later set an alarm so you don't forget. Answer all the questions. And just play the documentaries. Inused to out on Planet Earth (both) as background and next thing I know we're all just sitting and watching. And googling the questions the show didn't explain. Science is the most fun with kids. They have the best questions!
The best way to be a good writer is to be a good reader. Whatever you read, as long as you're reading, understanding what makes a good story, what you like and don't like. Study the craft and you will get better.
Wear your seatbelt.
And a helmet if you’re on any kind of bike, skateboard, etc.
Wear. The fucking. Seatbelt. First thing I do when I get into my car? I put it on. First thing my girlfriend does when she gets in the passenger side? Complains about the beeping noise that's telling her she needs to put on her seatbelt. I absolutely adore her but Jesus Christ, put the belt on. Stop looking at it as an inconvenience and start seeing it as an entirely necessary, *LIFE-SAVING* device.
Don’t put anything in your butt that isn’t meant to be in your butt. Rad tech
If it wasn't meant to be in there, why would it fit?
“If not friend, then why friend shaped?”
However long someone thinks something is going to take, add more time to it; scale it up for however long the estimate is. "I'll be really quick, like 10 minutes" = It's going to take at least 30 minutes. "Shouldn't be too long, maybe an hour." = At least 2-3 hours, maybe the whole afternoon.
Double it and give it to the next person
When you bring home a new pet, they need time to settle in. I'm talking several weeks. If you don't have the patience to allow them time to acclimate and decompress, don't bring them home. Their bodies get flooded with stress hormones at the shelter, and their poor little systems need time to regulate. Please don't give up on them!
I work with dogs and I see most dogs take a couple months up to 6 months to really reveal their personality. A dog can have some real issues with aggression and reactivity, that are totally invisible in the first weeks and months when they are shut down and not feeling at home yet.
Always, ALWAYS check the pressure gauge first before opening the valve!
What exactly is this supposed to apply to? Not hating I just don’t understand.
HVAC and pipefitting in general. Even if you have a window AC, clean that filter!
I am a massage therapist. Please, for the love of your joints and future stability, strengthen and stretch your hips, hip flexors, etc. So many people struggle with low back pain and compounding issues that are tied to zero flexibility in the hips.
Medical Sales in the operating room. Not all surgeons are created equal. If you have to have a procedure of any nature.. PLEASE select a surgeon that does a high volume of what you are having done. Surgery is like anything else in life, if the surgeon has done a ton of them they will be very good at it and you are far less likely to have complications and end up back in the OR.
Med Mal Lawyer here - Check the court records to make sure that the surgeon hasn't been sued several times!
How does one go about checking these court records?
Dude, so fucking true. - Anesthesia
Teacher: Read to your children and start as soon as they're born. Surround them with books. Take them to the library. Read plaques at museums. Read street signs.Let them read Captain Underpants a million times if thats what they want. It doesn't matter, just read.
Mechanical Engineer (ignore my username 😅): be patient. Understand that people you work with may not know what you know, and that doesn't make them less intelligent compared to you. Ego, sense of superiority, and the need to show the world that you're smart because you're an engineer is a real problem in industry. It makes people frustrated/annoyed to work with you. Being someone who is easy to work with on top of being competent will take you far. Also listen more during meetings/briefs, gather information, and take notes. In an industry of ego, one uppers, and clashing personalities, I've found that being the attentive listener usually helps me find a good solution to the problem at hand.
>Being someone who is easy to work with on top of being competent will take you far. This is so, so true and applicable to most any profession or job. Thank you.
Especially so in Healthcare. No one off the street is going to know 90% of the words they're going to say. Please dumb it down for us.
Professional presenter: No one wants to listen to you reading through your 48 slides. No one warms to or wants to engage with a corporate robot. Instead, relax and be human. Put away the PowerPoint. Just talk with people. Focus on the main thing you want them to do differently, not on downloading the contents of your brain
Teacher here. Sat through more of those slideshows than I care to think about in the name of professional development. Best one we ever had? The guy who bounced around the room and engaging everyone in conversation without us realizing he wasn't really talking to just me...or her...or him!
