What Is Job Shaming? The Two Types No One Talks About

Job shaming definition explained: Learn the two distinct types of job shaming—job-class shaming and job-choice shaming—and why both harm your wealth-building journey.

JOB SHAMING

Garrett Duyck

4/21/20267 min read

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service workers are often targets of job shaming

In 2018, actor Geoffrey Owens was photographed working at a Trader Joe's. The internet erupted.

Some people mocked him. Others defended him. But almost no one noticed that Geoffrey Owens wasn't experiencing just one type of job shaming—he was experiencing two types at once.

If you've ever felt embarrassed about where you work, what you do, or the simple fact that you have a job at all, you need to understand what job shaming really is. Because until you can name it, you can't fight it.

The Job Shaming Definition: What Is Job Shaming?

Job shaming is the act of making someone feel inferior, embarrassed, or ashamed because of their occupation or employment status.

It can be overt—like someone posting a photo of you at work to mock you online.

Or it can be subtle—like the look on your dad's face when you tell him you're staying at your government job instead of "starting something of your own."

But here's what most articles about job shaming get wrong: they treat it like one monolithic problem. It's not.

There are actually two distinct types of job shaming, and they operate on completely different levels.

The Two Types of Job Shaming

Type 1: Job-Class Shaming (Shaming for the Type of Job)

This is the form of job shaming most people recognize.

Job-class shaming is when someone judges, belittles, or mocks you because of what kind of work you do.

It usually targets jobs that society has labeled as "low-status":

Retail workers
Food service employees
Sanitation workers
Delivery drivers
Cashiers
Factory workers

The underlying message is: "Your job isn't good enough. You should be ashamed that this is what you do."

When Geoffrey Owens was photographed bagging groceries at Trader Joe's, the initial mockery was job-class shaming. The subtext was clear: An actor shouldn't be working at a grocery store. That's beneath him.

But here's the thing: all honest work has dignity. Geoffrey Owens said it himself when he responded publicly. He wasn't ashamed, and he shouldn't have been. He was earning an income to support his family while continuing to pursue his craft.

Job-class shaming is toxic because it creates a false hierarchy of worth. It tells millions of hardworking people that their labor—labor that keeps society functioning—is somehow shameful.

It's not.

Type 2: Job-Choice Shaming (Shaming for Being Employed at All)

This is the type of job shaming that rarely gets discussed. But if you've spent any time in the personal finance world, you've absolutely felt it.

Job-choice shaming is when someone judges, belittles, or pressures you because you have a job instead of being an entrepreneur, freelancer, or business owner.

The message here is different: "You're wasting your potential by working for someone else. You'll never be truly free or wealthy unless you quit your job and go all in on your own thing."

This form of shaming comes from:

Influencers who glorify "hustle culture"
Financial gurus who frame employment as a trap
Family members who subtly (or not-so-subtly) pressure you to "do something for yourself"
Books like Rich Dad, Poor Dad that position employees as inferior to entrepreneurs

Here's what made the Geoffrey Owens story so powerful: he also faced job-choice shaming.

Some people weren't just mocking him for working at Trader Joe's. They were questioning why he was working at all. Why wasn't he "making it" as an actor? Why did he need a "regular job" in the first place?

The answer, of course, is that having a job is a smart financial decision. Jobs provide stable income, benefits, and the freedom to build wealth strategically, without the crushing pressure and risk of entrepreneurship.

But our culture has been trained to see employment as a consolation prize. And that's a lie.

My Introduction to Job-Choice Shaming

I'll never forget the moment I first identified job-choice shaming.

I was reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. The book had some great insights about money and investing. But as I kept reading, something started to bother me.

Kiyosaki constantly belittled his "Poor Dad," his biological father, a well-educated public employee. It felt like all that mattered was money. Poor Dad was positioned as the cautionary tale, the guy who did everything wrong.

That unsettled me. Because I was also a public employee at the time.

I'd worked hard to get where I was. I'd been the first in my family to go to college. I'd bootstrapped my way through school, graduated with minimal debt, and built a stable career. But according to Kiyosaki's framework, I was on the "poor" path.

I started to feel ashamed. Not because of what my job was, but because I had a job at all.

That's job-choice shaming.

The Cultural Divide: Andy's Story

A few years ago, I had a college roommate named Andy. He was from China, and after graduation, he moved back home.

We caught up on the phone one day. Andy asked me what I was going to do for work. I told him I was going to work for the government to improve the environment.

Andy was impressed. He said government jobs are the best in China—highly sought after and respected. The Chinese government rewards loyal public servants, so those positions are prized and competitive.

I laughed out loud.

I had to explain to Andy that it's not that way in America.

In America, lots of people dislike public employees. They blame them for wasteful spending. They look down on them for not having a "real job." They assume you took the easy path, that you're not ambitious, that you're settling.

That conversation stuck with me. The exact same job was respected in one culture, shamed in another.

It made me realize how arbitrary job shaming really is. It's not based on the actual value of the work. It's based on cultural narratives that are often wrong.

