I’ve been looking for this short story for quite some time but have never been able to locate it, and now over on WorldChanging.com someone replied to my comment describing this story and provided the reason why I could never find it: I always thought the story was called “The Occupation“. It’s called “Profession“. They also mentioned reading it online, so I did a quick google and found this Link. Having just read it again after 30 years, it strikes me that this story – and Isaac Asimov – had a profound impact on my life. After originally reading that story, a huge light went off inside my teenage head. In some ways, I’ve landed the job that the protagonist, George Platen, endured so much to achieve. Highly recommended reading.