fmcs with truly novel careers

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fmcs with truly novel careers

for the people who are tired of the genius entertainment stars, doctor, gamer, and hacker fmcs--aka the typical webnovel jobs

most are 4+ stars; ordered by my read completion date (books without reviews are to-be-read)

commentary includes: fml and ml's jobs + rating of how well career plays into the story + general book review

my career-and-plot-integration (CPI) rating scale:

1- career is a feature of the fml's backstory and/or character setup; there's no function other than a way to meet other characters or start a plotline; barely any mention of fml putting in meaningful work; the readers would have forgotten what her job was if the author didn’t bring it up once or twice

2- career is just a hobby or a means to fund other activities; sporadic mentions of working; main focus is on fml's personal life but her job is not entirely forgotten; work responsibilities are occasionally factored into her plans

3- career is mostly present in fml's daily life; it’s mentioned consistently throughout the story but can be easily placed aside for personal events; think slice of life with romance as the priority

4- career is very important to the fml and she dedicated time and effort towards it; at times, it takes precedence over love and personal wellbeing; real professional knowledge may be referenced; passably realistic depictions of said career

2 8740 74

42 Followers

crayole

Created: Jan 26th, 2022, Updated: Apr 28th, 2025

Created Jan 26th, 2022

Updated Apr 28th, 2025

CN (4.5)

#26Memory Lost

177 Chapters Every 151.3 Day(s) 4883 Readers 29 Reviews 07-01-2019

Completed Action Adventure Josei Mature Mystery Psychological Romance

fml and ml are criminal investigators... more>>

CN (4.4)

#27Saving The Villain Boy

48 Chapters Every 42.3 Day(s) 1891 Readers 21 Reviews 09-17-2023

Completed Comedy Drama Romance School Life Shoujo Supernatural Tragedy

fml is an author; ml is a CEO... more>>

CN (4.5)

#28The Landlady and The Amnesiac

168 Chapters Every 50.1 Day(s) 2659 Readers 30 Reviews 06-05-2023

Completed Comedy Drama Fantasy Romance Slice of Life

fml is a landlady/secretary -> CEO; ml is a construction worker/part-time everything -> CEO... more>>

CN (4.5)

#29The First Love of The Male Lead’s Deadly Rival

157 Chapters Every 43 Day(s) 2629 Readers 34 Reviews 09-14-2023

Completed Fantasy Romance School Life

fml is a student -> dance teacher; ml is a student -> real-estate company founder... more>>

CN (4.1)

#30If The Moon Won’t Hold You

103 Chapters Every 44.1 Day(s) 2128 Readers 13 Reviews 11-24-2023

Completed Adult Drama Josei Romance School Life

fml is a photographer; ml is a soldier... more>>

CN (4.5)

#31After Rebirth, I was Entangled by a Second Generation Rich Guy Again

116 Chapters Every 37.4 Day(s) 4415 Readers 91 Reviews 12-30-2023

Completed Drama Fantasy Mature Romance School Life Tragedy

fml is a hustler (mult jobs); ml is a second gen heir... more>>

CN (4.3)

#32Our Glamorous Time

51 Chapters Every 166.9 Day(s) 3660 Readers 20 Reviews 08-11-2018

Completed Comedy Josei Romance Shoujo

fml is an assistant -> executive -> (spoiler) ; ml is a soldier -> CEO... more>>

CN (4.1)

#33Transmigrating into the Male Supporting Character’s Ex-wife

217 Chapters Every 38.2 Day(s) 6253 Readers 69 Reviews 11-29-2023

Completed Comedy Fantasy Romance

fml is a game art designer; ml is a CEO... more>>

CN (3.3)

#34Hello, Mr. Major General

48 Chapters Every 166.1 Day(s) 958 Readers 19 Reviews 11-28-2018

Completed Action Comedy Drama Mature Mystery Psychological Romance School Life Sci-fi

fml is a lawyer; ml is a military officer... more>>

CN (4.3)