Job-Choice Shaming from Family

My own father wanted me to avoid college and jobs entirely. He wanted me to start a business.

But I didn't desire to do that. I had no means, no capital, and no clear inspiration. Going to college and getting a job worked out well for me. It allowed me to live out my goals, including spending time with my family, which has always been my top priority.

But I still felt the pressure. The subtle disappointment. The sense that I was supposed to be doing "more."

That pressure didn't come from some random internet guru. It came from someone who loved me and wanted the best for me. But it was still job shaming.

Why Both Types of Job Shaming Are Harmful

Whether it's job-class shaming or job-choice shaming, the damage is the same.

Job shaming erodes your confidence. It makes you question your choices. It convinces you that you're not doing enough, not earning enough, not living up to your potential. It puts you in a state of decision paralysis, where you are split between becoming proficient in employment or in entrepreneurship. Too often, people try to do both and end up failing at both.

It also blinds you to the truth: your job is a wealth-building tool.

When you're busy feeling ashamed of your paycheck, you're not thinking strategically about how to convert that paycheck into income-producing assets. You're not focused on building the financial freedom you actually want.

Job shaming keeps you stuck in an emotional loop instead of a financial strategy.

And if you're experiencing job-class shaming, if you're in retail, food service, or any other job society has labeled as "lesser," it robs you of the dignity you deserve. Your work matters. Your labor has value. You are not your job title.

How to Recognize Job Shaming in Your Own Life

In the Season 8 episode "Garden Party" of The Office (NBC), Andy tries to impress his parents by throwing a party and inviting his staff and the company's CEO. When Robert, the CEO, is introduced to Andy's parents, his mom remarks, "I thought you were the CEO," to her son. Andy explains, "This branch, I'm the regional manager." Andy's father, Walter, digs at his son, saying, "Yes, that makes more sense. Are you all regional managers?" Responding to all of Andy's staff.

This is an overt job-shaming, dramatized for TV entertainment. And it makes a great show (one of the best). It's an example of how Andy experienced job shaming. Here are some signs you might be experiencing one or both types of job shaming:

Job-Class Shaming:

People make comments about your uniform or work attire
Family members ask when you're going to get a "real job"
Friends avoid talking about your career in social settings
You feel embarrassed to tell people where you work

Job-Choice Shaming:

You feel pressure to start a side business or "do something for yourself"
Financial content makes you feel like employment is a dead end
Family members compare you to entrepreneurs they know
You feel guilty for choosing stability over risk

If any of these resonate, you're not imagining it. And it's not your fault.

The Antidote: Reframe Your Job as a Cheat Code

Here's what I wish someone had told me years ago:

Your job is not a prison. It's a wealth-building cheat code.

Employment gives you:

Immediate income without the years of delay that entrepreneurs face
Training and learning opportunities that increase your value
Specialization that makes you more efficient
Stability that lets you plan and invest consistently

And most importantly, your job gives you time. Time to be home for dinner. Time to read bedtime stories to your kids. Time to live your life while your money works for you.

Entrepreneurship can be noble and rewarding, but it's not the only path to wealth. And for most people, it's not even the best path.

Key Takeaways

Job shaming is making someone feel inferior because of their occupation or employment status
Job-class shaming targets the type of job (retail, service, etc.)
Job-choice shaming targets the fact of having a job instead of being an entrepreneur
Both types are harmful and distract you from using your income strategically
Your job is a wealth-building tool, not a source of shame

Build Your Wealth. Keep Your Life.

Stay Connected

If you've ever felt ashamed of your job, whether it's what you do or the simple fact that you're employed, I want you to know something: You're not falling behind. You're not settling. You're not wasting your potential.

You're exactly where you need to be right now.

I'm writing a book called Ordinary Life, Extraordinary Wealth: Flipping the Script on Job Shaming. It's about how to build real wealth using the tools you already have (including your paycheck) without sacrificing your family or your sanity. Get early access and sneak previews by joining my newsletter.

More about Job Shaming

Garrett Duyck is the founder of CheatCode Wealth and the writer behind the Portfolios & Bedtime Stories newsletter. He writes for employed people who want to build wealth without quitting their job, burning out, or missing out on life. Garrett is a former contributor to Seeking Alpha, where he built an audience of more than 4,000 readers, and he has published more than 140 articles about investing, passive income, and personal finance. He was among the top 20% of analysts according to TipRanks.

He has built a portfolio of income-producing assets that generates more than $50,000 per year in passive income, and he and his wife have paid off more than $180,000 in non-mortgage loans while raising four children. Garrett grew up in poverty, became a first-generation college graduate, and believes the best money strategies are the ones real families can actually stick with over time.

Educational Disclosure: CheatCode Wealth content is for educational and informational purposes only. It is based on personal experience, research, and firsthand investing practice. It is not personalized financial, legal, tax, or investment advice. Always perform your own due diligence and consult with a licensed professional before making significant financial decisions.

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