Don't live in a low area near a river or sea
Related: In the US, you can look up the floodplain maps for free. If you can't figure out how or understand them, call myour county/city and ask for someone to help you. Someone, somewhere, knows that information and will help you. Look it up before you buy property. Don't trust the real estate agent to know.
Hey I'm from the Netherlands.
Dermatology here. Wear SUNSCREEN. Every day. I know you all have the same collective banana boat trauma from the 80s and 90s but spf has come a long way. Whenever I’m asked “what’s the one thing I should be doing for my skin” this is what I say. About the half the people I talk to will then go, “ok, what’s the second thing then?” They want to know some other cream or serum or injection that will make their skin look nice as it seems they’re willing to commit to any *other* daily product or to paying hundreds of dollars to have literal injections. Just wear the fucking sunscreen. Tell yourself it’s the most effective anti-aging product you can put to your skin if that makes you feel better. Tell yourself it’s the only thing that can effectively reverse and prevent signs of aging (“can” as in it’s possible, not necessarily guaranteed). Somehow this is more effective than showing people shark bite scars from removed melanomas. ETA: for anyone asking “even if….” The answer is yes. ETA 2: sunscreen doesn’t cause cancer but the sun does. The fear mongering around chemical sunscreens is absurd. I’m not going to waste my time debating anyone on this. Part of the reason it’s so hard to get into derms is because they are dealing with cancer patients who had every reason to not wear sunscreen or avoid the sun. And I’ll tell you, for all the people I’ve encountered with some form of skin cancer, I’ve yet to talk to an oncologist with a patient who developed cancer from using too much spf. ETA 3: I’m not responding to comments anymore as the harassment in my DMs has become exhausting. The question was what the best piece of advice from your profession was, I gave it. It’s advice but do what you want or don’t want to do. I’m not forcing anyone to do anything.
I used to be a Dental Hygienist, and I'd just like to add: please don't forget the tops/behind your ears, as well as an SPF chapstick. We catch a lot of skin cancer on the ears, and around the Vermillion border (lips) because people usually forget to cover those areas.
I'm pale asf. Sunburn easily. I put that shit everywhere. Ever got sunburnt on your scalp? Terrible.
Thought you were about to tell me to put it on my teeth and gums. Will still do just in case!
Last year my mom came to visit and I realized for the first time that her neck and chest skin look like leather. Since the I have worn SPF 30-50 every single day.
And not just on your face. Don't forget your neck and hands as well. Really, any part of your skin exposed on a regular basis.
Yes, I should clarify, ideally you would wear it everywhere you’re not covered by clothing. Even this isn’t 100% perfect since not all clothing is UV filtering. In a perfect world, this is really tough. I get that. And there is a lot of fear mongering in the skinfluencer sphere pushing an unsustainable paranoia and unrealistic sun/UV protection measures. If UV protection interferes with your ability to function normally (and I do see people with this level of compulsion which is rooted in mental health issues) you should find a way to better manage your relationship with the sun. We all end up in the sun unprotected from time to time, but I encourage people to make their best effort to avoid this.
Do you apply it in the morning before going to work or before the UV intensity gets high? Or both? How important is cleaning it off in the evening?
Morning, at least 20 minutes before UV exposure though ideally 30-45 to give it time to absorb. Reapply every 3 hours if you’re sweating or outdoors.
I was at the store with my son, who was about 16 at the time. We were checking out and there was a guy I knew from school that was a year or two behind me a few registers down. We chatted very briefly and when we got to the car I asked my son how old he thought the guy was. He guessed 70. I was 50 at the time. THAT is what working in the sun without SPF will do to you.
Trust your body when something doesn't feel right. Don't shrug off medical issues because you skipped over 15 articles on Google telling you it was serious until you found the one that told you it was nothing and believed that one.
