Imagine how your legs feel when you stand up after a long road trip. Your knees pop and your muscles burn. Once you straighten your back and let out a good yawn, your body feels functional again. Mentally, you feel freed from the confines of that prison on wheels.
Turn that road trip into a 40-hour workweek and you'll understand how some people view cubicle jobs. The prospect of sitting at a desk (probably in front of a computer), with only a thin partition separating you from a sea of colleagues is sometimes too much to bear. No freedom to roam anywhere except the fluorescent-lit hallway.
Of course, you also have workers who are more than happy to work in a cubicle. For one thing, cubicle jobs usually mean you don't have to spend your day outside fighting the summer heat or winter chill. Your feet aren't throbbing with pain because you've been standing or walking all day. And perhaps most practically, if your talent depends on a computer and you're not self-employed, you're pretty much bound to a cubicle (at least until you get your own corner office).
Luckily, workers who enjoy their stationary workdays can stay seated in cubicle jobs and those struck with wanderlust can find other positions. For them, here are 10 jobs that don't require you to work in a cubicle:
1. Paramedics and emergency medical technicians
You'll find them ... at the scene of medical emergencies, in hospitals and in ambulances.
2. Firefighters
You'll find them ... where there's smoke. But firefighters don't just put out fires -- as if that weren't enough -- they also have medical training to assist emergency victims. Some are also qualified to handle and remove hazardous materials.
3. Mail carriers and package delivery drivers
You'll find them ... in your neighborhood bringing you letters, packages and shipments. Delivery drivers work for shipping companies, retail stores and manufacturers and are responsible for deliveries to customers in a specified region.
4. Truck drivers
You'll find them ... on highways throughout the country. Drivers can be assigned to make shipments in nearby regions or over long distances. What they transport, such as vehicles or furniture, also depends on the type of truck and their employer.
5. Grounds maintenance workers
You'll find them ... outdoors, ensuring that lawns, gardens and landscaping retain their manicured appearance. Grounds maintenance workers can also be found maintaining football fields, cemeteries and other grounds that aren't your typical garden.
6. Couriers and messengers
You'll find them ... zipping through traffic on bikes or jumping out of their vans in order to make sure your letters get to their destinations. Carriers transport documents, files and other important packages for clients within a limited area.
7. Elementary teacher
You'll find them ... in a classroom trying to settle down hyper students and pour some knowledge into their minds. Between lecturing and working one-on-one with students, teachers might spend most of their days in a classroom, but they're not seated behind a desk for most of it.
8. Security guards
You'll find them ... walking the grounds (or riding Segways) of retail shops, museums, banks and any other place you want to make sure nobody breaks into or steals from. Security guards are sometimes positioned at a certain spot to ensure no one leaves or enters without authorization, but others walk the grounds to ensure everything is going smoothly.
9. Veterinarians
You'll find them ... at your local animal clinic and animal hospital. Although many veterinarians either work in these settings or have their own practices, many also treat larger animals on farms and ranches and even at zoos.
10. Construction workers
You'll find them ... anywhere you hear a jackhammer or drill. Construction jobs aren't confined to any one place. Skyscrapers, schools, highways and homes need construction workers for building, renovation and demolition.
Anthony Balderrama is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues
Turn that road trip into a 40-hour workweek and you'll understand how some people view cubicle jobs. The prospect of sitting at a desk (probably in front of a computer), with only a thin partition separating you from a sea of colleagues is sometimes too much to bear. No freedom to roam anywhere except the fluorescent-lit hallway.
Of course, you also have workers who are more than happy to work in a cubicle. For one thing, cubicle jobs usually mean you don't have to spend your day outside fighting the summer heat or winter chill. Your feet aren't throbbing with pain because you've been standing or walking all day. And perhaps most practically, if your talent depends on a computer and you're not self-employed, you're pretty much bound to a cubicle (at least until you get your own corner office).
Luckily, workers who enjoy their stationary workdays can stay seated in cubicle jobs and those struck with wanderlust can find other positions. For them, here are 10 jobs that don't require you to work in a cubicle:
1. Paramedics and emergency medical technicians
You'll find them ... at the scene of medical emergencies, in hospitals and in ambulances.
2. Firefighters
You'll find them ... where there's smoke. But firefighters don't just put out fires -- as if that weren't enough -- they also have medical training to assist emergency victims. Some are also qualified to handle and remove hazardous materials.
3. Mail carriers and package delivery drivers
You'll find them ... in your neighborhood bringing you letters, packages and shipments. Delivery drivers work for shipping companies, retail stores and manufacturers and are responsible for deliveries to customers in a specified region.
4. Truck drivers
You'll find them ... on highways throughout the country. Drivers can be assigned to make shipments in nearby regions or over long distances. What they transport, such as vehicles or furniture, also depends on the type of truck and their employer.
5. Grounds maintenance workers
You'll find them ... outdoors, ensuring that lawns, gardens and landscaping retain their manicured appearance. Grounds maintenance workers can also be found maintaining football fields, cemeteries and other grounds that aren't your typical garden.
6. Couriers and messengers
You'll find them ... zipping through traffic on bikes or jumping out of their vans in order to make sure your letters get to their destinations. Carriers transport documents, files and other important packages for clients within a limited area.
7. Elementary teacher
You'll find them ... in a classroom trying to settle down hyper students and pour some knowledge into their minds. Between lecturing and working one-on-one with students, teachers might spend most of their days in a classroom, but they're not seated behind a desk for most of it.
8. Security guards
You'll find them ... walking the grounds (or riding Segways) of retail shops, museums, banks and any other place you want to make sure nobody breaks into or steals from. Security guards are sometimes positioned at a certain spot to ensure no one leaves or enters without authorization, but others walk the grounds to ensure everything is going smoothly.
9. Veterinarians
You'll find them ... at your local animal clinic and animal hospital. Although many veterinarians either work in these settings or have their own practices, many also treat larger animals on farms and ranches and even at zoos.
10. Construction workers
You'll find them ... anywhere you hear a jackhammer or drill. Construction jobs aren't confined to any one place. Skyscrapers, schools, highways and homes need construction workers for building, renovation and demolition.
Anthony Balderrama is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues
by Anthony Balderrama, CareerBuilder.com writer