If you're writing a novel or screenplay and are looking for inspiration for your characters, check out a website called Hopes and Fears. It features a series of anonymous first-person accounts of a variety of jobs. Here are a few examples:
"I worked as a carnie, and possibly for the mob."
"I monitor missile activity with satellites for Lockheed Martin."
"I dig up dirt on wolves of Wall Street."
"I loved working at a legal brothel in Australia."
"I do magic tricks and hammer nails up my nose."
Obviously, if your protagonist has any of these occupations you'd have to do a lot more research than just these accounts, but they could get you started. They also could be excellent for helping you create interesting minor characters.
Warning: It's easy to find yourself spending a lot of time reading these rather than doing what you're supposed to be doing!