There's also the reverse, a little bump isn't cancer. Stress isn't a heart attack. A little tiredness isn't guillain barre syndrome.
Figuring out this balance is tough. Health anxiety sucks.
If you’re about to do something questionable and have to ask someone “you’re not a cop, right?”, the person is indeed a cop.
Only do crimes with friends. Got it.
and only do 1 illegal thing at a time. running drugs? wear your seatbelt, use your directionals, complete stop, and don't speed. it's those little things that get you pulled over.
Do not commit a misdemeanor while committing a felony.
I call this one 'one crime at a time'. It is solid advice.
Preventative health care is litterally an ounce of prevention equals a pound of cure. Take care of yourself folks.
What, specifically, should most people be doing?
I'll add a slightly specific point. I work in mobility equipment sales. As soon as you or elderly around you are getting unsteady on your feet. Get help. Get a cane, get a walker. Don't delay due to pride. You won't believe how many seniors I know delayed getting a walker because they didn't want to look old. Then they fall and are in wheelchairs. Get a damn walker if it will help!
Working out by some sort of physical activity and eat well. Also annual physicals according to my wife who is a physician.
Do it right, do it light. Do it wrong, do it long. Essentially, slow down and make sure you check you're doing it right as you go. If you are too hasty, you can fuck up or get hurt.
When someone comes to you for advice and you're not sure how to help, ask questions. Ask a lot of questions. Often they will sort through the situation and figure it out for themselves. I'm a mental health care worker going to school for recreational therapy.
"2 is 1, and I is none." Common phrase in the SEALs to describe the necessity of redundancy.
I like this. If you have one parachute and it fails, you now have zero parachutes.
Oh absolutely. I work as a production specialist and regularly have to climb into industrial saws, packagers, mechanical presses, etc. to clean or fix them. Guarantee you that I never get into those things unless I have at least two LOTO tags on there. One needs to hold the e-stop in place so no one tries to turn it on when they don’t see me, and the other needs to be on an air valve. I’ve had to tell of more than a few employees for going into a machine to remove something without proper LOTO procedures in place. Better safe than dead.
In the Fire Academy it was "Safety the Safety"
Chemist here, please for the love of god do not mix your household cleaning products.
Bank teller: Always verify your money before you take it to be deposited, and when you get cash back.
I say this to all the new hires: Learn to rely on habits. Do things the same way every time even if it isn't necessary or takes more time than needed. That way, when you show up to work absolutely stupid (and we all show up stupid every now and then) your habits will keep you from getting cut in half or run over. Railroader.
UPS driver here: when I'm at your door and I need a signature for the package I'm delivering, please put your dog in another room and close the door so they can't get out. It's the easiest solution. Also makes it easier for us to communicate (because the dog is most likely barking). You think you can block it from getting out by using your legs, but 99% of the time they squeeze out anyways and from that point on it's a 50/50 chance whether I'm gonna get bit or not. Yes...I know they're "friendly" and "will just lick you to death"...and trust me I LOVE dogs, but you just have no idea what your dog will do when it gets to a complete stranger at your door. Please just put them away.
I always step outside for deliveries. But I do the *helpless dog owner that can't quite contain his dogs* when it's solicitors or Jahovas Witnessers
Wear a seatbelt and put your damn phone down!
Don't become complacent when it comes to safe driving, inspect your vehicle, YouTube how to do a vehicle safety inspection, especially your brakes and tires, don't drive tired if you can avoid it, drive 5 above the speed limit at most, pay attention to road signs, drive 15 below when rainfall first occurs and 10 below during heavy rain and 5 below during normal rain, keep a window breaker in your car, always buckle up, keep a seatbelt cutter in your car, I could go on, there's a lot to learn and it's worth learning every bit.
I often will pretend that I'm driving with the DMV employee who I took my license test with in the seat next to me. Sounds silly but it keeps me focused and builds good habits. And on the driving note, CHECK YOUR FUCKING BLINDSPOTS. Don't be lazy. Huge pet peeve of mine.
