Lazy Girl Jobs and BS Jobs: The Dream vs. The Trap

“I work maybe 10 hours a week and get paid for 40. Living the dream!” …Or are you?

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In 2023, TikTok discovered “lazy girl jobs.”

The premise was simple: find a job where you’re paid full-time but only work part-time. Remote work, flexible hours, minimal supervision, easy tasks. Collect your paycheck, live your life.

The videos were intoxicating:

“I’m a virtual assistant making $120K working 15 hours a week!”

“I work in IT, answer like 3 tickets a day, play video games the rest!”

“Executive assistant life: I schedule meetings and then crochet for 5 hours!”

The comments section exploded:

“Where do I sign up?!”
“This is the dream!”
“Finally, work-life balance!”

But here’s what nobody talks about:

For every person thriving in a “lazy girl job,” there are ten people trapped in what anthropologist David Graeber called “bullshit jobs”—roles that pay just enough to survive but not enough to escape, require just enough presence to keep you tethered but not enough work to keep you engaged, and offer just enough comfort to make you afraid to leave.

This is the story of both: the dream and the trap, and how to tell which one you’re in.

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Part 1: The Dream – When “Lazy Girl Jobs” Actually Work

Let me be clear: some people genuinely have amazing jobs that are both easy AND rewarding.

These aren’t myths. They exist. Here’s what they look like:

The Virtual Assistant Making $120K

From a Reddit thread on “lazy girl jobs”:

“I’m a freelance virtual assistant. I charge flat monthly fees whether clients use all their allotted hours or not. Clients usually don’t come anywhere near their hours—they just like to know I’m on call. No micromanagement. I work whenever I want. Last year I made $120,000 after taxes.”

Why this is the dream:

• High income ($120K/year)
• Complete autonomy (sets own schedule)
• Skill-based (client management, organization, communication)
• Growth potential (can raise rates, add clients)
• Strategic (using downtime to build business)

This person isn’t trapped. They’re winning.

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The Software Engineer at a Non-Tech Company

Another comment:

“I work as a software engineer at Nordstrom. Lots of software jobs in big non-tech companies are like this, especially if you’re talented enough to get easy stuff done easily. I set my own schedule, work maybe 25 hours a week, make six figures.”

Why this is the dream:

• Excellent pay ($100K+)
• Work is easy BECAUSE they’re competent
• Building valuable skills
• Could move to harder/higher-paying role anytime
• Temporary chill phase in a strong career trajectory

This person is coasting strategically, not stuck.

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The Government IT Worker Using Downtime Strategically

“I work IT for the government. Right now it’s very much a lazy girl job. As long as I finish my tickets, I’m free to do my own thing. Currently I’ve been doing YouTube, writing, and brushing up on my Illustrator/Photoshop skills.”

Why this works:

• Government benefits + pension
• Using downtime to learn NEW skills
• Not stagnating—actively growing
• Stable platform to launch from

This person is using the “lazy” job as a launching pad.

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The Pattern: What Makes a “Lazy Girl Job” Actually Good

When you look at the people who are genuinely happy with their easy jobs, they share these traits:

1. The pay is actually good ($80K-$150K+, enough to save and build wealth)

2. They’re using downtime productively (learning skills, building side business, creative projects)

3. It’s temporary or strategic (recovering from burnout, funding education, building savings)

4. They have autonomy (set own schedule, choose projects, control workflow)

5. They’re competent (work is easy FOR THEM because they’re good at it)

6. There’s a path forward (can move up, pivot, leverage skills elsewhere)

These aren’t “bullshit jobs.” These are smart people making strategic career choices.

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Part 2: The Trap – When “Lazy Girl Jobs” Destroy Your Life

But for every success story, there are countless people stuck in what looks like a “lazy girl job” from the outside but is actually a subsistence bullshit job that’s slowly ruining their future.

Let me paint the picture:

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The IT Support Worker

The Setup:

• Works IT support for a mid-size software company
• Remote work Monday/Friday, office Tuesday-Thursday
• Salary: $55,000/year gross (~$45K takehome)
• Official hours: 40/week
• Actual work: 6 hours/week

A week in the life:

Monday: Log in at 9am. Check ticket queue. Two tickets: “How do I reset my password?” and “Software won’t install.” Fix both in 30 minutes. Refresh ticket queue every 20 minutes for rest of day. Nothing comes in. Play video games. Log off at 5pm.

