I used to push brooms, schlepp boxes and strip drain plugs. And I'd go right back to that last one if it paid what tech does (actually I lied, I'd go work in a junkyard, can't strip the drain plug if you never put it back and better work atmosphere).

If you want to sugar coat the reality of these jobs you're doing it for yourself, not for them. These jobs are low skill, low pay and low status and the people doing them know it. They have bigger problems then whether specific language choices do or don't offend the sensibilities of the ivory tower crowd.