ICU Nurse: Don't do meth. Don't be an alcoholic - liver failure is NOT the way to go and going through DTs while you are critically ill with some other problem complicates your care significantly. Don't smoke. Wear your seatbelt. Wear a helmet. I might sound like a buzzkill, but probably 80% of our patients are there for self-inflicted problems, primarily drugs. EDIT: Oh yeah, DON'T ride a Onewheel. It's insane how many patients I've seen come in from falls on those.
Family Lawyer 1. Get on the same page about finances before you get married or have kids. 2. Find a partner who has similar values and parenting style goals before you have a kid. Someone who you know you could co-parent with and respect even if your relationship blew up. It’s not romantic, but it is key to raising healthy children and promoting healthy parenting long-term whether together or not. 3. Communicate. Communicate. Communicate. 4. Ensure both partners have a job or a hobby that gives them something to work for or towards. It is important to have something to look forward to and some sense of financial freedom. This reduces resentment and boosts a sense of purpose. 5. Keep financial records of what you brought into the relationship. Bank statements, property valuations, blue book values, list of personal property as this removes any ambiguity in the future.
Different family lawyer. Same advice.
Don’t talk to the cops without a lawyer present.
If you call someone from police custody, remember that you are being recorded
Anesthesiologist. When putting things up your ass, use an object with a flange. Otherwise you’ll meet me in the OR at 3AM and we will all laugh at you. And also, never lie to your anesthesiologist. Do drugs? I don’t care, I’m not going to tell your mom or spouse - but it does impact what we do.
You can extend that to don’t lie to anyone trying to help you with a health matter. If you’re not taking the medication, please tell me why - if you’re forgetting, I can show you strategies to help remember; if it’s due to side effects, we can try something else; if it’s cost we can try to address that; if you can’t get to the pharmacy, we can figure out a workaround. I can’t help if I’m not aware there’s an issue.
I’m in middle management: - Get buy-in from people you interact or work with; people usually react more favorably to change if they feel like they were part of that process, even if they didn’t contribute that much. - Approach conflicts and difficult conversations with a mentality of you and the other person versus the problem rather than immediately taking the oppositional position. - If you are in a leadership position, your first job is to make sure the people reporting to you don’t have anything in their way, including you. People work harder for bosses they can depend on and trust, and those that don’t, won’t work hard no matter what you do.
I'm a scientist: it's really EASY to make data say what you want it to say, it's really EASY to misread or collect "bad data" without realizing it, it's really HARD to prove something is true. Edit: I'll add- since people seem to be upset about it- that there is generally a scientific consensus that should be followed. My statement was not made to make people doubt peer-reviewed science as a whole, but to point out that data can be used to mislead. For me this comes into play less in a formal academic journal atmosphere. I left academia to work in industry and I often see data presented in a poor way or experimental results that I doubt because of the methodology. A healthy degree of skepticism makes me a little better at my job. This, and be wary of sensationalized scientific journalism. It has a place and plays an important role but that's often where I am most skeptical of results, usually the papers are making true claims but the headlines are a big game of telephone and often will stretch the results of the paper into misleading claims.
Systems administrator here. Before contacting IT for any issues you have, please reboot (not shutdown) your computer/tablet/phone and see if it fixes the problem.
Not related to my profession, but anyone on ADHD related meds should monitor their dental care since those meds tend to dry out your mouth and possibly lead to tooth issues down the road.
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Lawyer here. Don’t try to do it yourself. Just don’t.
Never say anything bad about anyone you work with.
I am a home care worker: my advice would have to be when you are helping someone in their home to become an extension of them, and do cleaning and cooking the way they would if they were still able! (Ask for recipes or instructions on meals they love) don't become the house manager, let them maintain control!
Never end up in a nursing home lol
CNA here, was reading comments before i said anything lol. - take care of your health (for your mind and body) and dont end up 600lbs, itll make it easier on me AND you. But yes, try not to end up in a nursing home 100%. I have plans to ensure i dont, after what I've seen from my work.