Tuesday-Thursday: In office. Sit at desk. Same routine. Maybe 4-5 tickets total across three days. Each takes 10-20 minutes. Rest of the time: look busy, browse Reddit, watch YouTube with one earbud in.

Friday: Remote again. One ticket. Done by 10am. Video games until 5pm.

Total actual work: 6 hours out of 40.

Sounds great, right?

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The Reality After Two Years:

Financial:

• $45K takehome in a medium cost-of-living city
• After rent ($1,400), car ($400), food ($400), utilities ($200), student loans ($300), phone/internet ($100) = $28,200/year in basics
• $16,800 left = $1,400/month for everything else
• Can’t afford to move out of parents’ house (if living there) or lives paycheck-to-paycheck (if not)
• No savings
• No emergency fund
• One unexpected expense away from disaster

Professional:

• Resume still says “IT Support Specialist – 2 years”
• But actual experience: answered basic tickets, did password resets, installed software
• Skills haven’t grown AT ALL in two years
• Nowhere to go within company (it’s a small support team, no promotion path)
• Can’t get a better job because skills are too basic and stale

Psychological:

• Wakes up with dread (another day of pretending to work)
• Boredom is mentally exhausting (pretending to be busy is draining)
• Feels like life is passing by (watching peers advance while stuck)
• Knows the job is pointless (company could automate this or hire one person part-time)
• Guilt about complaining (the job is “easy,” shouldn’t complain)
• But also resentment (trapped, going nowhere)

Social:

• Can’t afford to go out much on $45K
• Lives at home or in a depressing apartment
• Dating is hard (what do you even talk about? “I answered 2 tickets today”?)
• Friends are advancing in careers, buying houses, getting engaged
• You’re… playing video games in your childhood bedroom

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Year 5:

Still at the same job.

Why?

• Applied to 50 other jobs, got 3 interviews, no offers (skills too basic, experience too stale)
• Can’t afford to quit without another job (no savings)
• Scared to take a risk (what if next job is harder AND pays the same?)
• Inertia has set in (easier to stay than change)

The trap has closed.

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The Difference Between Dream and Trap

Here’s how to tell which one you’re in:

If you’re in the left column: Congratulations, you’re living the dream. Enjoy it.

If you’re in the right column: You’re not in a “lazy girl job.” You’re in a bullshit job trap.

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What Is a “Bullshit Job”? (The Graeber Framework)

In 2018, anthropologist David Graeber published “Bullshit Jobs: A Theory.”

His definition:

“A bullshit job is a form of paid employment that is so completely pointless, unnecessary, or pernicious that even the employee cannot justify its existence, even though they feel obligated to pretend that this is not the case.”

He identified five types:

1. Flunkies

Jobs that exist to make someone else look important
Example: Receptionist whose only job is to sit at an empty desk because “we need a front desk presence”

2. Goons

Jobs that exist only because competitors have them
Example: Corporate lobbyists, telemarketers, some marketing roles

3. Duct Tapers

Jobs that fix problems that shouldn’t exist
Example: IT support for software so poorly designed that users need constant help

4. Box Tickers

Jobs that exist to let organizations claim they’re doing something
Example: Compliance officers who create reports nobody reads

5. Taskmasters

Jobs that create work for others
Example: Middle managers who justify their existence by inventing busywork

The IT support worker? They’re a Duct Taper.

The software is poorly designed. Instead of fixing it, the company hires support staff to help confused users. The job exists to patch over a problem that shouldn’t exist.

And here’s the kicker: the employee knows it’s bullshit. The company knows it’s bullshit. But nobody wants to admit it.

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Why Do Bullshit Jobs Exist?

If everyone knows these jobs are pointless, why do companies keep paying for them?

Reason 1: “Just In Case” Coverage

Most weeks: 6 hours of work
Some weeks: 50 hours of work (when a major client has a meltdown)

Company logic: “We need someone available 40 hours/week just in case, even if they’re only busy 15% of the time. It’s cheaper than scrambling when emergencies hit.”

Translation: Paying someone $55K to sit around is preferable to the risk of NOT having coverage.

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Reason 2: Metrics Over Reality

Executive directive: “We need X support staff per Y customers to maintain service levels.”

What happens:

• HR hires to meet the metric
• Nobody checks if staff are actually busy
• “Headcount” becomes the goal, not productivity
• Admitting staff are underutilized = admitting bad planning

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Reason 3: Manager Self-Preservation

If the manager admits: “My team is only busy 15 hours/week”

Leadership asks: “Then why do you need 3 full-time people? Should we eliminate 2 positions?”

