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The Sims: Livin' Large The Sims Bustin' Out The Sims 2


The Slacker career track is a career first introduced in The Sims: Livin' Large, and made a comeback in The Sims 2. The primary focus for Sims is to have a career in service. Neither The Sims 3 or The Sims 4 or any of their expansions have a slacker career, though part-time jobs in The Sims 3 and The Sims 4 are similar.

The Sims[]

Sims career path pay curves

The pay curves may not have a clear hierarchy from best to worst, but they do have a clear best and a clear worst

In the base game, career tracks that had the highest pay at rank 1 had the lowest pay at rank 10, and vice versa. The slacker career path upended that expectation by having the lowest pay in every single rank out of all 15 career paths that existed at that point. In return, the hours were generally shorter, giving the Sim more time to build friendships, clean up around the house, or do whatever they would rather be doing than working. However, reaching rank 10 required more friends (15) than any other career track except politics and paranormal, so all that extra free time typically got wasted on inviting the neighbors over and chatting with them for hours just to get promoted. Later, The Sims: Unleashed expansion would add two career paths (culinary and circus) whose severely bent pay curves dipped below that of the slacker; however, slacker's pay curve was still the lowest and flattest overall. Out of all 20 real careers from The Sims and its expansion packs, slacker also has the absolute worst ratio of pay to friends required to reach rank 10 ($600/15 friends = 40), making it the least rewarding career track to climb. Only politics even comes close ($750/17 friends = 44.1).

Slacker Career Levels
1) Golf Caddy
Spending your sunny days carrying someone else's clubs for a round of 18 - what could be easier? Early morning tee times call for early work hours, but it's a terrific opportunity to schmooze with the wealthy at the local country club. Cooking 0 Mechanical 0 Charisma 0
Body 0 Logic 0 Creativity 0
05:00 - 10:00
05001000
Friends requirement 0
§90/day
2) Convenience Store Clerk
The customers are considerably less wealthy than those in your last job, but there is plenty of free soda pop and candy bars - not a bad trade. Besides, all your friends can hang out at the store late in the evening and read the comics while you pretend to work. Cooking 0 Mechanical 0 Charisma 0
Body 0 Logic 0 Creativity 0
22:00 - 03:00
22000300
Friends requirement 0
§110/day
3) Life Guard
Back in the sunshine again! Like, remember to be all like hip and stuff and work on your charisma. Be sure to load up on sunscreen too! Cooking 0 Mechanical 0 Charisma 0
Body 2 Logic 0 Creativity 0
09:00 - 15:00
09001500
Friends requirement 1
§150/day
4) Record Store Clerk
Nothin' but tunes all day long, man... While you'll need to boost your charisma to maintain this cushy job, there's no easier way to get paid to listen to your favorite music all day long. Cooking 0 Mechanical 0 Charisma 2
Body 2 Logic 0 Creativity 0
12:00 - 17:00
12001700
Friends requirement 2
§180/day
5) Party D.J.
Those contacts you made at the record store certainly paid off - now you're spinning tunes at the best parties in town. Late nights and lots of mechanical skills are needed to keep those turn tables spinnin'. Cooking 0 Mechanical 0 Charisma 4
Body 2 Logic 0 Creativity 0
23:00 - 04:00
23000400
Friends requirement 4
§220/day
6) Projectionist
Show the finished product to the world, press a button here and there, and presto! - you're not working very hard for that tidy little paycheck, are you? Good thing you're a night owl. Cooking 0 Mechanical 3 Charisma 4
Body 2 Logic 0 Creativity 0
10:00 - 19:00
10001900
Friends requirement 4
§280/day
7) Video Editor
The best part of your job? Seeing all the blunders those mega-stars make when filming. Making them look good can help to earn you friends, though you'll want to concentrate on making plenty of them yourself - never hurts to know the right people when you're looking to just be comfortable. Cooking 0 Mechanical 5 Charisma 4
Body 2 Logic 0 Creativity 0
12:00 - 18:00
12001800
Friends requirement 7
§350/day
8) Freelance Photographer
That time in the editing room taught you well - you know how to get a good shot the first time around. Go everywhere, see everything, take gorgeous pics on someone else's dime, and look good doing it. It's a free-and-easy way to live, but requires lots of travel, as well as the connections to finance it. Cooking 0 Mechanical 5 Charisma 7
Body 3 Logic 0 Creativity 0
12:00 - 17:00
12001700
Friends requirement 10
§400/day
9) Personal Tour Guide
The best part about knowing so many people is that you get to use that knowledge to earn your keep. Point out all the best places to newcomers and keep your friends connected to all the great places you visited when you were a lowly photographer. Those who learn the most from you learn to love you best, and may eventually invite into their inner circle. Cooking 0 Mechanical 5 Charisma 8
Body 6 Logic 0 Creativity 0
14:00 - 19:00
14001900
Friends requirement 12
§450/day
10) Professional Party Guest
This is it, the ultimate lap of luxury, at no cost to you! Living the good life, partying and living at someone else's house, surrounded by more artificial friends than the best politicians in town. Enjoy it while you can... Cooking 0 Mechanical 5 Charisma 10
Body 9 Logic 0 Creativity 0
22:00 - 02:00
22000200
Friends requirement 15
§600/day