#35My Master Disconnected Yet Again

31 Chapters Every 152.1 Day(s) 4829 Readers 32 Reviews 03-26-2019

Completed Action Adventure Comedy Fantasy Josei Martial Arts Romance Xianxia

fml is a "martial arts master" --> (spoiler); ml is her disciple --> (spoiler)... more>>

CN (4.1)

#36Accidental Love

86 Chapters Every 93.2 Day(s) 4062 Readers 63 Reviews 09-08-2021

Completed Comedy Romance Slice of Life

fml is a reporter; ml is a CEO... more>>

CN (4.5)

#37The Novelist Forced to Become Famous

426 Chapters Every 14 Day(s) 1616 Readers 15 Reviews 11-21-2024

Completed Adventure Comedy Drama Fantasy Mystery Psychological Slice of Life Supernatural Tragedy

fml is officially an author & unofficially a detective; no ml... more>>

CN (4.3)

#38Burn Out

88 Chapters Every 1.7 Day(s) 906 Readers 14 Reviews 09-28-2024

Completed Romance Slice of Life

fml is a coffee shop owner; ml is the VP of a computer company... more>>

CN (4.1)

#39Developing Superpowers in Another World

385 Chapters Every 9.7 Day(s) 1522 Readers 16 Reviews 01-29-2025

Completed Action Adventure Fantasy Mecha Sci-fi Supernatural

fml is a "pioneer"; no ml... more>>

3.75/4 career-plot-integration

A pioneer is both a job and an identity in this futuristic/apocalyptic setting. The new world has trapped civilizations in walls and heavy social class restrictions (think Attack on Titan), where they are threatened by alien species/monsters that sneak in through world-crossing portals. These aliens much stronger than humans, but their world is full of materials that the upper-class desire. The wealthy conglomerates contract/ens*ave lower class citizens to enter the portals and fight for their lives to bring back information, specimens, materials, etc. all while being under heavy surveillance. The fml wakes up in the body of one of these pioneers and has to struggle to hide the fact that she has no idea what's going on (and later, her budding supernatural abilities) from the invasive technologies the companies use to control and monitor the pioneers. As this story has no romance, it's mostly about the fml's fight to survive and regain/keep her freedom. Even when she gradually become op, she still struggles to go against the might of the entire nation and the powers that be. Her list of enemies only grows with time. Everything is based off benefits and lasting friendships are hard to come by (although, like many other female-led novels, she still manages to befriend some loyal partners). After she discovered the superpowers, her priorities quickly changed from being a pioneer to trying to escape that job, so I can't really say she's career-oriented--she's more goal-oriented than anything. I docked a bit of points because of that.

The book reminds me of a more smooth-sailing and less dark version of the novel called "The Dark King". That one has a kind of similar premise except the superpowers are not as fantastical, the technology is not as advanced, but the politics, conflicts, and relationships are much darker and realistic. The fml in this novel succeeds a little too much for my liking. The story touches upon the corrupted governance and inhumanity of social class differences, but not as harshly as I would have liked. The fml always manages to obtain the right superpower when she needs it, making her feel like a Mary Sue. She definitely has some plot armor. It's good for an actional novel with a fml but could be better. <<less

CN (4.1)

#40Opening a Dessert Shop in Another World, Enjoying a Happy Cat Life

105 Chapters Every 15.9 Day(s) 775 Readers 6 Reviews 10-23-2024

Completed Fantasy Romance Slice of Life

fml is a baker; ml is a general... more>>

CN (4.1)

#41Taoist Master and the Cat

257 Chapters Every 45.7 Day(s) 904 Readers 11 Reviews 03-30-2023

Completed Adult Comedy Drama Fantasy Romance School Life Supernatural

fml is a student/tennis player; ml is a student —> founder of pharmaceutical company... more>>

CN (4.2)

#42If It’s Wrong, Then It’s Wrong

231 Chapters Every 6.2 Day(s) 1292 Readers 10 Reviews 03-16-2025

Completed Comedy Romance

fml is the founder & CEO of an AI tech company; ml is a perfumer & owner of a perfume company... more>>