Next question: “And if we only need 1.5 people worth of work… do we need a manager?”

So the manager says: “We’re very busy. Definitely need full headcount.”

Everyone keeps their job. The inefficiency continues.

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Reason 4: The Work COULD Be Automated

Most support tickets are repetitive:

• Password resets
• Software installation
• Basic troubleshooting

An AI chatbot or better UX could handle 80% of them.

But implementing that requires:

• Investment ($$$)
• Admitting current team is redundant
• Political will to make changes

Easier solution: Keep paying humans to do very little.

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The Psychological Toll: Why “Easy” Doesn’t Mean “Good”

Here’s what nobody tells you about bullshit jobs:

Working 6 hours while pretending to work 40 is EXHAUSTING.

The Boredom Paradox

You’d think: “Only working 6 hours? That’s so easy!”

The reality:

• You have to be “at work” for 40 hours
• You have to LOOK busy even when you’re not
• You’re in a constant state of low-grade anxiety (checking Slack, watching for tickets, ready to look productive)
• You can’t fully relax (might get caught slacking)
• You can’t fully engage in real work (it’s not your job)

Result: You’re exhausted from doing nothing.

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The Meaning Crisis

Humans need meaning.

We’re wired to:

• Solve problems
• Build things
• Make an impact
• Grow and learn
• Feel useful

Bullshit jobs provide none of this.

After months/years of meaningless work:

• Depression sets in
• Sense of purpose erodes
• Self-worth plummets
• “Is this all there is?”

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The Skills Atrophy

Year 1: “This is easy! I’m good at this.”

Year 2: “This is boring but comfortable.”

Year 3: “I should probably learn something new…”

Year 4: “I’m not learning anything. Should I leave?”

Year 5: “I’ve been doing basic support for 5 years. My resume is embarrassing. What other job could I even get?”

Year 7: “I’m unemployable for anything better. I’m stuck.”

The trap has fully closed.

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Case Study: Two People, Two Paths

Let me show you how the same “lazy girl job” can be a dream or a trap depending on how you use it.

Person A: The Strategist

Job: IT support, 15 hours/week actual work, $60K salary, remote

Year 1:

• “This is easy! And I have so much free time!”
• Uses downtime to learn cloud computing (AWS certifications)
• Builds home lab to practice
• Starts personal projects

Year 2:

• Still at IT support job
• Now has AWS Solutions Architect certification
• Built 3 portfolio projects
• Starts applying to cloud engineer roles

Year 3:

• Lands Cloud Engineer role at $95K
• Uses skills learned during “downtime” at old job
• Career trajectory: ↗️ upward

Outcome: The “lazy girl job” was a paid training ground.

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Person B: The Trapped

Job: IT support, 15 hours/week actual work, $60K salary, remote

Year 1:

• “This is easy! So much free time!”
• Plays video games during work hours
• Watches Netflix
• “I’ll learn new skills eventually”

Year 2:

• Still playing video games
• Comfortable routine
• “I should learn AWS… next month”
• Doesn’t

Year 3:

• Resume still says “IT Support Specialist”
• No new skills
• Applies to better jobs, gets rejected (too junior)
• Stays at current job
• “Maybe next year I’ll learn something”

Year 5:

• Still there
• Skill gap widening
• Increasingly unemployable
• Can’t afford to quit
• Depression increasing
• Career trajectory: → flat

Outcome: The “lazy girl job” became a career dead-end.

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Same job. Different outcome. The difference? What you do with the downtime.

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The Economic Trap: Why You Can’t Afford to Leave

Here’s the cruel irony:

Bullshit jobs pay just enough to survive but not enough to escape.

The Math:

$55K gross salary:

• After taxes/deductions: ~$45K takehome
• Rent: $18,000/year
• Car: $5,000/year
• Food: $5,000/year
• Utilities/phone: $3,600/year
• Student loans: $3,600/year
• Health insurance: $2,400/year

Total basics: $37,600

Left over: $7,400/year = $616/month

That $616 has to cover:

• Car maintenance/repairs
• Clothing
• Haircuts
• Any social life
• Any entertainment
• Any unexpected expenses

Saving for an emergency fund to quit your job? Good luck.

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The Trap:

• Can’t quit without another job (no savings)
• Can’t get better job (skills too basic)
• Can’t take time off to learn new skills (need the paycheck)
• Can’t take a pay cut for a growth opportunity (already barely surviving)

You’re stuck. Not because the job is good. Because leaving is too risky.

