Observations on Work, Employment & Education
„Is it worth the pay?“ – A German short film series about professions & money.
From today’s perspective, the idea of committing to profession and working in this profession — perhaps even in one and the same company — for the rest of one’s working life may no longer be quite so realistic. Nevertheless, choosing a career is still an important developmental task for adolescents and young adults who are considering their professional future (Steinmann & Maier, 2018). If, in this context, professional work is seen as a central ‘axis of lifestyle’ (Beck, 1986), which consumes a significant part of a person’s life, then it becomes all the more important that the profession should ideally create meaning, open up material opportunities and enable social identification (Aßländer & Wagner, 2017).
The world of professions is extremely diverse and it can be challenging to find the profession that pays off in the long-term and choose the appropriate educational pathway. For this reason, publicly funded careers information advice has long been established as a fundamental tool. Notably, career information and its dissemination has changed over the years with the development of the media: From the film projector, the VHS to the Instagram reel; from career booklets to online portals, such as the career information system of the AMS in Austria (AMS, 2024) or the BERUFENET information portal of the Federal Employment Agency in Germany (Bundesagentur für Arbeit, 2024). In German-speaking countries in particular, careers guidance films have always been produced by public broadcasters to fulfil their mission of providing educational content. These include the short film series ‘Lohnt sich das?’ (Is it worth the pay?) by BR.
The series was launched in 2020 and still features a large number of videos that can be viewed via the ARD media library and the respective YouTube channel. In each short film, a profession is presented in 10 to 15 minutes by a member of said profession. Viewers are given the opportunity to accompany them through a working day and gain an insight into typical work tasks and processes as well as challenges and success stories. Recurring elements in the episodes are the definition of the respective person’s professional pathway, a rough comparison of their expenses and monthly income, as well as a final answer to the question ‘Is it worth it?’. In this way, the short films aim to consciously address the topic of wages, what they are spent on and whether they are enough to live on (BR, 2020). This clearly sets the series apart from similar earlier series, in which monetary and social aspects were either deliberately excluded or simply neglected.
The title may suggest that financial aspects take centre stage, but this is not necessarily the case. Instead, the short films portray both academic professions and apprenticeships in an entertaining and succinct way without oversimplifying them – real people with real jobs. As viewers, we observe them not only at work, but also in their everyday lives. In one film, for example, we get to know Nando, a digital social worker, in his home (and home office), who works on platforms such as Reddit, Instagram and Twitch in order to advise and engage with young people as closely as possible. Nando personally relates to particularly challenging situations, for example when it comes to coping with loss. In this way, he tells a touching story about the loss of a beloved family member, which he recently had to go through himself. In another film, we meet receptionist Ani, who gives us the opportunity of accompanying her as she does her voluntary work after a day’s work in a hotel. She teaches children Armenian so that they don’t forget their mother tongue. In the lesson shown, the children learn the names of fingers and colours through play. For Ani, this is not about the money, but about the children’s learning progress and enjoyment.
Due to their succinct nature, the films don’t claim to provide comprehensive information about job profiles. For me, their added value lies in the fact that they candidly provide an introduction to the fascinating world of professions. They do this by addressing a seemingly simple question that should not only be of interest to people in their career choice: What does a postwoman, a flight attendant, a glazier, a kitchen manager, a primary school teacher, a librarian, a bakery shop assistant, an app designer etc. actually do and how much do they get for it? The rough insight into income and expenditure in each episode satisfies the viewers’ curiosity to a certain extent, but the figures can only be generalised to a limited extent and depend heavily on the individual circumstances of each person. Even more interesting is to see how different one and the same simple question, ‘Is it worth it?’, can be answered.
Dr Hoang L. Nguyen is a lecturer in social work and adult education at SRH Fernhochschule. He teaches and researches topics in vocational training, adult education/further education and social work.
Referenzen:
AMS (2024). Berufsinformationssystem. https://bis.ams.or.at/bis/index.php. (accessed 18.12.2024.)
