It also depends on where you are. In the Bay Area, they’re begging for low wage workers (because those folks can’t afford to live there). In some places, those entry level jobs are all that’s open and they fill quickly; more job seekers than openings.
Please reconsider where this belongs so that I can reply properly. You see, I know were the OP lives, but I talk about which bridge in this forum.
For a lot of people, following this advice would result in huge gaps in their resume. It would mean that the only jobs a person can showcase on their resume are jobs they had decades ago. So good luck tracking down references. And good luck not looking like a fuck-up who hasn’t worked in decades.
I have confidence that I’d be able to get a job somewhere if I were to lose my current position. However, it would be colossally stupid for me to start sending out dumbed-down my resumes right out of the gate. Grabbing any job you can get is great if you just need a few extra bucks. But every hour you devote to menial work is an hour you can’t spend looking for non-menial work. Opportunity costs come from following the “take any job” approach. For lots of people, it is simply smarter to live off savings and unemployment insurance for awhile–assuming they are sufficient enough to cover expenses–and devote 8 hours a day to “good job” job-hunting. There are few things more stressful than trying to squeeze in job interviews when you’ve got to punch the clock at a McJob. And for a lot of young people, it is also smarter to forgo minimum wages as long as parents are willing to provide financial support. You will need to work a lot of hours at minimum wage to pay down a $20,000 student debt. Unfortunately, student debt is real for a lot of people right now.
I’ve seen this time and again in my line of work. Most retail/grocery jobs demand “open availability” so they can schedule you at their busiest times. Some employers will allow you to have another job as long as it’s during non-peak hours. I work with several people who, after their shift, work either at pizza places or restaurants, both of which have late hours. They get home around 1AM, sleep, rinse and repeat, sometimes 6 days a week.
I’ve had coworkers who’ve had to choose between PT jobs or choose between school and job. Those of us still standing aren’t surprised as to why we are so short-staffed at times.
We have very few younger people wanting to make our business a career. One is because it doesn’t pay enough for them to either/or pay off college debt, strike out of their own, or maintain a vehicle. Second is the physicality of it – they see us “lifers” falling apart and want nothing to do with it (I’ve had this said to my face many times). Third are the hours involved – if they’re in a management training program they’ll be required to literally mold their lives around the business, and none of them want that.
Seems like we’ve tapped into a well of anger. That’s a lot of “mad” faces!
I didn’t mean to piss you off. I was trying to compliment you on your no quit attitude when you said you physically showed them you could do the job instead of sulking out the door.
I’m not even sure what “player” in the context of job hunting means. Is that like a football player? Perhaps it’s like a chess player or maybe even a water polo player. Either way, I hope people are learning!
Sounds like the companies in the Bay Area would do well to increase their wages and/or offer more benefits to attract applicants.
It’s just a matter of time. Should have one or two offers by tonight.
I understand. I have a lot of left over student loan debt as well. That’s one of the reasons I’m trying to pick up a second job. I’d like to pay it off before I’m 80. It’s like a big dark cloud that constantly follows you wherever you go. Almost like a stalking ex-girlfriend!!!
I guess what I meant to convey is that if you’re trying to land a part time gig for extra cash, dumb down your resume for those applications. If you’re trying to land a $75K job, then you would want to keep it high level and detailed. But if you try for a time and aren’t able to land that good job, I would think something in the interim, whatever it is, would be better than nothing which might require the dumbing down a bit. Each situation would be different.
I disagree with you about young people living off of mom and dad. They should get out there and do some of the entry level jobs. There’s nothing quite like learning how to operate in the real world by being a part of it. Parents being a safety net and supporting financially when necessary is one thing, but paying for everything doesn’t help instill responsibility and self-reliance. I had to get a job to pay for my car insurance, or I couldn’t drive. Before anyone jumps in to say something about the car payment that I wasn’t paying, my first car cost me $50 bucks and it was a POS. Taught me that you’ve got to work for things you want and not to expect someone else to give it to me. (Caution - Trigger Warning - Possible Offensive Content to Follow) That type of approach has led to a lot of entitled mentalities which doesn’t do anything to help them become productive members of society.
Yeah, you’re provoking that reaction here.
I don’t know if it’s unconscious or deliberate on your part, but many of your “compliments” are coming across as either arrogant, condescending, or both. That, combined with your ignorance of certain realities, is not winning you friends in this thread no matter how sincere you may be.