A Professional Party Guest will eventually change careers and become a Back-up Musician in the Music career track.

Chance Cards[]

Slacker Chance Cards
1) Golf Caddy
No chance cards for this level
2) Convenience Store Clerk
Caught filching snack food from your employer! How embarrassing - the stuff doesn't even taste that good. Lose a charisma point, and be prepared for your friends to tease you mercilessly for your carelessness.

Negative: Charisma skill -1

3) Life Guard
No chance cards for this level
4) Record Store Clerk
No chance cards for this level
5) Party D.J
Tsk, tsk. Hitting on the event planner and your poorly hidden attempt to sneak away to conduct your clandestine affairs when you were supposed to be working earns you scorn from the partygoers, and an angry spouse to contend with. Lose two charisma points and spend an extra $2000 on home security to avoid an ugly confrontation.

Negative: Got Fined -§2000, Charisma skill -1

6) Projectionist
No chance cards for this level
7) Video Editor
No chance cards for this level
8) Freelance Photographer
Your film from your last vacation/ work excursion got distributed by accident - and to your benefit! An internationally acclaimed naturalists' magazine has used one of your panoramic shots on its cover. Gain one charisma point for your new popularity and receive $5000 from the magazine.

Positive: Earned Money +§5000, Charisma skill +1

9) Personal Tour Guide
No chance cards for this level
10) Professional Party Guest
Your long-time presence in an easy-going job has led you to believe you can handle anything - even a successful career in the music industry. Just hope that some of your party friends work for record companies, to help pave your way in your new career, so you can avoid paying some of your dues.

Positive: Change to the Music career track as a Back-up Musician.

The Sims Bustin' Out[]

The Slacker Career returns in The Sims: Bustin' Out as a Free Play exclusive Career.

Slacker Career Levels
1) Janitor
Hey, being a janitor ain't so bad. You can work alone, at night, and nobody bothers you. No thinking is required or needed, and you get to practice sweeping, mopping, vacuuming and unclogging toilets....what could be better?

Bonus: None

Cooking 0 Mechanical 0 Charisma 0
Body 0 Logic 0 Creativity 0
17:00 - 22:00
17002200
Friends requirement 0
§100/day
2) Convenience Store Clerk
You couldn't take the isolation of janitorial work, so you took a clerk job to meets lots of people...lots of 3 AM kind of people. Better learn some new SKILLS, that is... if you have ANY ambition at all.

Bonus: §240

Cooking 0 Mechanical 2 Charisma 0
Body 0 Logic 0 Creativity 0
21:00 - 04:00
21000400
Friends requirement 0
§120/day
3) Gas Station Attendant
Well you wanted to work on cars, but all they'll let you do is pump gas, and even that's automated. You're just stuck behind a counter...AGAIN. Try making some new FRIENDS, and maybe you'll line up a new line of work.

