Top 10 jobs for singles

Single and loving it, or so the saying goes. But this specially rings true when a high stress job keeps you away from loved ones for long hours and sometimes, longer weekends.

While some manage an effective work-life balance, which allows them the flexibility to climb the ladder of success in a cut-throat industry, there are others that crash and burn, taking their relationships along with them.

Emirates 24|7 digs deep and brings you the top 10 jobs that are best suited for those who still tick ‘single’ in the marital status box.

10. Airline crew

Travelling nearly five days a week, crazy work schedules and the inability to plan a simple evening out without referring to the roster is the average life of an airline cabin crew staff.

It is no wonder then that cabin crew members and pilots choose the single life, at least in the early stages of their careers.

Klara Vaskov, 25, flies for a UAE-based airline and understands how the stress of such a job can take its toll on affairs. She says: “In the past three years that I’ve been flying, I’ve suffered setbacks in two relationships, with both boyfriends unable to handle that I was hardly around. I know that when the time comes to settle down, I will request a transfer as ground staff or a desk job.”

In the case of Neha Modi, a former cabin crew member, the 29-year-old quit her high-paying job months after she tied the knot, saying: “I lived the high-life flying to exotic places when I was single; now, I would like my feet firmly on the ground.”

9. Athlete

Even if you aren’t a Michael Phelps or a Lance Armstrong, the life of an athlete, especially if he or she is thinking about going pro is filled with rigorous training schedules, strict discipline and no room for holidays or family time if you plan to hit the circuit.

The most glaring example is Indian tennis star Sania Mirza, who tied the knot with Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik and promptly announced that she would retire in a few years to concentrate on her family.

As for the likes of Tiger Woods, the less said the better when temptation gives way to a broken marriage.

8. Travelling Sales person

Hit the road Jack, and don’t you come back no more, no more, no more. And yes, even though this song was not penned for an absentee partner who just happened to be a travelling sales person, the lyrics find their way into the lives of those husbands and wives who spend a large part of their marriage having a relationship with their better half over the phone or email.

Add to that is a crappy economy, chances of a double dip recession and lack of business, and you have all the ingredients of the sales person’s stress spilling into his or her personal life. Best to leave your status as single if this is your career of choice until the markets improve.

 7. Entertainer

Being a popular celebrity brings with it fame and riches, but it also includes erratic work hours, being on the road often for publicity tours and sometimes even giving into temptation as fans continue to vie for your affection.

Says Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, one of Bollywood’s leading actors who is married into film industry scion Amitabh Bachchan’s family: “It is all about maintaining a work-life balance that is professional and allows you to determine your priorities. Some married people in the industry are able to do this effectively, while others prefer singlehood. It’s what works for the individual really.”

6. Merchant Navy

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but that is not true for many seafarer wives or husbands who have to endure their partner living out at sea for nine months at a stretch some times; the distance apart is bound to put a strain on any marriage.

According to US-based magazine, "Stars and Stripes", divorce rates amongst sailors have increased in recent times, which is why many shipping companies prefer advertising positions for singles only or endure a high turnover rate.

5. Lawyer

Now some of you are probably thinking, how difficult could this job be for a married person? Just think about the long hours, the work stress and the travelling involved. This especially rings true when the partner in question is a criminal lawyer.

Bringing work home is part of the job and sometimes leaves no room for the lawyer in question to entertain his or her partner when it’s client s/he’s probably dining with.

4. Public Relations executive

“It is much easier to be single, with media catch ups, events, after-work meetings, crises management that may crop any minute in the field of public relations,” says Active PR’s Senior PR Executive, Shamim Kassibawi, adding: “There is no way to have a husband and kids with a job that continues to be this stressful.”

Kassibawi’s story is similar to that of many other PR executives who juggle life between managing publicity campaigns and obtaining new clients for business. This cut-throat industry is not for the faint hearted who prefer a nine-to-five job to make it home in time to tuck in the children for a bed time story.

3. Advertising

The cut-throat industry is similar to that of PR, where account pitches, creative ideas, industry espionage and all things in between are part of a day’s work.

Says Dubai-based Abdul Gafoor, who works in one of the top advertising agencies in the GCC: “There have been days when I’ve left home at 6am – especially when a creative pitch deadline is looming – and returned home at 1am, only for the whole process to start all over again at 6am the following morning.

“As much as I would like to settle down and find myself a suitable partner, I know that I would have to compromise either on my marriage or my career, and I’m not willing to do either now. So staying single is the best option for now.”

2. Surgeon

Run a search through Google and hundreds of support forums pop up, dedicated to husbands and wives of surgeons who spend many a long day chained to the hospital.

Similar in many ways to a life of an airline crew member, a surgeon with his or her marital status as single does not have to worry about the erratic work hours, the graveyard shift or being on call 24/7 should an emergency arise.

Plus, the stress of the job can add more pressure on a married couple, especially when the surgeon is daily responsible for saving lives.

1. Fire fighter

This one’s a no-brainer. Running into a burning building to save the life of a stranger can make any one’s stomach churn in fear, but the stress is two-fold when the fire fighter in question has a wife and children waiting at home for his return.

In her blog, Stopdropandblog.com, FireMom, married to a fire fighter, writes: “Don’t marry a firefighter if you are relying on their presence or the stability of their schedule. The pager will go off on Christmas Eve as you are trying to build a bike together. There will be a fully involved structure fire on the morning of your big interview, leaving you scrambling to find child care.

“They will work on your birthday, their birthday, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and every other holiday imaginable…. On days you have plans to work on the house or get things done, they will be needed at the fire house. On a day that you planned on doing nothing more than relaxing, the sound of fire sirens leaving the station will bring a halt to your attempt at relaxation, nerves on edge.”

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