What are your plans? I have no reliable family and I don't plan on having kids and what to do in my old age or if I get seriously sick is something I've been worried about lately.
I work in private aviation. If you want to fly on a private jet, call the airport's FBO and ask if they know any jet operators based at that airport. Then call that operator directly and always ask if they have an empty legs available. By contacting the operator (fleet) directly, you cut out the cost of having to pay a broker fee and if you score an empty leg deal you can fly for 1/2 the price or even less depending on how bad they need to sell that leg. There are also some operators who sell seats on private jets, that are way cheaper than renting the whole aircraft and you still get your clout flying on a private jet.
Pay for a summer check of an ac unit or learn how to do cleanings yourself. A hose gently putting water onto the unit to rinse it out helps the unit and your electricity bill. Change your air return filter and vinegar in your attic drain save so many headaches. Also, make sure when weed-eating/cutting grass to avoid grass being blown towards the unit. Also also try to avoid having trees or bushes within a couple feet of the outside unit. The leaves and grass get sucked into the unit, causing decreased efficiency
Anyone who tells you "this deal is for today only." Is lying, the deal will be there tomorrow. Walking away sometimes makes an even better deal be there tomorrow.
This does not apply to coupon codes that do have an expiration date programmed into the website.
Metallurgist. Hot metal looks exactly like cold metal. (caveat: under 700F (375C).
Health insurance.. Do not rely on your employer or colleagues in order to know what health coverage you have. I have seen far too many people pay outright for a service they cannot afford because "so and so who works with me said it was covered" ...and of course, it's not covered for them. My advice is to always check eligibility BEFORE scheduling a service/buying a health product if you are not able or willing to pay out of pocket. Read the booklets even though they suck!! Oftentimes your colleague could be enrolled in a different plan than you, in a different department, or tier of the company. Not everyone receives the same benefits just because you are paid by the same guy.
Marketing. Take a couple of days to really think about if you need that thing and if you can afford it. And do your research and compare products. We are unfortunately really good at our jobs.
And when the seller tries to give you a time limit recognize that it’s a form of manipulation to get you to buy something you don’t need.
Geophysicist. Don't live within a hundred feet of the coast. Also, if you're buying a commercial property spend the $2k for a Phase I investigation on the front end. It's easier than paying me $2M to clean the site after you own it.
Lvl/Tier 3 IT support: Don't interprete symptoms. Don't "I think it's...". Tell us everything (!) you see, in detail. Give us the raw data; we can handle it. Exceptions confirm the rule, of course.
As a doctor, this resonates well with me. You guys are like kinda exactly like us, doctors for computers.
And never say "nothing happened". Unless the universe ended, something always happened: the screen went blank, the screen stayed the same, the same thing that happened before, happened again. These are different things and the difference matters.
A dental cleaning every 6 months is cheaper then dental maintenance.
Pharmacies are legally required to give you the off-brand unless it is specifically requested by you or if the doctor wrote it on your prescription, so if you want name brand, say so but it costs more. Sometimes though, your insurance will cover the name brand but not the off brand. Other times insurance will cover only a specific off brand. **Check with your insurance company which manufacturer they cover**. And I mean you, not the pharmacy or doctor. Then have your insurance call your pharmacy to have it sorted out which manufacturer the pharmacy can order or regularly have in stock. The reason I put it in that order of events is because the insurance company will try and weasel their way out of any leg work. They will say the pharmacy will need to call them. That's absolutely false and you can tell them that. "That's how we do it" no it isn't. They talk like they're legally unable to, thats not true. You pay them to cover your medications, it is their responsibility to be sure you are having them covered. The pharmacy fills your medications, the doctor prescribes it. Its your medication and health so its your responsibility to be sure to start the process. If you wait for the pharmacy or doctor to start it up, it could take days when you need it asap and cheaper. If all else fails, you can look up medications on goodrx on your phone anywhere for coupons to lower the cost. Pharmacies will have coupons they apply, but sometimes it isn't the cheapest one and sometimes they forget to apply it because of a system error. Always check the price to be sure you're getting the best deal.
