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For me, I've always been really fortunate with getting jobs that pay well and are fullfilling. The only time I was in some what of a crappy situation was when I managed the homeless shelter after I was downsized. Other than that, I've done pretty well.
I do believe some were just given the short end of the stick and really don't have many options. Sure some will say "go to school, learn a trade, start a business, etc.." but is the the likely answer?
Is everyone in a society going to get opportunities presented to them? Does it really boil down to just good old fashioned "hard work"?
All I can say is that you are lucky. Lots of people struggle with jobs/careers in life.
I believe that it can be a number of things. Maybe for those that know exactly what they want to do very early in life have an advantage. Those that don't really have a clue what to do for a living they end up trying a lot of different jobs until they find one that "works" for them. I would say to younger people out there to find out early on if possible and pursue it and stick with it.
Everybody has something that they can do. Just a matter of finding it. Some may have more options than others, but that's life. We are all different.
I also think finding your "niche" or whatever you want to call it can be found in knowing the right people and having connections in some way. For some, your parents could help you out with finding a job or really whomever. Or luck and being in the right place at the right time sort of thing could apply here.
Hard work may pay off once in a blue moon, but it could also take sucking up to superiors and getting in good with the right people to "move up in the world." Sometimes you have to play the games and be fake and slowly just learn to play the game.
So, there really is no timeline in finding the right job for a person. It all varies like everything in life.
I just changed careers about a month ago. I stayed at my previous job for 2-1/2 years because I loved my guests and some of my co-workers. But the GM and his assistant were really miserable people. Mean and snarky. Anyway, as soon as I left that job, I felt as if a huge weight was being lifted from my shoulders. And I didn't have another full time job to go to, but rather a lot of part time work from four different companies. Well... long story short, one of those companies had an emergency situation where one of their chef managers had to undergo an immediate quadruple bypass surgery and they asked me to cover his job for the next 8-12 week period. I had never been in management or been a professional cook, only a waitress. However, the district manager was very impressed with my overall work experiences and my excellent problem solving and communication skills. I am also a foodie and love to cook at home. One month into this job, and my customers love me and my food more than the real chef who is recovering from his surgery. I also have two other job offers on the table from other people I have worked with.
The key to my success and why I will never be unemployed, is that I have a really positive work attitude, I practice commonsense, I stay calm under fire and I am willing to do anything to get the job done. I am also well spoken, so I always make a great representative for any company. I also don't sport any tattoos or odd piercings.
The people I know who are underemployed, generally have a negative attitude about work and their career. They are full of excuses as to why they won't apply for a certain job, or they prefer to look eccentric in an effort to be "unique" and special, or they insist on talking in stupid "hip" slang... so they would be an embarrassment to any company they worked for. Be unique, but do it off work hours.
I'm glad to hear things are going well for you. You make great points. Attitude is key as well as the way in which you present youself.
Best wishes!
Quote:
Originally Posted by miu
I just changed careers about a month ago. I stayed at my previous job for 2-1/2 years because I loved my guests and some of my co-workers. But the GM and his assistant were really miserable people. Mean and snarky. Anyway, as soon as I left that job, I felt as if a huge weight was being lifted from my shoulders. And I didn't have another full time job to go to, but rather a lot of part time work from four different companies. Well... long story short, one of those companies had an emergency situation where one of their chef managers had to undergo an immediate quadruple bypass surgery and they asked me to cover his job for the next 8-12 week period. I had never been in management or been a professional cook, only a waitress. However, the district manager was very impressed with my overall work experiences and my excellent problem solving and communication skills. I am also a foodie and love to cook at home. One month into this job, and my customers love me and my food more than the real chef who is recovering from his surgery. I also have two other job offers on the table from other people I have worked with.
The key to my success and why I will never be unemployed, is that I have a really positive work attitude, I practice commonsense, I stay calm under fire and I am willing to do anything to get the job done. I am also well spoken, so I always make a great representative for any company. I also don't sport any tattoos or odd piercings.
The people I know who are underemployed, generally have a negative attitude about work and their career. They are full of excuses as to why they won't apply for a certain job, or they prefer to look eccentric in an effort to be "unique" and special, or they insist on talking in stupid "hip" slang... so they would be an embarrassment to any company they worked for. Be unique, but do it off work hours.