I thought you and I have had some good back and forth conversations. Just because I don’t agree doesn’t mean I’m being condescending or arrogant, though that’s a built in and automatic response for many. I understand being disagreeable can come across the way you’ve described, but you seem to be able to handle it without being offended and many others as well. It’s just a conversation.
I’ve agreed with you that biases exist and do affect people. It seems there are a lot of people here who don’t agree with me in how I feel is the best way to go about looking for part time employment. That’s fine. They don’t have to agree with me. And at the end of the day, if I can secure a job within a couple of days after starting to look, I think that will have proved that at least in my case, my methods have worked. But I think you’ve seen that I can still carry on a conversation without resorting to expletives or veiled insults. I like to argue about things I believe in which appears to be the case with most everyone else here. I genuinely apologized to Cats because it looked like I offended her. Yeah I commented on the strength and tone of the response but I thought it was a little overblown.
Not really looking for friends, just looking for casual conversations. Also, I’m sure if this thread was moved to the Pit, I would be receiving much harsher replies and lots of derision not allowed here. That’s okay though. Words don’t bother me.
I’m not here trying to elicit nasty responses or piss people off. I don’t get any pleasure from doing so. I’m not hurt or upset that the majority of responses have been argumentative. That’s actually a good way to learn (I’ve already learned a few things I didn’t originally know).
It’s your prerogative to think I’m ignorant of certain realities, but is it not the case that an effective way to change people’s minds is to discuss and debate? I’m here because I got tired of running in my usual circles of people with opinions that were the same as mine.
… says the person who can’t quite land an entry-level job while whining about how easy it is.
He’s very particular about which entry-level job he lands.
For the most part we have.
Just because you don’t intend to be arrogant or condescending does not prevent you from being such.
First of all, I actually have been offended, but not to a large degree. Which is why I have tried to politely express (or in one instance, comically express) my feelings as part of the conversation.
Second, to YOU it is just conversation. To others, these matters are a frustrating, heart-breaking, life-or-death struggle. Due to your circumstances you are insulated from some of the ill effects of the societal bias and flaws in the current job market on the lower socio-economic level. That gives everything here a different meaning for you than for someone facing homelessness or struggling to care for a family on an inadequate income. For YOU it’s just a few extra bucks, for others its a matter of survival.
It’s been a couple days. How’s the job hunt going?
True, but neither of us is in a desperate situation, and I suspect we both have the benefit of a good education and being white. We will be less emotional about it than other people.
For other people, our conversation might be seen as making light of a dire situation, or the cluelessness of privilege we did not earn but has been bestowed by the biases of the society we live in. Such people will have much greater inclination towards, as you put it, “expletives or veiled insults”. I tend to view that as a result of passion and personal stake in the matter rather than malice.
See, that’s sort of what I mean - you view the response as “overblown” but did you ever consider that, perhaps, you are not coming across as you intended, you do not know as much as you thought you did, and the response is not overblown? Perhaps you are blundering through a topic you don’t know as much about as you think you did?
Yet you are doing so.
When you unintentionally cause offense I am going to suggest that saying the reaction you get is “overblown” is not as beneficial as considering that perhaps you yourself are indeed being offensive, even if unintentionally, and you need to reconsider your role in all this.
In that case, bravo for you, but when you do engage in discussing things with people of different viewpoints it should not be to convert them to your own viewpoint but rather to learn how they do, in fact, see things and at least be open to adopting some of their viewpoints.
You say you have learned things but I’m a little vague on what that might mean. Several of us have asked you to look into various things but did you? For example, you accuse people of “living on the public teat” and admitted you had little to no knowledge of what benefits are actually available where you live. Have you even looked into that at all? You might be surprised just how little is actually there for people on the bottom. NO ONE lives on welfare for life in the US anymore, anywhere. The only people getting on-going benefits are those who have been decreed disabled, that is, permanently unable to work. Able-bodied people typically have nothing but food stamps. That’s it. Nothing else. (A few states allow such people to get medical care, but that doesn’t put a roof over your head.) In other words, no, people do not live on the “public teat” because there isn’t one. Have you at least googled what’s available in your state for the destitute?
What things have you actually learned from this thread?
Not sure it’s accurate to portray my search as a struggle that I can’t quite overcome when it’s been 4 days. What you said might have some validity given a longer time period, but that statement is just ridiculous and petty. Good on you though if that’s what makes your clock tick. Seems like it would be rather depressing to snipe incoherently without adding any real value.
