If you feel like your job is stressful, there may be some around you who are more stressed, but you are not aware, as part of their job is to mask their own… and to manage yours.
The World’s Most Stressful Jobs
The market research institute Bureau of Labor Statistics, in partnership with the Business Insider Website, has compiled a list of the most stressful professions. A stress level index was created, with scores ranging from 0 to 100. This index was evaluated by the professionals themselves. The higher the number, the more stressful the job is.
Surprisingly for some (but not those who are in the job) were the high results for Sales Support workers, with Telephone Operators/Receptionists scoring way up the chart with 98.2 and Customer Service Assistants also extremely high with 93.2.
Corresponding research by Roy Morgan has tallied the least and most stressful jobs in the country, and it appears that stress and anxiety rates amongst Australians are on the rise. This research confirms that if you work in Sales Support then unfortunately you have one of the most stressful jobs in Australia, with almost half experiencing stress in the past 12 months.
This research places Sales Support Workers, on the top of the list.
“(These) professions are in constant contact with an often-demanding public, and are not generally well paid,” Roy Morgan Research Group Account Director Angela Smith said.
Age also plays a part, with 18 to 24 year-olds more likely than any other age group to be affected by stress.
Real Estate – “High Risk Stress Industry”
In terms of business sectors, Real Estate is high up on the list of stressful career sectors. A report from the Coroners Court of Victoria also ranked real estate as a high risk industry, with a higher in the danger spectrum than police officers.
Combined evidence then must conclude, that Sales Support staff, within the Real Estate industry are under huge stress and we must do what we can to look after and “support the support”
Interestingly, The REIQ has introduced compulsory professional development, which includes a module about mental health for agents. Perhaps we should be doing the same for those who support the agents.
Be aware of those who also need support
Nick Arvanitis, Head of Workplace Research and Resources for Beyondblue hopes employers and employees alike will band together to be on the lookout for a colleague who might be suffering.
“Often people might not realise that they (or others) are at risk of experiencing anxiety or depression,” he warns.
“That’s where we encourage everyone within a workplace to have a basic understanding of the signs and symptoms that someone might be struggling with a mental health condition so they can approach that person in private and have a constructive conversation – not to diagnose – but hopefully reference some supports the workplace might have or just simply communicate that it might be good for them to check in with their GP or health professional.”
Appreciate and acknowledge
Another very small thing you can do that could make a difference is acknowledgement. If you are a professional who relies heavily on Sales Support, stop every now and then to say thank you. Or genuinely enquire as to how they are. It can make the world of difference. To be the best, you need to be supported by the best. And they can only do this if they feel acknowledged, valuable and appreciated.
