How to Find a Great Job Without a Desk

Readers had a great talk about off-desk jobs the other day, so we thought of putting all their advice in one place. Wondering what non-desktop jobs are out there, or how to get into a career field where you’re not chained to a desk all day? This article is for you.

First, that was the question that was fired here argument:

Since I’ve been sitting chained to my desk for 8 years, I sometimes dream of having a job without a desk. Still, I never had a specific job in my dreams, because getting into the medical field or working as a policewoman, firefighter, plumber, etc. Does anyone here have a fascinating job without a desk? Or does he know someone who does? How did you/they get in?

Readers came up with a ton of great ideas, so we thought we’d round them up. Some people with non-desk jobs weighed heavily, while others knew people who had worked in certain non-desk careers (such as forestry)!

Have you ever thought about non-desktop jobs? What are your top tips for finding a great job without a desk?

How to Find a Great Job Without a Desk

Artistic Off-Desk Works

One reader said,[a]rtist, tailor, clothing designer, interior designer, dietitian…anything you go to clients’ homes or businesses!”

jeweler. But the reader who suggested it said, “I am obsessed with jewellery, especially pearls and semi-precious stones. There’s also a lot of interest in lab-made gemstones.”

Stage director. “In my fantasy life, I’m a stage manager for live theater (like plays or musicals, not rock shows)” said one reader.

Museum works. While not a particularly flashy job, one reader similarly noted that her favorite job was working in a museum, “interacting with guests, especially on the ground.” The payoff was absolutely crap, but I loved it.

Event Management/Coordination. (I’ve actually heard that these are great jobs for former theater executives!) As one reader noted, you’re running around to get everything done while you’re at the event, but there’s a lot of hands-on prep work involved, e.g. There are companies that do this full time, and a few large companies have a full in-house event team. there is. Likewise, many visitor experience jobs are essentially in-house event management jobs for a venue (NFL stadium, museum, concert hall).”

Teaching Non-Desk Jobs

One reader found a ton of great ideas, including instruction. “While there’s a lot of prep work, grading, commentary, and faculty meetings, when you teach physically, it’s not at the desk. Of course it depends on the class and subject, but teaching a science class with a laboratory component will be just as hands-on as teaching elementary school students.”

Readers also noted that nursery/preschool teachers should be included as well as K-12 teachers!

Non-Physician (But Medical Adjacent) Off-Desk Jobs

A reader found a bunch of great ideas for non-desktop jobs related to medicine:

– therapists, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy specialists. “I have friends who are three years old and they are all very happy with their careers. You can do these jobs in very different settings. For example, I have two friends with OT. One works with convalescent patients in the hospital, and the other only works with toddlers and young children in their home and school. ” (Note that you may need a bachelor’s degree to follow this path – I had a friend with a bachelor’s degree in acting and he decided not to pursue occupational therapy because he would basically have to redo his entire college education.)

– Medical device sales. One reader wrote, “I have a few friends in medical device sales and they all love it and make really great money. They’re mostly in the field at hospitals, and then some WFH for the executive part of the business.

– Clinical research coordinators and laboratory scientists. One reader noted: “I’m not sure what your background is and/or if you’re willing to go back to school, but I have a few friends who do things differently in labs (don’t ask me what it is) or work as clinical research coordinators. Likewise, some engineering jobs are all desk jobs, and some engineering jobs are very hands-on and some are in-between.”

Outside Desk Jobs

forestry. One reader wrote, “My ex-husband was a forester. He worked for a state forestry commission. I got into this job by going to forest school.”

Another reader suggested working for a public land agency or being a tour guide in the country. “I had non-desk jobs for the first ten years of my working life, but now I have desk jobs for almost a decade. They were mostly in the field of hospitality / outdoor education / environmental awareness. My friends who still work in that area usually work for some kind of country guide or a public land agency.

Yet another reader stated that she would very much like to delve into a topic. search and rescue in the wilderness with a team of dogs.

Off-the-Desk “Professional” Jobs

Another reader found some great ideas for off-desk jobs in areas adjacent to the company:

– Commercial Pilot. Readers noted that you can become a commercial pilot by the age of 65, and there is talk that the age may increase due to the general lack of pilots.

– Corporate training. There are a ton of corporate training jobs out there that include orientation, onboarding, technical skills training, management training, DEI training, and more. One reader noted:

If you like the idea of ​​teaching but don’t want to work with kids or in a school, there are lots of corporate and government education teams. My first job in my field was working for a large emergency management agency on the training team. We did not do onboarding or orientation (all were HR), but we did provide training on different emergencies for our staff and partner institutions staff. I was the coordinator so I didn’t develop or teach but it was a great team.

– Government jobs with community involvement roles. One reader wrote, “There are a lot of government jobs that involve working with public/community engagement roles. Frankly, this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but my current office has a 3-person team doing it and they seem happy.”

– lobbyist. Lots of desk time, but lots of places to go: meetings with legislative staff, meetings with clients/coalitions/stakeholders, fundraisers. (Foundation events are sometimes as flamboyant as you might imagine; other times, it’s eating a stale Danish meal at 7:30 am in a cramped restaurant event room.)

A reader spoke with his experience. local government emergency management:

I am a local government emergency manager. I have a lot of desk jobs: regular executive work, writing reports, emails and phone calls with partners and vendors, managing grants and vendors, writing plans. However, there are many meetings, training, community engagement work, logistics work and of course emergency response. Emergency management isn’t for everyone (and I’m incredibly burnt out right now), but overall it’s very convenient for me.

Why Off-Desk Jobs May Not Be Right For You

One reader gave a big caveat to non-desktop jobs: “One thing I’ve found about non-desktop jobs is that most of them require face-to-face work all or most of the time. So if you value remote or hybrid work, these jobs are probably not a good fit for you. ”

Another reader suggested that you stay away from analyst positions if you want a non-desk job. “In my old job, we had an analyst who stayed pretty much at his desk and made boards, trackers, maps, while others were going and doing “amazing” things.”

Yet another reader had a great wit explaining why he chose the desk job: “I feel like either dealing with the public, being good at math, or having a desk job. I can’t do the first two, so I decided on a desk job.”

Readers, what are your thoughts? Have you ever thought about non-desktop jobs? What are your top tips for finding a great job without a desk?

Stock photo via Deposit Photos / deniskalinichenko.