Bonus: §380

Cooking 0 Mechanical 2 Charisma 0
Body 3 Logic 0 Creativity 0
09:00 - 15:00
09001500
Friends requirement 2
§190/day

The Sims 2[]

Slacker is one of the ten basic careers in The Sims 2. Similar to the Slacker career from Livin' Large, it's one of the lowest paying careers. Also, it requires the fewest skills of all careers for promotion, though it does require a high number of friends at the upper levels. If The Sims 2: Apartment Life is installed, Gearheads are likely to work in this career. College majors associated with this career are Philosophy, Literature and Art. The career is usually a want of a Sim with the Romance or the Pleasure aspiration, but can be chosen by any Sim at the age of teen, adult or elder. The career reward object is an AquaGreen Hydroponic Garden. It is awarded at the Party DJ level (level 5) and builds the creativity skill, along with nature enthusiasm.

Oddly enough, the work uniform for teens and elders at the top of their career, working as "Convenience Store Clerks" wear the red fast food worker uniform for the culinary career, instead of the yellow and green shop assistant uniform adult sims wear at this level (which is also worn by NPC teen cashiers). This was presumably an error by the game developers. However, there is a mod to fix this mistake.

Adult Promotion Levels[]

Slacker career Slacker Career Levels
1) Golf Caddy
Spending your sunny days carrying someone else's clubs for a round of 18—what could be easier? Early morning tee times call for early work hours, but it's a terrific opportunity to schmooze with the wealthy at the local country club. S M T W T F S Mechanical 0
05:00 - 10:00
05001000
Charisma 0
Creativity 0
§126/day Friends requirement 0
No bonus
2) Gas Station Attendant
The hours are doable. The pay is pretty lousy. On occasion you find yourself with odd headaches which result from the fumes. But hey, you've got all the delights of the snack cake and magazine racks right at your fingertips! Enjoy! S M T W T F S Mechanical 0
22:00 - 03:00
22000300
Charisma 0
Creativity 0
§154/day Friends requirement 0
Bonus: §208
3) Convenience Store Clerk
The customers are considerably less wealthy than those in your last job, but there is plenty of free soda pop and candy bars—not a bad trade. Besides, all your friends can hang out at the store late in the evening and read the comics while you pretend to work. S M T W T F S Mechanical 1
09:00 - 15:00
09001500
Charisma 0
Creativity 0
§210/day Friends requirement 0
Bonus: §420
4) Record Store Clerk
Nothin' but tunes all day long, man... While you'll need to boost your charisma to maintain this cushy job, there's no easier way to get paid to listen to your favorite music all day long. S M T W T F S Mechanical 1
10:00 - 15:00
10001500
Charisma 1
Creativity 0
§252/day Friends requirement 0
Bonus: §504
5) Party DJ
Those contacts you made at the record store certainly paid off—now you're spinning tunes at the best parties in town. Late nights and lots of mechanical skills are needed to keep those turn tables spinnin'. S M T W T F S Mechanical 1
23:00 - 04:00
23000400
Charisma 2
Creativity 1
§385/day Friends requirement 2
Bonus: §770
6) Projectionist
Show the finished product to the world, press a button here and there, and presto!—you're not working very hard for that tidy little paycheck, are you? Good thing you're a night owl. S M T W T F S Mechanical 3
18:00 - 01:00
18000100
Charisma 2
Creativity 1
§392/day Friends requirement 4
Bonus: §784
7) Home Video Editor
The best part of your job? Seeing all the blunders those mega-stars make when filming. Making them look good can help to earn you friends, though you'll want to concentrate on making plenty of them yourself—never hurts to know the right people when you're looking to just be comfortable. S M T W T F S Mechanical 4
11:00 - 17:00
11001700
Charisma 2
Creativity 2
§613/day Friends requirement 5
Bonus: §1,226
8) Freelance Photographer
That time in the editing room taught you well—you know how to get a good shot the first time around. Go everywhere, see everything, take gorgeous pics on someone else's dime, and look good doing it. It's a free-and-easy way to live, but requires lots of travel, as well as the connections to finance it. S M T W T F S Mechanical 4
14:00 - 19:00
14001900
Charisma 3
Creativity 3
§788/day Friends requirement 7
Bonus: §1,576
9) Freelance Web Designer
The move from Freelance Photographer to Freelance Web Designer isn't a big step in responsibility, but to the Internet illiterate, who don't know that your word processor does all the HTML layout for you, it's still pretty impressive. Play it cool, convince as many friends as you can that you're on the cutting edge of everything hip, and you might find yourself invited into SimCity's elite inner circle. S M T W T F S Mechanical 4
10:00 - 15:00
10001500
Charisma 4
Creativity 4
§933/day Friends requirement 10
Bonus: §1,866
10) Professional Party Guest
This is it, the ultimate lap of luxury, at no cost to you! Living the good life, partying and living at someone else's house, surrounded by more artificial friends than the best politicians in town. Enjoy it while you can... S M T W T F S Mechanical 4
22:00 - 02:00
22000200
Charisma 5
Creativity 5
§1,400/day Friends requirement 13
Bonus: §2,800