True statement. But for the third time, I’m not in a position where I have to take anything. I can be picky. Seems like you think there’s something wrong with that.
you’re starting to sound a bit like this guy. yes, it’s satire, but it reflects a certain mindset.
You’re comparing your situation (looking for a low-paying job you don’t really need) and believing everyone else is in the same situation. I brought up having to support a family earlier; if you’re out of money, an $8/hr job isn’t going to pay the bills. and it’s a double whammy because most lower-paying jobs are “clock-punching” jobs where you’re expected to be there when they tell you, which will (and this is the kicker) drastically reduce the time and opportunity you have to look for a better job.
I admit I overreacted, but the smiley face pushed me over the edge.
I sensed later that you were probably trying to be nice. But really, was it a “never say die, can do” spirit that got me where I am? No. My old employer left me an email two years ago, saying that they had an opening if I was still looking for work. That’s it. Six years of my life down the drain. Oh, hello again shithole workplace. Nobody else would take me, so here I am. Thirty years experience now earning entry-level wages. Thank you very much. The whole review debacle was fresh on my mind too.
So I’m sorry for swearing. But not enough to stop saying the words.
If you mean I have that mindset toward people who give up and claim it’s someone else’s fault or problem, then sure, I’ll admit to that.
I see where you’re coming from, but I’ve already said I have the luxury of being picky. I was commenting on the number of unemployed people who are either on welfare, food stamps or other form of government assistance who keep a sharp eye out for that job that pays $100K a year, but think it’s beneath them to go work for McDonalds, a grocery store or a pizza joint. At the end of the day, you’re right, an $8.00/hr job won’t pay the bills. So reduce your bills and stop with the luxuries until you’re in a position to afford them. By luxuries I mean smart phones, computers, expensive vehicles and other unnecessary things. Priorities are shelter, food and clothing. BASIC shelter, food and clothing. If you need assistance with those things for a while, that’s completely fine. But get up and go work that $8/hr job. Get another $8/hr job. Work your ass off until you get into a better position. If one company fires you, go find another job. If the shoe fits. I’m not talking about everyone who’s every had to get assistance. I have distant family who has had to utilize government assistance. I have family who I think are worthless bums who mooch off of other family members. I’d helped family when they show they are trying to better themselves and I’ve told other family members to go pound sand because I would just be enabling them.
My whole point is that the folks who are trying and failing are far better off in the long run than those who don’t try, then complain that everything is unfair and it’s always someone else’s fault. I was able to schedule two interviews in two days for part time work paying little more than minimum wage. One was because I walked in and asked the manager if they were hiring. According to some here, that should have gotten me tossed out. But it didn’t. The second one was because I filled out a little application form at a pizza place I knew would probably have high turnover and received a call a day later to set up an interview for tonight. Maybe some can pass the first one off as my only getting an interview because I’m white, however half or more of the employees that work there are black so not sure that’s even a valid argument. That cannot be said about the second. It was done over the phone (and I don’t have an accent). Race doesn’t apply. Nope, they didn’t kick me out of that place either, even though I barged in like I was owed a job (I didn’t do that. I was respectful and polite).
And how many people does that apply to?
Please provide a cite for whatever number you supply.
Please explain what you think “welfare” means these days.
Please elucidate what you mean by “other form of government assistance”.
I’ve tried to explain to you just how little there is in the form of assistance for an able-bodied adult but I don’t think you’re listening. Please demonstrate in some manner that you are listening.
I see. You know, we’ve had this argument before on this forum, in other threads.
If you purchased a computer when you had a good paying job and money does that mean you need to get rid of it before qualifying for food stamps?
If you’re unemployed and your only vehicle is a luxury sedan, purchased back when you had money, do you need to get rid of it before receiving food stamps? Of course, you then have the problem of looking for a job while lacking reliable transportation…
I can tell you that in my state you must have liquid assets of less than $2,000 to qualify for food stamps. They do allow you to keep 1 vehicle per adult per household so you have a means to get to work, or look for work. You are not required to sell your home, as an example, so you can keep your residence as opposed to forcing homelessness on people.
There has got to be a fancy term somewhere for someone who continually misconstrues the words of others in this manner.
NO ONE said that going in an asking the manager for work will ALWAYS result in you being “tossed out”. We said that it can work against you. Please stop distorting what people are saying in this thread, it is both rude and disrespectful and it’s one of the ways in which you are coming across as arrogant and condescending.