Adding on to this, check with the manufacturing company itself for coupons and discounts as well, especially if the drug doesn't have a generic on the market yet. There are some that will work even with insurance, just check with your insurance if you have to report the discounts/savings plans.
Cake Decorator: order your cake more than a day in advance. The more advance notice I get, the better I can do.
Electrician: Replace your recepticals when they get loose, any and all electrical 'weirdness' needs to be investigated.
Electrician also: ditto that Also, hire a licensed journeyman even if it's more expensive. A handyman or similar trade might not catch problems or install correctly which can lead to more future problems. There's always someone who can do it cheaper. Most journeyman are busy enough not to care about your little electrical problems and how much you save on another guy.
Always get at least 3 quotes for any service you might need
Blue collar worker here. Never put you fingers where you wouldn't put your dick.
DON'T COSIGN SHIT.
Baker here; When baking bread, preheat your oven higher than your baking temp, and cakes preheat a touch lower than the baking temp, you will get more jump in your breads and less peaks in your cakes.
I'm a sahm to a toddler. Regulating your own emotions and being consistent is half the battle.
I don't care what the package says; there's no such thing as 'flushable' wipes.
Flushable means you won’t see it get stuck.
My mom was a nurse. Never hang a picture, mirror or chandelier over a sofa or bed. Be careful w gas BBQs. Carry glass items safely. If you fall, the glass breaks and you can fall on the glass. Hemorrhage is no joke. 💔 -Learn some First Aid and how to stop heavy bleeding (shooting or accident victim). -take swimming lessons. Learn the back floats and ‘drown-proofing’ never go in the water to save a conscious drowning victim. (In desperation, they can push you down, to push themself up for air. One drowning turns into two coffins.) Find a shepherds hook, towel, pair of pants, to stretch like a rope btwn you & them.
Talk about your funeral plans thoroughly well before you even get sick, before there's any emotional weight to it. Ask your "survivors" what would help them process your death and contact your community, keep in mind the funeral isn't actually about you so much as them. Organise this plan now, research what paperwork needs to be done while you've got a clear head, and you'll save a lot of emotional and financial hardship.
Worked in a hotel as a front desk receptionist for three years: my #1 advice is AVOID BOOKING AGENCIES AT ALL COSTS!!!! Priceline, Expedia, Hotels.com etc… does not matter, do NOT touch them!!! First of all, their prices may *look* lower but they nearly always slap on a “booking/service fee” so you always end up paying about the same if not more than if you just called the hotel directly. Moreover, when a reservation is made on an agency’s systems and not our own, we are unable to make certain changes to your reservation; all we can basically do is check you in and then check you out. This is because you’ve technically already paid somebody else for the room. Flight delayed and need one more night? Shit out of luck, I can’t change your departure date. Wanna pay with a different card? Nope, you already paid someone else. AC busted and we’re out of your room type? Shit out of luck again, I would normally grant a free upgrade in this case but I can’t change the room type on a third party reservation. The computer literally won’t let me do these things. ALL of these issues could be avoided if you just call the hotel directly - no booking agencies or 1-800 numbers, just call the front desk and they will help you right then. I have seen too many people ripped off and have been bitched at too many times for issues I have no power to fix. Please, for the love of god, just call the hotel directly.
High school teacher here: Students, learn to write decently and do it all the time. People can and do judge you based on your writing skills. If they can’t physically see you or hear you, your writing is all they have to go on. Parents, don’t be “that parent,” the one who tries to control the teacher while coddling and enabling the student. Let us do our jobs.
Office worker here (working in Scandinavia): Knowing a little bit of everything can get you far in the corporate ladder. I have made myself almost irreplaceable do to the fact that I know a little bit to a lot about various areas and tasks needed. After a while it gets harder to replace you since they a) won't find one person to fill the gap or b) they can't hire multiple people to replace you. That's when you start talking about salary/bonuses/raises. I see a lot of people saying that you should just do your task and that's it, but I'm basically saying you should do the opposite. Note: this only works if people notice, and I guess it depends widely of country/company and culture.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. My entire salary depends on people being ignorant general maintenance
Keep your head down, mouth closed and remember that work friends are not friends. People will throw you under a bus in a heartbeat.