Teen/Elder Promotion Levels[]

Slacker career Slacker Career Levels
1) Golf Caddy
Spending your sunny days carrying someone else's clubs for a round of 18—what could be easier? Early morning tee times call for early work hours, but it's a terrific opportunity to schmooze with the wealthy at the local country club. S M T W T F S Mechanical 0
15:00 - 18:00
15001800
Charisma 0
Creativity 0
§45/day Friends requirement 0
No bonus
2) Gas Station Attendant
The hours are doable. The pay is pretty lousy. On occasion you find yourself with odd headaches which result from the fumes. But hey, you've got all the delights of the snack cake and magazine racks right at your fingertips! Enjoy! S M T W T F S Mechanical 1
15:00 - 18:00
15001800
Charisma 0
Creativity 0
§71/day Friends requirement 2
Bonus: §142
3) Convenience Store Clerk
The customers are considerably less wealthy than those in your last job, but there is plenty of free soda pop and candy bars—not a bad trade. Besides, all your friends can hang out at the store late in the evening and read the comics while you pretend to work. S M T W T F S Mechanical 1
17:00 - 21:00
17002100
Charisma 1
Creativity 1
§96/day Friends requirement 4
Bonus: §192

Adult Chance Cards[]

For more information on Chance Cards in The Sims 2, see Chance card.