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Part 3: The Broader Pattern – Late-Stage Capitalism Bullshit

Here’s the bigger picture:

We’ve created an economy with three tiers:

Tier 1: The Winners (Top 10-20%)

• Tech workers making $150K-$500K
• Finance professionals making $200K-$1M+
• Doctors, lawyers, executives making $200K+
• Building real skills, wealth compounds, upward trajectory

Tier 2: The Trapped (Middle 40%)

• Office workers making $40K-$80K
• Many doing bullshit jobs (HR, middle management, support roles)
• Treading water, no upward mobility
• Comfortable enough to not revolt, uncomfortable enough to be miserable

Tier 3: The Struggling (Bottom 40%)

• Retail, service, care workers making $25K-$45K
• Necessary work, poverty wages
• No path upward

“Lazy girl jobs” / bullshit jobs are predominantly in Tier 2.

You’re not poor enough to qualify for assistance. You’re not rich enough to build wealth. You’re just… stuck in the middle, slowly rotting.

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Why This Is Getting Worse

Three trends are making bullshit jobs more common:

1. Corporate Bloat

Companies optimized for quarterly earnings, not efficiency.

Better to have:

• Excess headcount (shows “growth”)
• Complex processes (looks sophisticated)
• Multiple layers of management (everyone has direct reports)

Even if it means:

• Paying people to do nothing
• Creating work that doesn’t need to exist
• Wasting millions on inefficiency

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2. The Automation Paradox

You’d think: Automation eliminates jobs → people work less → more free time!

What actually happened:

• Automation eliminated GOOD middle-skill jobs (manufacturing, skilled trades)
• Created LOW-skill bullshit jobs (customer support, data entry, admin)
• And HIGH-skill creative jobs (software engineering, design)

The middle disappeared.

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3. Credentialism + Geographic Inequality

To get a good job, you need:

• Degree from good school ($100K debt)
• Experience (but can’t get experience without job)
• To live in expensive city (where good jobs are)

But if you’re in a bullshit job:

• Can’t afford to move to better job market
• Can’t afford to quit to get better experience
• Can’t afford to go back to school

Trapped.

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How to Tell If You’re in the Trap

Answer these questions honestly:

1. Could you live independently on your salary in your city?

• If no → trap

2. Are you learning skills that will be valuable in 5 years?

• If no → trap

3. If you quit tomorrow, could you get a BETTER job within 3 months?

• If no → trap

4. Do you use your downtime productively (learning, creating, building)?

• If no → trap

5. Do you have savings? Could you survive 3 months unemployed?

• If no → trap

6. When you think about being in this job in 5 years, how do you feel?

• If dread/panic → trap

7. Do you feel like your life is progressing or stagnating?

• If stagnating → trap

If you answered “trap” to 4+ of these questions, you’re not in a “lazy girl job.” You’re in a bullshit job that’s slowly destroying your future.

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How to Escape the Trap

If you’re stuck, here’s how to get out:

Step 1: Use Your Downtime Like Your Life Depends On It (Because It Does)

You have 25-30 hours/week of paid downtime. That’s a part-time job’s worth of time.

Use it to:

• Learn marketable skills (coding, cloud computing, data analysis, design)
• Build portfolio projects (show what you can do)
• Get certifications (AWS, Google, CompTIA)
• Network (LinkedIn, industry groups, conferences)
• Apply to jobs (treat job searching like a part-time job)

In 1 year of focused learning during downtime, you can become qualified for a $90K+ job.

Or you can play video games and stay trapped. Your choice.

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Step 2: Build Your Fuck-You Fund

Every extra dollar goes into savings until you have:

• 3 months of expenses saved ($10K minimum)

This gives you:

• Ability to quit if things get worse
• Ability to take 2-3 months to job search properly
• Leverage to negotiate better offers
• Peace of mind

Cut everything you can. Move back with parents if possible. Get a roommate. Drive a shittier car. Eat cheaper food.

The goal: ESCAPE. Not comfort.

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Step 3: Apply, Apply, Apply

The job market is a numbers game.

• Apply to 100+ jobs
• Expect 5-10 responses
• Expect 2-3 interviews
• Expect 0-1 offers

This is normal. Keep going.

