Ohio University students are taking on some of the most stressful careers in the field, according to a recent survey.
The ranking from employment website careercast.com lists the top five most stressful jobs, determined based on data such as income, hours, and hiring outlook. Four of the jobs are majors at OU.
Commercial airline pilot topped the list. OU’s aviation major had 138 undergraduates in 2009.
“The schedules, especially for commercial pilots, are stressful,” said Ben Brierly, a senior studying aviation. “Time is money for them. They work for a few days at a time, and then they get a few days off. During those days off, they have to go to training. It’s a nonstop schedule.”
Public relations executive comes in at No. 2 and sophomore public relations major Sam Tischler said she can identify with the stress.
“It’s really not about you, it’s about the client. If the client doesn’t like what you do, you have to change it. Sometimes it could be once, but a lot of the times it can be five, 10, 15 times,” Tischler said.
CEO was ranked at No. 3, but OU’s School of Business does not have a major specifically aimed at this job.
Coming in at No. 4 is photojournalist. Photojournalism majors belong to the School of Visual Communication, which had 330 undergraduates in 2009. Tyler Sutherland, a senior studying photojournalism, said long hours and low pay make the job difficult.
“On a daily basis, there are common stressors, like deadlines. You’ve got to get a picture by the deadline, and that’s pretty much everyday,” Sutherland said. “Sometimes you have to cover some really messed up stuff. … You have to detach yourself, and that’s totally against your instincts, and that puts a lot of stress on you.”
The risks of being a photojournalist were seen last month when OU alumnus Chris Hondros was killed in Libya by a mortar attack while covering the conflict.
At No. 5 is newscaster. Madison Bentley, a freshman studying broadcast journalism, says one of the most stressful things about the field is the spontaneity.
“Anything can go wrong at any minute,” Bentley said. “There are reporters who have forgotten what they were saying. Your audio can cut out. There’s a lot of improv involved. It’s practically impossible to have it nailed down to one consistent routine.”
Both broadcast journalism and public relations fall under OU’s journalism major, which had 1,018 undergraduates in 2009.
Once in their field of choice, how these students will
cope with the stress of the job varies.
“It’s something you try not think about, otherwise you’re swimming in doubt,” Sutherland said. “All you’ve got to do is keep your head above water and meet your deadlines. You’ve got to just bite the bullet on the stress. If you’re too high strung about it, you’re not going to last.”
No matter the stress or the complications of the job, the students say they are pursuing the careers they love.
“It’s daunting to think about long-term, constant stress, but in the short-term, it’s exciting,” Tischler said. “Things can change at the drop of a dime. It’s stressful yes, but also fulfilling.”
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