What They Don't Tell You: 21 Secrets That Are Strictly Insider Know-How

Every job and industry holds secret information known to only a few. Want to uncover what happens behind the scenes? Someone recently asked the question, “What’s an industry secret in the field you work in?” here are the top 21 answers.

Bath / Shower Products

“The scents they “discontinue” will come back with a different name and new marketing. They’re just recycling the scents.”

Toothpaste

“I’m a dentist. Here’s the lowdown on toothpaste. As long as it has fluoride, they are all basically the same. When I was in dental school, the Colgate lady came by and said that everything that says Colgate Total on it is all exactly the same. The only difference is the packaging. So whether it says whitening, or gum protection, or whatever else, it is all exactly the same.”

Online Reviews/ratings / Social Media Presence

“A huge portion of online reviews, ratings, social media presence, etc, that you see for any given company is fake, paid for, or done by multiple accounts controlled by us. This includes a company’s Glassdoor page (fake reviews about how great it is to work there so that the million negative reviews don’t crush their page).

Hair Salons

Hairdresser 2 — Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

“Almost every hairstylist gets the heebie-jeebies when we shampoo your hair, and you just stare up at us. CLOSE. YOUR. DAMN. EYES at the shampoo bowl!”

Staying Beyond Closing Time

“I’m a server. No matter how much we insist it’s “okay” that you are keeping the entire restaurant open after we’ve closed, please know we are 100% lying.”

Slot Machines

“I design slot machines for casinos… don’t play slots.”

“There’s literally no tactics to any of it. All RNG (Random number generator) will pay when it’s ready. Worked in the industry for 15 years; if you can’t afford to lose the money, don’t find it fun… Don’t play them. You’ll never get the money you lost back, so cut your losses and walk away.”

Wine at Restaurants

“The cheapest bottle of wine in the restaurant has the biggest markup.”

Auto Insurance

“Auto insurance agent. Please, for the love of god, don’t tell auto insurance agents more than you have to. They ask you a question, just say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and answer the question as straight as you can. If you go on and on about your life story, you will probably end up saying something you don’t have to and making your rate higher or getting yourself declined.”

Attorneys

“I’m an attorney. The secret is to shut up.”

“Think like a fish: it’s much harder to get caught if you don’t open your mouth.”

Jewellery

“I used to work in jewelry. Most of the prettiest gemstones are also very affordable. Tanzanite is a beautiful purple and looks nicer than amethyst. Topaz comes in lots of colors, including a pretty blue color which can be as nice as aquamarine. Opals aren’t as brightly rainbow-hued as they look in pictures.”

Job Agencies / HR

“Used to screen resumes for small companies. Job “requirements” are more of a wish-list situation. Never let some unchecked boxes deter you from applying – you have no idea what the applicant pool is like. The biggest boon, especially at small companies, is someone who legitimately cares.”

Restaurants

“There is way more butter than you think in almost every dish you eat at fancy restaurants, and that is usually the reason you won’t see the number of calories in each dish.”

Therapy/Counseling

“Some therapists/counselors are on the wrong side of the couch, so to speak. If you feel your mental health provider is unhinged, they may very well be.”

“A family member tried to break up with his long-term gf who was a therapist. I was shocked at her absolutely unhinged behavior which included but was not limited to her taking his childhood teddy bear, chopping it up with garden shears, & piling it up on his bed with the note, “this is what you are doing to my heart” stabbed into it with a steak knife.”

Thrift Stores / Charity Shops

“At goodwill, 50% of what you donate ends up in the trash bc we don’t have the space for it, or we just deem it too ugly.”

Software Development

Photo Credit: REDPIXEL.PL / Shutterstock.

“As a Software Engineer, double your delivery date for a product in anticipation of an over-eager Project Manager trying to get promoted.”

“I always pad the due date, then get it done ahead of the deadline. Clients love me.”

Purchasing Nuts/Grains in Bulk

“If you’re someone who purchases bulk nuts, grains, etc. Just know that those bins are probably rarely cleaned, and even when they are “cleaned,” odds are they were just rinsed out/wiped down to look clean.”

Organic / Non-organic milk

Antique Milk Bottles — Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

“Not an industry I work in per se, but I used to be in a sales role. One of my customers was a milk bottling plant. I was somewhat surprised that they were putting the exact same milk in both organic and non-organic cartons. Turns out all of their milk is organic, but in order to not miss out on the sales of non-organic milk, they just bottle them differently and sell them at different prices.”

Library Fines

“A lot of librarians will waive your fines if you have an excuse and you don’t ask too frequently, even large fines. Also, librarians DON’T CARE about your fines and aren’t judging you. Please come back. We personally have more fines than you. Librarians are ALWAYS overdue with their books.”

Commercial Radio

“It’s never caller 5. It’s the caller who sounds best on air.”

Weight Loss Industry

“This might be obvious, but most of our business comes from return clients after they’ve gained their weight back (and then some). To be clear, the plan isn’t rigged to make you gain it back, but the fact that it happens easily as a result of dieting keeps us in business.”