Slacker career Slacker Chance Cards
1) Golf Caddy
<Sim> is caddying for Malcolm Landgrabb, head of Landgrabb Enterprises, who has just hit his second shot into the rough about 65 yards from the green. The business tycoon leans over and asks <Sim> whether he should use a nine iron or a wedge. <Sim> debates how to respond. I dunno Success:
Earned Money +§50
85% chance
Failure:
Fired Get Fired
14% chance
Whatever Success:
Earned Money +§20
14% chance
Failure:
No Penalty
85% chance
2) Gas Station Attendant
<Sim> is sitting in his/her tiny sales kiosk listening to the sound of the rain beating against the bullet-proof glass. He/She has just begun to debate whether he/she should eat a YumCo Tiny-Cake or try one of the new flavors of Mystery Cheese Food, when a racy new sports car pulls up to the full-service pump and honks for service. Should <Sim> go on break, or just pretend not to notice? On Break Success:
Earned Money +§500
85% chance
Failure:
Got Fined -§50
14% chance
Pretend Success:
Earned Money +§100
14% chance
Failure:
Got Fined Lose a day's pay (§154)
85% chance
3) Convenience Store Clerk
The store is empty, except of course for Crazy Bill (who just hangs out in the canned goods section talking about how he used to work for some big company that invested apricots), so <Sim> decides to walk around with a broom and pretend he's/she's sweeping. He/She spots a coin beneath the FriggleFreeze machine and jams the broom back behind the compressor to try to get it out. The machine goes haywire and starts spewing frozen Friggly liquid everywhere. Should <Sim> try to fix it with duct tape or with chewing gum? Duct Tape Success:
Mechanical Skill +1
50% chance
Failure:
Got Fined Lose a day's pay (§210)
49% chance
Gum Success:
Cooking Skill +1
49% chance
Failure:
Mechanical Skill -1
50% chance
4) Record Store Clerk
<Sim>'s boss puts him/her in charge of choosing a house band for the store. The first two bands to audition are the Naughty Llamas and the Reticulated Splines. Both bands are good enough, so <Sim> decides to pick from the two and take the rest of the afternoon to alphabetize the store's vinyl collection by drummers' last name. Naughty Llamas Success:
Charisma Skill +2
50% chance
Failure:
Got Fined -§849
49% chance
Reticulated Splines Success:
Charisma Skill +2
49% chance
Failure:
Charisma Skill -1
50% chance
5) Party DJ
<Sim> gets a call to spin at, what a party promoter only describes as, a "big gig going down tonight," but in his/her excitement, <Sim> forgot to ask what type of music to bring, and has failed to get a contact number. He/She can't possibly bring all his/her vinyl, so he/she needs to make a decision and bring either the latest hits or the golden oldies. Hits Success:
Earned Money +§200
Charisma Skill +1
85% chance
Failure:
Got Fined -§578
14% chance
Oldies Success:
Earned Money +§200
Charisma Skill +1
14% chance
Failure:
Got Fined Lose a day's pay (§385)
Charisma Skill -1
85% chance
6) Projectionist
On the opening night of Hugh Martin's latest film "The Colour of Simoleons", <Sim> discovers that the reels arrived damaged. Most of the film is fine, but a few sections won't run clearly through the projector unless they're reattached. Should <Sim> splice the film back together, or take the chance and substitute the art film he/she made in high school? Splice Success:
Promotion Promoted to Home Video Editor
85% chance
Failure:
Fired Get Fired
14% chance
Substitute Success:
Earned Money +§2,200
Creativity Skill +1
14% chance
Failure:
Fired Get Fired
Creativity Skill -1
85% chance
7) Home Video Editor
A local Studio Town music video director has asked <Sim> to cut together some stock 8mm footage he needs to round out the transitions for a video. <Sim> only has a few hours, so he/she doesn't have any time to shoot any new footage, but his/her stock of 8mm reels isn't very extensive. The director has asked for a single theme that will fit with the "frantic, but youthful" nature of the video. <Sim> searches through his/her archive and settles on two options, a reel he/she has of Sonny, SimCity's own tragic clown, or some old footage of bunny rabbits sneaking carrots out of a small residential garden. Tragic Clown Success:
Earned Money +§7,000
Creativity Skill +3
15% chance
Failure:
Got Fined Lose a day's pay (§613)
Creativity Skill -1
84% chance
Bunny Rabbits Success:
Big Bonus +§75,000
84% chance
Failure:
Got Fined Lose a day's pay (§613)
Creativity Skill -1
15% chance
8) Freelance Photographer
In exchange for taking some digital pictures for their corporate web presence, ALlamaInEveryHome.com offers <Sim> 1000 shares of their stock in lieu of his/her usual fee. Word on the street is that tech stocks are good investments again, but <Sim> doesn't want to get burned like he/she did in the last dot com bubble burst with those four different online pet food delivery sites he/she bought into. Take Stock Success:
Earned Money +§4,000
Logic Skill +1
15% chance
Failure:
Got Fined Lose a week's pay (§3,152)
84% chance
Demand Cash Success:
Promotion Promoted to Freelance Web Designer
84% chance
Failure:
Mechanical Skill -2
15% chance
9) Freelance Web Designer
A marketing rep <Sim> met while working for ALlamaInEveryHome.com is starting up a new website dedicated to SimCity's social scene. Knowing that <Sim> is pretty well connected, she's asked him/her to design the website, but she also wants him/her to update the site with all the "coolest parties, and trendiest places." <Sim>'s willing to take the job and design the website, but he/she isn't sure about publishing the inner circle's social itinerary. He/She could go ahead and reveal all he/she knows, or protect the fragile private lives of SimCity's elite and fill the site with erroneous information. Reveal All Success:
Earned Money +§20,000
85% chance
Failure:
Charisma Skill -2
14% chance
Erroneous Info Success:
Charisma Skill +2
Creativity Skill +2
14% chance
Failure:
Fired Get Fired
85% chance
10) Professional Party Guest
<Sim>'s at a party for some famous Sim he's/she's never met, but the party's pretty uneventful, and there aren't any photographers from the society column, so he's/she's debating ducking out. But before he/she can make up his/her mind, the party promoter makes his way over to him/her and asks him/her if there's anything he/she can do to liven up the place. Not wanting to be taken off the A-list, <Sim> figures he/she better do something to spice up the party. <Sim> could start one of his/her patented sing-alongs, or grab another drink and streak the living room. Sing Success:
Big Bonus +§40,000
50% chance
Failure:
Fired Get Fired
49% chance
Streak Success:
Earned Money +§20,000
49% chance
Failure:
Demotion Demoted to Freelance Photographer
Charisma Skill -2
50% chance
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