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Step 4: Consider Strategic Moves

Sometimes you need a stepping stone:

Option A: Take a harder job at same pay

• If it builds skills you need
• Even if it’s more stressful
• Use it as resume boost then jump again in 1-2 years

Option B: Take a pay cut for growth

• If you can afford it (live with parents, cut expenses)
• If the role has real upward trajectory
• If the company is growing

Option C: Go back to school (carefully)

• Only for high-ROI fields (nursing, engineering, CS)
• Only if you can afford it (community college, scholarships, employer tuition)
• Only if you have a clear plan

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Step 5: Have a Timeline

Don’t say: “I’ll leave when I find something better”

Say: “I’m giving myself 18 months. If I’m not out by then, I’m taking drastic action (moving cities, going back to school, taking worse job with better trajectory)”

Having a deadline forces action.

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The People Who Stay Trapped (And Why)

Let me be brutally honest about who doesn’t escape:

Type 1: The Complacent

“It’s not that bad. The work is easy. I’ll leave eventually.”

10 years later: Still there. Skills atrophied. Unemployable.

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Type 2: The Excuse Maker

“I would learn new skills but I’m too tired after work.”

Reality: You worked 6 hours. You’re tired from boredom, not exertion.

“I would apply to jobs but the market is bad.”

Reality: The market is competitive but not impossible. You’re afraid of rejection.

“I would move to a better city but I can’t afford it.”

Reality: You can’t afford it because you’re spending your downtime on video games instead of learning skills that would earn you more.

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Type 3: The Learned Helpless

“There’s no point. I’m not good enough for anything better.”

This is depression talking. It’s not true.

You weren’t born incapable. The bullshit job made you feel this way.

The cure: Prove yourself wrong. Build ONE thing. Learn ONE skill. Apply to ONE better job.

Small wins compound.

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The Dark Truth: Some People Prefer the Trap

Not everyone wants to escape.

Some people genuinely prefer:

• Low stress over growth
• Comfort over challenge
• Security over opportunity
• Entertainment over meaning

And that’s… fine?

If you’re happy playing video games in your childhood bedroom making $45K until you’re 65, I’m not here to judge.

But if you’re NOT happy—if you feel trapped, bored, depressed, resentful—then you need to accept:

The trap is partly your responsibility.

The company created the bullshit job.
The economy made it hard to escape.
But YOU chose to stay.
And YOU are choosing what to do with the downtime.

You can blame the system all you want. But only YOU can get yourself out.

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Part 4: The “Lazy Girl Job” Content is Lying to You

Let’s talk about why TikTok is pushing this narrative.

The videos say:

“Get a lazy girl job! Work 10 hours a week! Get paid for 40! Live your best life!”

What they DON’T say:

• Most “lazy girl jobs” pay poverty wages
• You won’t be able to afford life
• Your skills will atrophy
• You’ll become unemployable
• The boredom will destroy you psychologically
• You’ll waste years of your life

Why? Because that doesn’t get views.

Aspirational content gets engagement. Reality doesn’t.

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The truth:

The ONLY people who should pursue “lazy girl jobs” are:

1. High earners using them strategically ($100K+ jobs that are easy because you’re competent)
2. People using them as recovery (burnout, health issues, temporary reset)
3. People using them to fund something else (starting business, creating art, building skills)
4. People who genuinely don’t want career/financial success (totally valid if true)

Everyone else is walking into a trap.

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The Takeaway

“Lazy Girl Jobs” and “Bullshit Jobs” are not the same thing, but they overlap.

A “Lazy Girl Job” becomes a “Bullshit Job” when:

• The pay is too low to build wealth
• The skills don’t transfer to better opportunities
• You’re using downtime for entertainment, not growth
• You can’t leave because you can’t afford to or don’t have better options
• Years pass and you’re still there, going nowhere

The question isn’t: “Is my job easy?”

The question is: “Is my easy job building the life I want, or is it preventing me from building that life?”

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If your “lazy girl job” is:

• Paying you well
• Giving you time to learn, create, or recover
• Part of a strategic plan
• Making you happy

Then congratulations. You’re living the dream. Enjoy it.

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But if your “lazy girl job” is:

• Barely covering your bills
• Keeping you stagnant
• Making you feel trapped
• Destroying your future

Then it’s not a lazy girl job. It’s a bullshit job. And you need to get out before the trap closes completely.

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The choice is yours.

Just make sure you’re choosing, not drifting.

Because drift is how people wake up at 45, still answering tickets, still living with their parents, wondering where their life went.

Don’t let that be you.