Public Sector

The first flights depart at 6 AM - security screening must be ready hours before.

Up early so the streets are empty. Garbage collectors start their routes while others are still sleeping.

Trains run at night too. Train dispatchers ensure around the clock that they don't collide.

One of the earliest professions out there. When the garbage truck arrives, most people are still in bed.

The border never sleeps - and neither does customs, really. Inspections happen around the clock.

Prisons never sleep. Corrections officers work around the clock in shift duty.

To serve and protect at any hour. The shift schedule is as unpredictable as the next call.

Before the first early-bird swimmers arrive, the pool needs to be checked. Safety first - even when half asleep.

Staying alert when others sleep. The night shift is lonely, but someone has to do it.

The forest calls early. Wildlife observation, hunting, and logging often start before sunrise.

Wake up at 6 to explain to others from 8 why 8 is too early for class. The irony is not lost.

24 hours on duty, 48 hours off. Sounds great? Then you've never heard an alarm at 3 AM.

Sunday morning is showtime. But even during the week, pastoral care and congregation appointments start early.

Surveillance starts when the target leaves the house. And that can be darn early.

A profession from the past - today most lighthouses are automated. The few remaining keepers have a dream job with ocean views.

When something happens in the mountains, they're there - in any weather, at any time of day.

Everything must be ready before the service - candles, hymnals, heating. Sextons are the guardian angels of the church.

Case file XY: Solved. The clerk keeps everything running while others take the credit.

Helping as a profession. The case files pile up, but behind each one is a person who needs support.

Getting up in the morning to pass judgment on others during the day. Studying case files before the first coffee is part of the ritual.

Indictments don't write themselves. Early rising for mountains of case files and trial preparation.

When Berlin sleeps, it's noon in Tokyo. Diplomats live between time zones.

Seizures early in the morning - when debtors are still home. Not a popular, but necessary profession.

Shh! Libraries are quiet - even early in the morning. Sorting books is more meditative than you'd think.

Saturday weddings are popular - that's when registrars work. But weekdays are often quieter in return.