11 Careers for Perfectionists

Jobs That Require You to Be Extremely Exact or Accurate

A pilot must be exact and accurate at all times. Image Source / Digital Vision / Getty Images

Are you the kind of person who walks into a room and immediately notices if a picture is hanging slightly crooked? And do you feel compelled to fix it? While this kooky characteristic may drive your friends and family crazy, it can come in handy for many occupations. Here are several careers that are good for perfectionists:

Airline Pilot

With responsibility for hundreds of lives at a time, it's no wonder being exact and accurate are essential qualities for pilots.

  They fly passenger-carrying airplanes on a fixed schedule. They do pre-flight checks following a prescribed list that included making sure the aircraft is balanced and has an adequate fuel supply. They also diligently monitor fuel consumption during flights.


Whether they are in charge of movies, television or stage shows, commercials, or news broadcasts, directors must see to it that everything that takes place during the productions runs smoothly. They select scripts or choose news stories, hire talent and oversee the work of the entire cast and crew.


Accountants prepare financial statements and explain their findings to individuals and companies' management. If this information is Inaccurate, it can cause many problems. When accountants prepare these official documents, they go to great lengths to make sure to adhere to Federal and state laws and follow procedures in order to keep that from happening.


Laboratory Technologist

Doctors and other healthcare professionals rely on laboratory technologists to help them detect, diagnose and treat diseases. They examine specimens under microscopes, which includes counting cells and looking for abnormalities. They also type and cross match blood samples for transfusions and analyze the effectiveness of medical treatments.

Court Reporter

Court reporters transcribe the proceedings of trials, hearings, and legislative meetings. They must provide complete and accurate records of those events which requires putting into written form spoken words including oral testimony, rulings, and remarks. They have to include the correct names of each and every participant as well.


Either taking to much or too little of a drug can cause serious health problems. Pharmacists, therefore, have to be extremely precise when dispensing medication doctors have prescribed for their patients. In addition to filling prescriptions, they also advise physicians and other medical practitioners on the selection, dosages, interactions, and side effects of drugs.


Editors' responsibilities all revolve around one goal: making sure the articles, books, magazines, or journals they produce are enjoyed by the consumers who purchase them and, in the case of non-fiction materials,  are accurate. They begin by choosing content they think will appeal to readers and help select titles. Then editors review material and suggest strategies to improve it and, finally, make sure finished products are error-free.

Veterinary Technician

Veterinary technicians assist veterinarians in providing medical care to animals.

They record information about an animal's food intake, weight, and vital signs. They draw blood and perform other diagnostic tests. Vet techs, as they are often called, also administer medication and other treatments. All these tasks require strict attention to detail.

Translator or Interpreter

Translators and interpreters convert written and spoken information from one language to another. They must take great care to be accurate. Using the wrong word or words can change the meaning of what was originally said or written. In many cases, this can cause serious harm.

Insurance Agent

After analyzing clients' specific needs, insurance agents help them choose suitable insurance policies. They maintain records, renew policies and help customers settle claims when losses occur. Insurance agents also suggest changes, as needed, to current policies.

 It is essential to keep accurate and up-to-date information about their clients and the products they recommend to them.

Computer Programmer

The only way software applications and operating systems can perform as software developers or engineers intended them to, is if computer programmers write code that provides the proper instructions.  After they write code, programmers debug it by looking for and removing errors. Still, at this point, most applications aren't perfect, and programmers continue to work on them until they are as close to that as possible.

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