CN (4)

#43The Wealthy and Influential Fiancé Has the Ability to Read Minds

101 Chapters Every 16.8 Day(s) 1939 Readers 21 Reviews 11-08-2024

Completed Comedy Drama Fantasy Romance Slice of Life

fml is a CEO? Project Manager? Branch Executive? not really clear; ml is a CEO... more>>

2/4 career-plot-integration

I'm not really sure what to label the fml's job as because it was never defined well in the novel. In the beginning, the fml is sort of like a hidden boss--her outward reputation is a wealthy good-for-nothing, but that's a front she puts on to get her parents' attention. In reality, she has unbeknownst to everyone, successfully led a software development project (which btw, the author does not at all explain the process in which she does this and how a finance major somehow gathered and ran a team to make an AI program). That's just the set-up though. The novel itself only describes how she used this 1 project to strike a deal with the ml. She then somewhat acts like a liaison between the ml's company and her team, and finally, gets put in charge of that sector of the ml's business. It's all very surface level descriptions, so I don't really know how to label her role. Meanwhile, she starts investing in a drama with her friends and training to be a better businessman. For a supposed genius who won many awards and accomplished a lot before the story's timeline, there is little to prove the fml capabilities during the story. Her only proof is her ability to learn well under the ml and the face-slapping/out-smarting maneuvers on the villainous characters. That's not to say that she's a brainless vase, but that the author put her on such a high pedestal, that her subsequent actions did not live up to the innovative entrepreneur that I thought she was going to be.

One thing this novel does well in is talk about how abusive families shape their children. To give the fml some grace, she suffers from insecurities that arose because of her family's neglect and hatred. The ml also has some lingering traumas that affect his ability to love another person. That's why the romance between the two doesn't fully blossom until the last 1/3 of the book. The healing journey that both the fml and ml go through was nicely done. The story is relatively short at 100 chapters, but each chapter is quite dense. <<less

CN (4.3)

#44After Shedding My Armor, I Await Marriage

83 Chapters Every 8.1 Day(s) 811 Readers 8 Reviews 03-31-2025

Completed Gender Bender Historical Romance Slice of Life

fml is a general/teacher/official in ancient China; ml is the imperial preceptor... more>>

CN (4)

#45Can You Afford To Raise?

209 Chapters Every 10 Day(s) 2499 Readers 17 Reviews 02-10-2025

Completed Adult Comedy Josei Romance

fml is an illustrator; ml is a ceo... more>>

2.75/4 career-plot integration

As the synopsis goes, the fml uses the money she gets from selling art, doing commissions, and providing backdrops for games to fund her lifestyle and pay for her new sugar baby, the ml. She’s not extravagantly rich, but much better than the average middle class citizen, especially since she lives rather frugally (and because the money she makes with every job is quite exaggerated compared to in reality). To support her New Romantic expenses, she begins to put more effort into her job and becomes a well-known name by the end of the story. However, her career advancement definitely takes a backseat to the romance plot.

Some nice additions to an otherwise somewhat cliche romance:

- Both the fml and ml are self-made successful people who were unable to rely on their families. The ml is still a stereotypical genius character, but the fml is a nice balance of talented/hard-working while not being too OP.

- The fml has some family drama that stems from her father’s remarriage and preference for sons over daughters. But the fml keeps her boundaries while also respecting her grandparents’ (the ones who cared for her) wishes.

- (MILD SPOILER) The misunderstanding doesn’t get revealed until near the end of the story. And the reconciliation is not very dog-blooded as both the fml and ml still love each other. You might complain that the fml forgave him too quickly (which I normally would), but I found it to be just right for a casual story like this.

Some complaints:

- The translation is a bit faulty and seems to skip chapters occasionally.

- New side characters are introduced even towards the end.

- The ml’s life story is tragic but seems to be glossed over. So is his supposedly shady actiins and business dealings (WHY DIDNT WE TALK ABOUT HIS FATHER’S DEATH??!?!??). I wish his character was expanded on more.