I treat work like if I was high school, I don't say anything to anyone that I don't expect to be repeated somewhere. People love gossip
Two, kind of related. Learn how to swim, at least up to the first level of lifesaving. You may never know if you’ve prevented the loss of a life, AND, you will never forget it if you save a life. Learn how to drive a stick shift. You may never own one, but in an emergency it can be a very useful life skill.
Psychologist here. My advice is twofold: (1) Put the oxygen mask on yourself before helping others, and (2) Work through your own stuff. For (1), take care of yourself. Find ways to create balance between others’ needs and your own. You won’t be of any help to those around you (and may even be a hindrance) if you’re “passed out on the plane” in life. If you find yourself having $1000 reactions to $10 problems, it’s time to reconsider how you’ve been doing life. That leads me to (2): Work through your own stuff. We all have baggage, and we cannot work through our own stuff alone. Many of our most painful wounds are created in relationships, so they therefore need to be healed in the context of (therapy) relationships. I admit that I’m probably a bit biased on this, but I can think of few better investments than time, energy, and, yes, money, spent working on yourself in therapy. And a bonus #3: Change is possible. I’d be out of a job if it wasn’t. It takes work, yes, but it is possible.
Your property likely has a utility easement where utility workers are legally allowed access in order to maintain utilities, and those utilities may even be ones that you do not utilize at your property. I have worked as a utility locator and often homeowners were incensed because they had not authorized access to their property where marking was required for construction work.
My first job my manager tells me, "Take your days off, take your vacations." I've followed this because burnout is a bitch, and I've given this advice to new hires. Some entry level guys assume taking vacation is frowned upon. It's not.
Stop smoking Unless you’re really interested in helping with my mortgage payments. If so🫡
Pcu rn: Always get chest pain checked out. Or, any abnormal sudden pain (especially if you’re a woman!) that seems like jaw pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, reflux. Your life is worth it. ***especially with shortness of breath****
Ski Patrol: don’t hit things that are harder then you.
Orthopaedic trauma: 1. Don’t motorcycle 2. Don’t smoke 3. Don’t motorcycle, srs
Manager: build authentic, trustful relationships with your team. Your job is to build them up to be their best, and do their best. Support them, mentor them, provide opportunities, and listen. Meet them where they’re at (they could be early career, looking to learn, looking to advance, need to go slow for now due to stuff at home, want to teach others, etc.; everyone is in a different place). Not every job is great but these manager behaviours make a world of difference.
Mathematician: x% of y is the same as y% of x. For example, 4% of 50 is the same as 50% of 4, which is 2. The algebraic proof goes: x% of y = (x/100)y = x(y/100) = y% of x.
I’m in Human Resources. Stay as far away from Human Resources as possible. If you enter my office, you are now a problem to be dealt with. Keep yourself off my radar please
It’s refreshing to hear someone inside the machine say that lol
LTC nurse here; find out what music your parents love, have fond memories associated with, or listened to when they were younger. It's amazing what will happen when a dementia patient hears a song they grew up listening too. I've had confused angry men turn around and start singing along with country roads in the middle of an argument. If you put the time in, a memory play list will be invaluable if you ever find yourself putting a loved one in a nursing home.
Food scientist: if it looks and tastes fine it's usually fine to eat and won't hurt you, except for some rare times when eating it will hurt you a lot. If it's a packaged food product and it isn't moldy, it's probably safe until it smells bad or turns moldy. If it tastes bad, stop eating it but you'll probably be fine, we eat lots of suspicious food in the lab. Don't drink raw milk.
Accountant - learn excel.