Aßländer, M. S. & Wagner, B. (2017). Einführung: Arbeit und Philosophie. In M. S. Aßländer & B. Wagner (Hrsg.), Philosophie der Arbeit. Texte von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart (S. 11–26). Berlin: Suhrkamp Verlag.
Beck, U. (1986). Risikogesellschaft. Auf dem Weg in eine andere Moderne. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag.
BR (2020). Auszeichnung für Reportage-Format. BR freut sich über Bremer Fernsehpreis 2020 für “Lohnt sich das?”. https://www.br.de/presse/inhalt/pressemitteilungen/bremer-fernsehpreis-lohnt-sich-das-100.html. (accessed 18.12.2024.)
Bundesagentur für Arbeit (2024). BERUFENET. https://web.arbeitsagentur.de/berufenet/. (accessed 18.12.2024.)
Steinmann, B. & Maier, G. W. (2018). Berufswahl. In A. Lohaus (Hrsg.), Entwicklungspsychologie des Jugendalters (S. 223–250). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer.
What does a digital street worker earn? (Lohnt sich das? BR 2024), German
What does a receptionist earn? (Lohnt sich das? BR 2022), German
What does a paramedic earn? (Lohnt sich das? BR 2020), German
„Lohnt sich das?“
© ARD
„Is it worth the pay?“ – A German short film series about professions & money.
From today’s perspective, the idea of committing to profession and working in this profession — perhaps even in one and the same company — for the rest of one’s working life may no longer be quite so realistic. Nevertheless, choosing a career is still an important developmental task for adolescents and young adults who are considering their professional future (Steinmann & Maier, 2018). If, in this context, professional work is seen as a central ‘axis of lifestyle’ (Beck, 1986), which consumes a significant part of a person’s life, then it becomes all the more important that the profession should ideally create meaning, open up material opportunities and enable social identification (Aßländer & Wagner, 2017).
The world of professions is extremely diverse and it can be challenging to find the profession that pays off in the long-term and choose the appropriate educational pathway. For this reason, publicly funded careers information advice has long been established as a fundamental tool. Notably, career information and its dissemination has changed over the years with the development of the media: From the film projector, the VHS to the Instagram reel; from career booklets to online portals, such as the career information system of the AMS in Austria (AMS, 2024) or the BERUFENET information portal of the Federal Employment Agency in Germany (Bundesagentur für Arbeit, 2024). In German-speaking countries in particular, careers guidance films have always been produced by public broadcasters to fulfil their mission of providing educational content. These include the short film series ‘Lohnt sich das?’ (Is it worth the pay?) by BR.
The series was launched in 2020 and still features a large number of videos that can be viewed via the ARD media library and the respective YouTube channel. In each short film, a profession is presented in 10 to 15 minutes by a member of said profession. Viewers are given the opportunity to accompany them through a working day and gain an insight into typical work tasks and processes as well as challenges and success stories. Recurring elements in the episodes are the definition of the respective person’s professional pathway, a rough comparison of their expenses and monthly income, as well as a final answer to the question ‘Is it worth it?’. In this way, the short films aim to consciously address the topic of wages, what they are spent on and whether they are enough to live on (BR, 2020). This clearly sets the series apart from similar earlier series, in which monetary and social aspects were either deliberately excluded or simply neglected.
The title may suggest that financial aspects take centre stage, but this is not necessarily the case. Instead, the short films portray both academic professions and apprenticeships in an entertaining and succinct way without oversimplifying them – real people with real jobs. As viewers, we observe them not only at work, but also in their everyday lives. In one film, for example, we get to know Nando, a digital social worker, in his home (and home office), who works on platforms such as Reddit, Instagram and Twitch in order to advise and engage with young people as closely as possible. Nando personally relates to particularly challenging situations, for example when it comes to coping with loss. In this way, he tells a touching story about the loss of a beloved family member, which he recently had to go through himself. In another film, we meet receptionist Ani, who gives us the opportunity of accompanying her as she does her voluntary work after a day’s work in a hotel. She teaches children Armenian so that they don’t forget their mother tongue. In the lesson shown, the children learn the names of fingers and colours through play. For Ani, this is not about the money, but about the children’s learning progress and enjoyment.
