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The 10 professions that need coffee most

September 26th, 2012
By Susan Ricker in Bosses, Co-workers, News and trends, On the job, Surveys, Work from home, Work/Life
38 Comments

Nothing is more motivating than the aroma of fresh coffee floating through the air. It’s the invigorating scent that confidently says, “We’re going to get this done today!” and starts streaming energy through you. Like getting to work on time and finding no long list of emails to tackle, a cup of coffee can make a big difference in a worker’s morning.

A new survey commissioned jointly by Dunkin’ Donuts and CareerBuilder shows just how many workers rely on an eye-opening and mind-cranking cup of strong coffee: 43 percent of those surveyed claim they are less productive without a cup of joe. For those who do make coffee a regular part of their work day, 63 percent of coffee-drinking workers actually drink two cups or more each workday, and 28 percent drink three cups or more.

National Coffee Day is Saturday, September 29, and in celebration of the beverage that fuels the nation’s productivity, Dunkin’ Donuts and CareerBuilder sought out to find which jobs rely on coffee the most and what else is going on in the coffee mugs of workers across America.

And if you’re still not awake enough yet this morning, be sure to read below how you can enter to win one of 10 Dunkin’ Donuts gift cards.

Part of the job
Coffee seems to be a necessity on the job in a wide variety of careers. Workers who stated they are less productive without coffee were found in many different professions, though the highest numbers of workers who need coffee to get through the workday are:

1. Food preparation/service workers

2. Scientists

3. Sales representatives

4. Marketing/public relations professionals

5. Nurses (nurse, nurse practitioner or physician assistant)

6. Editors/writers/media workers

7. Business executives

8. Teachers/instructors (K-12)

9. Engineering technicians/support

10. IT managers/network administrators

The worker’s daily grind
A worker’s day can be just as unique as his coffee preference, but among the coffee-drinkers’ community, the survey showed definite trends of just how essential to the workplace the caffeine bean really is:

63 percent of workers who drink coffee actually drink two cups or more each workday. 28 percent drink three cups or more.

The majority of younger workers need coffee for energy and motivation, as 62 percent of workers aged 18 to 24 say they are less productive without coffee, with 58 percent of workers aged 25 to 34 making the same claim.

55 percent of workers claim to drink at least one cup of coffee each workday. Geographically, 64 percent of workers in the Northeast drink at least one cup per day, compared to the South at 54 percent and the Midwest and West at 51 percent.

Overall, 43 percent of workers who drink coffee claim they are less productive without their cup of Joe. 47 percent of female workers claim they are less productive without coffee, compared to 40 percent of male workers.

National Coffee Day and you
In honor of National Coffee Day, we’ve got 10 Dunkin’ Donuts gift cards to give away.

To enter to win, just answer the following question in our comments section:

Tell us the moment you realized you needed morning coffee to think clearly. Did you fall asleep during a presentation? Or were you on the bus before you realized your shoes didn’t match each other? Share your story with us. We promise, we won’t judge.

Ten winners will be chosen at random, $10 value per gift card.

Be sure to read the terms and conditions in full.

Contest details
Entries will be accepted from 12:00 a.m. CST on Wednesday, September 26 until 11:59 p.m. CST on Sunday, September 30. Each email account may only submit one answer for consideration; subsequent entries will not be considered. Spam responses will not be considered. Valid email address required for entry. The winners will be picked at random and notified via email the week of October 1, 2012.

*Editor’s Note – 10.4.12: Our winners have been selected and contacted about their gift cards.*

About Susan Ricker

Susan Ricker is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. Susan studied English at Saint Joseph’s University before returning to Illinois with a fascination of Internet cat videos and writing. Job searching doesn’t have to be stressful with insider tips and help from The Work Buzz. But seriously, more cat video analysis during interviews.

39 comments

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TempsNowVA

@resumelines @CareerBuilder - Great article! We would add Recruiters as #11 on the list :) #needcoffee

janinegregor

I work retail in the mall on the weekends as a second job and I help open the store on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 8 am to 4 pm. However, last Sunday we had a store meeting scheduled at 7:30 pm to 10 pm. So rather than go home for 2 or so hours (waste of gas, difficult to transition from 'home back to work', etc.) I decided to stay at the mall until the meeting started. Well, I brought my dinner with me, which I finished in 10 minutes and sat in the food court reading for a while but then decided to walk around. However, by then, after working all day on my feet, after working all week too and getting up early, I quickly tired from walking the mall. I needed coffee! And that is what I did...I purchased a refreshing iced coffee and was good to go for the rest of the evening. It was a looong day but I really couldn't have made it through those last few hours without a cup of joe.

SussexMatt

@jimstroud fails to mention coffee tasters and cops.. perhaps that's a given?

MadisonStaffing

@CareerBuilder interesting, thx for sharing!

Evelyn D

How about everyday? There is not a dau that I dont feel like falling asleep at my job. My coworkers know when Im tired and i am always tired. and sleepy. its a boring job.

lovinglifecw

@CareerBuilder @DunkinDonuts Love the study...seems that every profession needs coffee! Happy Coffee Day!

kwishon

My story is not quite funny or endearing, but I realized I relied on coffee 2 years ago while in grad school. My family was having a lot of medical issues, I was driving 2.5 hours between home and school almost every weekend with assignments, teaching, and work on top!

Coffee became my best friend and we've been soul mates ever since! Also, I'm a PR professional and writer -- hello, I'm on the list! ;)

audrak

Oh man I am super excited about this article! As a neuroscience phd student (scientist in training) my 45 or so ounces of coffee a day definitely have me gearing up for the #2 coffee-requiring position! I have been drinking coffee regularly since I was 12. I realized I needed it when I spent my first summer in Western Africa and experienced withdrawal for the first time! (Nescafe instant made sure that never happened again!)

pezenelaire

@alberticomf and the people who doesn't like it? uh? >:(

garethdesmond

@tomdoherty27 Nice read with a coffee in hand... probably explains why #marketing are number 4

tomdoherty27

@garethdesmond show off

FreshGigsca

@karenmusial do love a good cup of java!

AmyDoStafford

@stevemeth1 Moms have natural caffeine :)

Stephen Kwiecinski

I'm a programmer and don't start any day without a steaming mug of joe. There wasn't one moment that opened my eyes to the flavorful bean. Rather, my Mom drank coffee, so I picked up the habit. My days would sucks without it. Favorite coffee? Caribou's "Obsidian" blend. Hands down.