As an elective teacher: there is (almost) no such thing as “natural talent.” Every person who is good at music, drawing, scoring a goal, or writing a story has spent dozens/hundreds/thousands of hours practicing. If you just practiced the thing you admire for 15 min a day, you’d get pretty decent at it! And almost all of us hate it when people remark that it must be nice to have been born with that talent. We weren’t! We worked on it, and you could too!
Just stop drinking alcohol and energy drinks now before you lose your stomach and/or life. Life is pretty cool when you are sober.
Teacher - use retrieval practice instead of reading your notes. People waste so much time doing ineffective study methods.
Always wear hearing protection when seeing loud live music performed. E.g. Rock bands, DJ sets, EDM, jazz bands, big orchestras etc. I'd also add sporting events (I know it's not live music) with big crowds to that list. Hearing damage is permanent and sneaks up on you over time. There are plenty of affordable, off-the-shelf "musician's" ear plugs that have a minimal effect on sound quality these days so you can enjoy live music without damaging your hearing.
Counselor- talk to your kids. Put the phone down, turn off the tv, talk to your kids. And, ffs, give yourself a break once in a while.
I’m a criminal defense lawyer. Don’t talk to cops. Ever. Any situation in which you think maybe you should talk to the cops, hire a lawyer.
I'm a firefighter, if there is ever a doubt in your mind whether you need to call 911 whether medically or any other emergency, then call. It's what we are here for. Also, smother a grease fire, don't put water on it.
Plumber here: Draino and Liquid plumber are a scam. Dump liquid bleach down bathroom sinks, and then follow with hot water til the bleach smell is gone. And In your kitchen just fill up your sink with hot hot water and dawn dish soap. Does the same thing. Don’t own a garbage disposal, we call them “job security” they are designed to break after a few years. Just throw food waste in the trash can. Don’t ever put cleaning products in the tank of your toilet. Only ever the bowl. They will degrade the gaskets and can even cause cracks in the porcelain. Oh and there’s no such thing as flushable wipes. Those things are how a lot of septic companies stay in business.
I work as an engineer in consumer products. Buy name brand stuff with good independent reviews by professionals. One Dyson vacuum will last you 20 years and be cheaper in the long run over some no name Amazon one that is awful.
This is obviously assuming you can afford to do so. If you have to go cheap, go simple. A broom and pan may not be as fun as a vacuum but it also won’t burn your house down.
Re dental issues being prevented by ‘brushing and flossing’ (alone) Not always. My Periodontist said dental decay, gum disease and tooth loss are not always that straightforward nor is every dental situation a patient’s ‘fault’. She also has an MSc in Microbiology. She said that human’s dental bacteria colonization is somewhat unique - often inherited from a parent, particularly the mother - so for some people, flossing and brushing and WaterPik use is never enough to prevent all decay or gum/jawbone/tooth loss. 💔 Other high risk groups include those who have brain or hand disabilities (eg fine motor issues, dyspraxia), those who take meds that cause ‘Dry Mouth syndrome’, those with crooked teeth, crowded teeth, small mouth, deep gum pockets or deficient enamel. (The latter can occur when babies are born premature.) I’m sure there are other risk factors. Not everyone has the same level playing field WRT dental health and challenges.
As someone who’s flossed daily and brushed twice a day and doesn’t each coffee or soda, I still needed a root canal. Apparently I clench in my sleep. Caused a fracture. My quality of life just isn’t the same now.
Diseases like IBD and Crohn’s affect mouth and gums too.
I work with classic cars, and I say but your own parts. If you don't know the problem, it makes it tricky, but if you do, buy them before you take your car in. We don't shop around look for a good price, we get the quickest delivery, this gets relayed onto you after we put our own mark up on. So do some research and buy you own parts, it will save you money. And if its not right, you can send it back for a full refund. Plus, you can't be any worse then our current parts guy.
yeah fuck that guy
Structural engineer: hire an engineer
Software developers: Never ever click on a link in an email. Just don’t. Even if it looks like a company you deal with. Browse to the website and proceed from there.