I'm glad you were able to respond before I deleted the the thread. I was not sure if the topic or the way I communicvated the topic was well presented.
Yes, I've always been fortunate even in situations in which I thought I wasn't.
I always knew that I wanted to study Finance and have a career in Finance.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rift
All I can say is that you are lucky. Lots of people struggle with jobs/careers in life.
I believe that it can be a number of things. Maybe for those that know exactly what they want to do very early in life have an advantage. Those that don't really have a clue what to do for a living they end up trying a lot of different jobs until they find one that "works" for them. I would say to younger people out there to find out early on if possible and pursue it and stick with it.
Everybody has something that they can do. Just a matter of finding it. Some may have more options than others, but that's life. We are all different.
I also think finding your "niche" or whatever you want to call it can be found in knowing the right people and having connections in some way. For some, your parents could help you out with finding a job or really whomever. Or luck and being in the right place at the right time sort of thing could apply here.
Hard work may pay off once in a blue moon, but it could also take sucking up to superiors and getting in good with the right people to "move up in the world." Sometimes you have to play the games and be fake and slowly just learn to play the game.
So, there really is no timeline in finding the right job for a person. It all varies like everything in life.
Not everyone is going to have a fulfilling career. Not everyone is even going to get out of the rut of having jobs that just help them survive. Even those who have education and decent upbringings are not guaranteed any "success." I know many who grew up middle class, finished college, and still have what I view as just a job. These jobs offer little in ways of upward mobility, growth, or even fulfillment. Sometimes it is a personal choice-- I have two friends who would prefer to work low level non stressful jobs because they care more about other things and don't want to really have careers-- whereas I know others who wish they could climb the corporate ladder and get promoted but they are just not the right fits to go into leadership, etc.
I had a friend who honestly will never move up. He will be for the most part destined to be in the same type of position that he is in-- he does not see it- he does not see why he is not something wonderful to his management. He does not even notice the attitude he carries around him that is one of if-you-get-ahead-in-business-it-is-because-you-have-thrown-someone-else-under-the-bus. What he doesn't get is that is work is not all that great, he is not really that out of a box thinker, he takes either a long time to finish his work or he doesn't finish any projects, and he is not the most reliable person in terms of timeliness.
It is the nature of life. Life is not fair-- and for some people it will always be a struggle no matter what. And then for some others things will just be supremely easy through no merit of fault of that person.
I do believe attitude and aptitude carries people far in life. Can't has never been in my vocabulary and even when I have had to take low level positions or hustle for a job-- I have always done it with an attitude of I will show these people what I can do. I have never once had the miserable attitude that I am owed something, that everyone in business is corrupt, that there is nothing out there for me, etc. I am thankful that I also am pretty intelligent and can pick up things easily.
For some people even with hard work-- they are just not as bright as another and they just won't ever progress much farther in their jobs or careers no matter how much will they have.
Well I don't have many options-so I'm changing my career-the problem? I'm interested in to many different fields-I'm thinking of getting a Master's Degree in HR-I can't live off of what I make anymore and not many companies in the area....
The woman who helps me at my cafe is someone who will always have "bad luck" in her life. She is very closeminded about change and has tons of reasons as to why she doesn't want to advance with this company. I think that she has potential and have offered to teach her the managerial skills needed to be promoted, but she always turns me down.
So some of the things I do to make my customers happy is to buy organic eggs with petty cash, and to offer more healthy food options. I also make sure that what I make is low in sodium. My customers are all professionals, and many of them are older, so naturally they would want to eat healthier. As to my bosses, I make sure that they see that I am trying hard to increase both sales and customer satisfaction. I am also working on being more efficient with my ordering and I am cutting waste. If I have a good day saleswise, I immediately shoot an email to my director of operations. They always see me as a positive force.
Actually, starting this new job, my business computer skills were close to nil. But currently, I have developed a passable knowledge of Excel spreadsheets and signmaking with the Word program.
And if I didn't have so much work in the food and beverage industry, I could also work as an AV tech at a local university. Since I used to be in a couple of garage bands, I know how to hook up a sound system. Maybe next year...
Otherwise, I don't worry about if a job doesn't pay enough on its own. I am willing to work additional part time jobs to up my weekly income. It's not that important to me to have every Friday night or my weekends off to party or do nothing productive. I find some part of every job satisfying and enjoyable to do.
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