Fine by me. I just think that assuming she got the boot paints her as more incompetent than she actually is. My headcanon is this: she was one of those students who procrastinated everything, pulled all-nighters to finish it off, and got passable but not awesome grades as a result. She then got offered a job as a weatherpony due to her practical abilities, which she jumped on rather than stay in school. She never informed the bullies of it, so they started spreading rumors that she was getting expelled rather than leaving voluntarily. They're kind of jerks that way.

Anyway, yeah, I think Cutie Marks are taken into account when it comes to jobs, but they're almost certainly not the only factor. Having a CM related to the job is a plus, (i.e. having a frying pan cutie mark when applying for a job at a restaurant helps you), but having an unrelated CM doesn't disqualify you either, it just means you have to show that you're capable. (i.e. if you had a baseball cutie mark when applying for a job at a restaurant you'd have to show that you can actually cook, and if you can you're in).

EDIT: Pagetopper.

edited 20th Feb '12 8:09:04 AM by JapaneseTeeth

Bronies! I am declaring Threat Level Purple! We are in grave danger of becoming....unnotable

Behold this map of Tumblr, we should be our own contention and we aren't even a country! Something must be done to protect our notability!

Yeah I agree with JT. We know RD is talented, but we also know she's not the best at applying herself. I could see her getting bored at flight school and just dropping out to take up practical work.

Incidentally, how well respected would weather pony be as a career?

edited 20th Feb '12 8:14:34 AM by ApplelightLimited

Behold this map of Tumblr, we should be our own contention and we aren't even a country! Something must be done to protect our notability!

Yeah, that's ridiculous. How can they include Hunger Games and not us?

There appear to be a lot of them and Derpy is apparently one. I doubt it commands any particular respect.

In regards to that hypothetical about an earth pony and a pegasus being equally qualified pilots, I'd say the pegasus would probably get the job since self powered flight is potentially a useful ability in that line of work.

I don't think Cutie Marks would factor in with applying for a job. As with Cheerilee we can see that they can be taken either literally or metaphorically so using them to determine jobs wouldn't make much sense and it wouldn't be fair to the job industry.

Yeah weather pony seems like a mid level civil service job like, I don't know...

edited 20th Feb '12 8:23:15 AM by ApplelightLimited

Work isn't about being fair. It's about making money, both for yourself and for your employer. A cutie mark is a tangible indication that you have talent in a field. There's no way an employer wouldn't even look at it, though they also certainly wouldn't base their entire judgment off of it.

@Applelight: I can't imagine it is all that prestigious. It seems like a fairly ordinary public sector job, though I imagine that for certain places it might carry it bit more weight.

@J Teeth: Fair enough. I just think that given Dash's personality and the fact that she didn't fight back harder with the bullies on the issue (though to be fair she was not exactly in the best of emotional states) that there is more truth to it then it seems. Besides her failing school, does not necessarily mean she is incompetent, just that she is a terrible student.

For weatherponies, they're more appreciated in Ponyville where wild weather from the Everfree is a major threat, or in frontier towns like Appleloosa where moisture/cloud preservation is vital. In the Pegasi-centric Cloudsdale, they'd be a vital but less-important job since everypony would at least learn the bare basics of weather control and can be commanded by team leaders, and in Canterlot, the Princesses and Senior Mages in the Unicorn administration would help to support the pegasi on Weather duty there.

I reckon a prospective jobseeking pony would do well to be honest about their cutie marks, as such simple honesties are probably more vital than talent, also they could be looking at legal bother for fraud/falsification of cutie marks.

Now I picture a pony with an exclamation point cutie mark trying to become a lawyer.

edited 20th Feb '12 8:32:04 AM by AceOfScarabs

@ Mio

Yeah that seems right. By UK standards it's like a social worker/boarder force/PCSO/random council worker...not degrading or stigmatising, decent pay, chance for promotion etc...but not overly glamourous either.

edited 20th Feb '12 8:30:49 AM by ApplelightLimited

I would actually like to think that a position on the weather team in Canterlot would be pretty desireable. Managing the weather for such an important location would probably come with higher pay, better housing, and the position itself would probably be kind of cushy since you Unicorns will be helping you with the heavy lifting.

@Mio: I don't think it would be very good unless the Princesses take steps to make sure the nobility doesn't look down their snouts at you.

Working in Canterlot at all is a desirable job. It's not about being a weather pony, really.

Good point. Maybe I just have a bad impression of service sector work in uptown districts.

@Tumblr Map: WHERE'S THE PONIES?!? THERE'S NO PONY COUNTRY!!

The map is clearly inaccurate and should be fixed.

I'm sure lifesize Cutie Mark Crusader plushies would be very sought-after :3 I should seriously get off my aft and go pick up some materials to practice with. Also I have this plush Sims 3 cushion I could cannibalize for blue plush material and stuffing for a small Dashie beanie baby.

edited 20th Feb '12 8:44:30 AM by AceOfScarabs

Clearly we have been annexed and oppressed by meme island. We must fight to gain our independence! VIVA LA REVOLUTION!

Yeah I think doing anything in Cantorlot would be considered prestigious. Even washing windows! Yes that's right Hayseed...you're doing fine.

also they could be looking at legal bother for fraud/falsification of cutie marks.

Call Of The Cutie proved that cutie marks can't be intentionally faked.

edited 20th Feb '12 8:58:42 AM by storyyeller

• Too much coffee, perhaps?
• My Little Baby Dragon
• An sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from SCIENCE!
• "Candlelight" party? How does that even work?
• Time to make twins!
• Ow, the pun...

@Yeller: Cutie Mark decal/disguise would do the trick.

Yeah, but if enough people (Ponies?) beginning using decals, eventually employers are going to catch on and have putty knives handy to check.

edited 20th Feb '12 9:16:15 AM by Drenius

True dat. I still wouldn't try faking a cutie mark for a job, because it's too easy to get found out. Anyways I'd rather work for somepony nicer who wouldn't discriminate by cutie mark.

Now I'm imagining ponies forming unions to avoid discrimination at the hands of there employers based upon their cutie marks or special talents. You definitely don't want to mess with the weather pony union. They can easily ruin your life.

edited 20th Feb '12 9:23:23 AM by Drenius