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I mean actually applied for. I realize that "lowliest" is a vague term, as one man's junk is another man's treasure.
We talk a lot in this forum about how there are NO jobs available. I can say it too, but the truth is there are a billion I have NOT applied for, so how would I know?
Anyway, went through the KFC drive-through today. There was a nice enough minority guy at the window. I wondered if I could get his job. Nevermind the fact that I was an asst mgr of a KFC when I was 17. 33 years later I am wondering if I could get his job!
Anyway, what is your bottom in terms of a job application?
I was a nurse aid in a nursing home. A professional butt wiper for the princely sum of $1.65 per hour. I also worked at a self serve gas station for $2 per hour. I've worked in fast food too. Yes, I've had some crappy jobs. Some less than legal minimum wage because I was working in a college town where the employers could get away with it!
I just started a seasonal job at an outlet mall. I'm just a temp thru the holidays. I haven't worked retail in 35 years so it should be interesting.
I do have one interesting observation. I've always found the 'lowly' jobs to be hard work. Much harder work than the jobs I've had that paid 50X more money. It shouldn't be that way but that's my experience.
I was a nurse aid in a nursing home. A professional butt wiper for the princely sum of $1.65 per hour. I also worked at a self serve gas station for $2 per hour. I've worked in fast food too. Yes, I've had some crappy jobs. Some less than legal minimum wage because I was working in a college town where the employers could get away with it!
I just started a seasonal job at an outlet mall. I'm just a temp thru the holidays. I haven't worked retail in 35 years so it should be interesting.
I do have one interesting observation. I've always found the 'lowly' jobs to be hard work. Much harder work than the jobs I've had that paid 50X more money. It shouldn't be that way but that's my experience.
Good luck with your seasonal job!
See, that is one of the jobs I cannot quite consider doing - in large part because I did retail as a youngster and my feet were aching after only being on them for four hours. So I think a standing job is out.
Anyway, it is so strange to consider having to do the types of jobs I did 35 years ago - sort of like we come into this world in diapers and we go out in depends.
I do have one interesting observation. I've always found the 'lowly' jobs to be hard work. Much harder work than the jobs I've had that paid 50X more money. It shouldn't be that way but that's my experience.
I totally agree! You are on your feet all day for long irregular hours, dealing with unhappy customers in a noisy and chaotic environment. You get usually no benefits and not even decent breaks.
To be honest, I haven't applied for really low low jobs. The lowest I've worked are some retail jobs in college, but even those were small boutiques. Nothing like a grocery store or discount big box store. They didn't pay any better but the conditions were better, the customers were better.
Now, I've applied for a few retail jobs again, but they all tell me my retail experience is too far in the past to be relevant anymore and that I'm overqualified otherwise.
I took a seasonal job at Target for the holidays. This would be my lowest in 23 years. I look at it as every little bit help. I can't wait to see my first check today, I claimed zero. This extra money will go toward my daughters medical bills. If they keep me after the holidays, this will work out ok.
See, that is one of the jobs I cannot quite consider doing - in large part because I did retail as a youngster and my feet were aching after only being on them for four hours. So I think a standing job is out.
Anyway, it is so strange to consider having to do the types of jobs I did 35 years ago - sort of like we come into this world in diapers and we go out in depends.
I really wondered about the feet thing too but no problems so far! Most likely because I run for exercise.
And yes, it's quite a change. The worm always turns!
I totally agree! You are on your feet all day for long irregular hours, dealing with unhappy customers in a noisy and chaotic environment. You get usually no benefits and not even decent breaks.
To be honest, I haven't applied for really low low jobs. The lowest I've worked are some retail jobs in college, but even those were small boutiques. Nothing like a grocery store or discount big box store. They didn't pay any better but the conditions were better, the customers were better.
Now, I've applied for a few retail jobs again, but they all tell me my retail experience is too far in the past to be relevant anymore and that I'm overqualified otherwise.
Rewrite the resume. Leave off all the education and remake yourself into a housewife/househusband returning to the workforce. Become what they want you to be.
Adding to the "no low job" statement...
When I dropped out of college, I worked at a frozen food onion ring factory. $2.20/hr., and minimum wage was $1.80. Frozen Food Worker' Union.
All the Puerto Rican workers had fingers missing and stuff. The place was over 100 degrees. New workers would leave the line to throw up.
I watched the poor Puerto Ricans and southern migrated black people line up to punch cards every day and thought, if I had to do this forever, I mean HAD TO, I'd turn to drink and drugs or become a hooker (a viable option when I was a young thing).
Now, I suppose it was better than sharecropping in the segregated South, or living on the streets in Camden, NJ. But it was the worst environment I'd ever seen.
Rewrite the resume. Leave off all the education and remake yourself into a housewife/househusband returning to the workforce. Become what they want you to be.
I've succeeded in rewriting it enough to get some inquiries about admin jobs but not for retail work. I'm single and I have no children so I can't pretend I haven't been doing anything for ten years or didn't spend five years before that in school.
I can't even get my dad to hire me at his company (he's the team leader/supervisor) that does electrical contracts for buildings/plants. His company is full of drop-outs, drug addicts, and felons. He said I shouldn't work at his place, even temporarily, because of how crappy the employees are.
He has one or two engineers in the company that I'd like to at least get some working experience under but no luck. Thanks a lot dad LOL.
I'm currently trying to get an engineering technician job which pays $10k- $15K less than what I'd make as an engineer but I am willing to do so to get my foot in the door. Easier said than done.
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