Due to their succinct nature, the films don’t claim to provide comprehensive information about job profiles. For me, their added value lies in the fact that they candidly provide an introduction to the fascinating world of professions. They do this by addressing a seemingly simple question that should not only be of interest to people in their career choice: What does a postwoman, a flight attendant, a glazier, a kitchen manager, a primary school teacher, a librarian, a bakery shop assistant, an app designer etc. actually do and how much do they get for it? The rough insight into income and expenditure in each episode satisfies the viewers’ curiosity to a certain extent, but the figures can only be generalised to a limited extent and depend heavily on the individual circumstances of each person. Even more interesting is to see how different one and the same simple question, ‘Is it worth it?’, can be answered.
Dr Hoang L. Nguyen is a lecturer in social work and adult education at SRH Fernhochschule. He teaches and researches topics in vocational training, adult education/further education and social work.
Referenzen:
AMS (2024). Berufsinformationssystem. https://bis.ams.or.at/bis/index.php. (accessed 18.12.2024.)
Aßländer, M. S. & Wagner, B. (2017). Einführung: Arbeit und Philosophie. In M. S. Aßländer & B. Wagner (Hrsg.), Philosophie der Arbeit. Texte von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart (S. 11–26). Berlin: Suhrkamp Verlag.
Beck, U. (1986). Risikogesellschaft. Auf dem Weg in eine andere Moderne. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag.
BR (2020). Auszeichnung für Reportage-Format. BR freut sich über Bremer Fernsehpreis 2020 für “Lohnt sich das?”. https://www.br.de/presse/inhalt/pressemitteilungen/bremer-fernsehpreis-lohnt-sich-das-100.html. (accessed 18.12.2024.)
Bundesagentur für Arbeit (2024). BERUFENET. https://web.arbeitsagentur.de/berufenet/. (accessed 18.12.2024.)
Steinmann, B. & Maier, G. W. (2018). Berufswahl. In A. Lohaus (Hrsg.), Entwicklungspsychologie des Jugendalters (S. 223–250). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer.
What does a digital street worker earn? (Lohnt sich das? BR 2024), German
What does a receptionist earn? (Lohnt sich das? BR 2022), German
What does a paramedic earn? (Lohnt sich das? BR 2020), German
„Lohnt sich das?“
© ARD
Efficiency kills
US economist William J. Baumol found out why the efficiency principle is killing the service sector - and ultimately contributing to the COVID-19 mortality rate.
The unsung sing
In the second part of his trilogy about people in unsung professions, "Secondo Me" (2016), Pavel Cuzuioc accompanies three cloakroom attendants at three European opera houses and welcomes the everyday to stage.
Comparative work studies with the camera: Darcy Lange
With his camera, the artist Darcy Lange provided important scientific material on work and education, which still begs to be analysed in social and educational research.
Forced labour even after death
A capitalism-critical reading of the zombie film on the occasion of the release of Zombi Child (2019) by Bertrand Bonello.
Society without connection
The new film "Please hold the line" (2020) by Pavel Cuzuioc loosely follows the work of service technicians in the telecommunications industry in the far east of Europe while actually portraying their customers more. Those who are in danger of losing their connection to society.
About this blog
By selecting a film or an image, this blog literally illustrates the vast sphere of work, employment & education in an open collection of academic, artistic and also anecdotal findings.
About us
Konrad Wakolbinger makes documentary films about work and life. Jörg Markowitsch does research on education and work. They are both based in Vienna. Information on guest authors can be found in their corresponding articles.
More about
Interested in more? Find recommendations on relevant festivals, film collections and literature here.
About this blog
With picking a film or an image, this blog literally illustrates the vast sphere of work, employment & education in an open collection of academic, artistic and also anecdotal findings.
About us
Konrad Wakolbinger makes documentary films about work and life. Jörg Markowitsch does research on education and work. We both work in Vienna. Information on guest authors can be found in their respective articles.
More about
Interested in more? Find recommendations on relevant festivals, film collections and literature here.