- The fml makes thousands of yuan (if not more) with every job, which tbh does not make any sense. Her gaining so many art fans online is so bs. The author just had to incorporate it so we can see how amazing the fml is, as if this was an entertainment industry trope.

- There is barely any description of the fml’s working process or her actual art pieces. The author repeatedly says she specializes in a certain genre and is known for her use of colors, but we don’t a single thing about what she’s actually painted. She occasionally draws things related to the ml but the author never managed to say what she did with those works. The readers have no clue about the art she’s actually making a profit off of. <<less

CN (4.1)

#46Blossoming Love With A Score of 700

64 Chapters Every 12.1 Day(s) 822 Readers 5 Reviews 12-17-2024

Completed Comedy Josei Romance School Life Shoujo

fml is a (recovering) delinquent student —> photographer; ml is a top student —> director of investment firm... more>>

CN (4.4)

#47The Boyfriend Who Never Meets

113 Chapters Every 1.5 Day(s) 787 Readers 8 Reviews 01-26-2025

Completed Adult Fantasy Romance

fml is a pastry chef and student —> (spoiler); ml is a national advisor... more>>

2.5/4 career-plot integration

The fml starts as a high school dropout who’s working at a bakery to make money for her future tuition. Due to unforeseen circumstances with a friend, she quickly has to drop her job to become a full-time student, wherein she dedicates all of the time she doesn’t spend romancing to studying (partially because the ml is very adamant about her diligence). The first major arc of the story focuses a lot on her school life (though more so on the happenings and not the education) and once it’s resolved, not much is mentioned about it later. The only thing that is consistently brought up is the attendance, homework, and tests she has to take, which occupies most of her time outside of the major events that are happening throughout the story. In any scene where nothing of importance is happening, you can always find the fml doing homework. Her student job is really just background context to make the story flow continuously imo. In the meantime, she also picks up a bit of a part-time job as a cook for a friend’s place but it’s more of an excuse to hang out than a real job. In the novel’s concluding chapters, she is inspired to get a particular job and studies hard to get accepted (no spoilers on what it is though).

This novel had such an interesting premise and it really delivered. The mystery of why the fml and ml were able to connect slowly gets unraveled piece by piece as more of the supernatural/sci-fi world gets revealed to the two leads. In the mean time, I enjoyed the character growth that the fml went through. She still remained a bit of a crybaby, but she never let the hardships get in the way of her appreciation of kindness and her love for the ml. Personally, the ml felt a little too perfect and OP, but I liked how human his emotions were at times and how not everything went exactly his way. Great romance story (though a bit repetitive on the sad bits) with a unique sci-fi twist. Also, love the side characters. <<less

CN (4.2)

#48After the Villainess Awakens

108 Chapters Every 17.8 Day(s) 1495 Readers 11 Reviews 09-20-2024

Completed Adventure Comedy Fantasy Mature Romance Tragedy Xianxia

fml is an alchemist —> (spoiler); ml is a sword cultivator ... more>>

CN (4.6)

#49Smash All Pots and Pans To Go to School

536 Chapters Every 2.3 Day(s) 5134 Readers 84 Reviews 06-10-2025

Action Adventure Comedy Mecha Romance School Life Sci-fi

fml is a student mecha fighter/engineer; ml is a student commander

CN (4.2)

#50My Son is a Reborn Villain

319 Chapters Every 28.9 Day(s) 8120 Readers 103 Reviews 05-22-2024

Completed Comedy Drama Fantasy Josei Romance Slice of Life

fml is an orchidist/live streamer; ml is an actor/CEO

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Comments (2)

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DojaDoge· Dec 21, 2022 02:27 AM
We need more lists like this! Thanks
Reply · 1 Like · ·
theshanebright· Jul 19, 2022 06:47 AM
didnt know i needed this…. tnx sm!!!! ur a g!!!!
Reply · 1 Like · ·

fmcs with truly novel careers

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