What different types of work/jobs did you do up to now?

[Timsup2nothin]

No 20 for me. I figured I wasn't supervisor material (and I'm not). Boot camp in 1991 (Orlando), completed Nuclear Power School in 1992 (Orlando), Prototype at MTS 626 (Daniel Webster former SSBN) in 1993 including Engineering Laboratory Technician school, and first ship in 1993. I did re-enlist once in Prototpye school in Charleston, South Carolina. 8 years total for me.

I did the same eight, so I was long gone before you started. 80-88 for me. That "re-enlistment bonus paying for four, even though you're really only extending for two" is a very clever ploy. At that point I had been in for two years, going to school and partying heavily, and extending for two years seemed like nothing. They didn't point out that the two years I extended for would be as the senior reactor operator on a decrepit submarine and nothing like the two years I had already done.

 

[Disgustipated]

What sub were you on? I trained on S5W so it's pretty easy for me. then went to the Enterprise which was a headache in terms of chemistry control (hideout problems on the stainless steel SG's or was it Inconnel- I can't remember).

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Sam Houston...SSN 609. An S5W/S3G-3 plant that I got sent to after NPTU at A1W, the Enterprise prototype. No ELT I ever worked with had a SG to work with that wasn't older than he was, so I've heard plenty about that headache.

 

[CKS]

Awesome:
2, 5, 6, 8

I'm really glad that number 5 is on this list rather than the other one. Sorry about the pay.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I'm really glad that number 5 is on this list rather than the other one. Sorry about the pay.

Yeah it was fun work. It seems like every non-trade, non-degreed job in this country pays around minimum wage. And minimum wage is brutally low here ($7.25/hr, though some states are higher).

 

[yung.carl.jung]

Yes.

Millenials entering the job market are screwed. Wage stagnation is a thing.

You were paid minimum wage for being a dishwasher, line cook and chef? That's odd for sure. Did you aggresively ask for rises? Were you declined? Also. what kind of restaurants did you work at? I've worked service for two years at huge events, then started working as a dishwasher in one of my favorite restaurants in town, then promptly started in service, now I'm managing the kitchen while the regulars are away. Tips (split between all working people evenly, usually we only have 1 server and 2 in the kitchen) make up like 25% of the money I make. It's a lot. Makes minimum wage work bareable. Still I'll be asking for a raise next week

This is the first sidegig I've done that actually was a lot of fun and a rewarding experience.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Yes and yes. The chef job gave me a raise to $9 aftera year which is close enough to minimum wage it didn't change my prospects. Oh and they promptly fired another cook who told me how much he made and prompted me to ask for a raise. I didn't mention how much the other cook made but another co-worker did when he asked for a raise so the first guy got fired. That's illegal as hell but that's restaurants for you.

I have gotten much more aggressive about asking for raises as a professional. There just isn't much you can do as an unskilled laborer. And in most small towns in the US it doesn't matter how good of a chef you are or how long you've been working, you are still going to be at or just above minimum.

In my list I lumped several jobs together. I actually counted how many separate jobs I have had last night and it's 18. I was a dishwasher and line cook at a Taco Bell, Wendy's and a family owned pizza place. I was a Chef at a smokehouse and a manager at a Quiznos (I lumped those two together bc I was technically a manager at the smokehouse too). Both of those gigs paid betwwen $7.25 and $9.


The vast majority of restaurants do not pool tip money for the back of house so now you have chefs who went to culinary schools working at expensive restaurants making at or close to minimum wage with tens of thousands in debt. It's a seriously broken job market.

Oh and Trump's admin proposed a rule change that would allow restaurant owners to confiscate tips earned over minimum. Not sure if that rule change went through or not but it's clear there is a sustained assault on labor in this country.

 

[Synobun]

I have gotten much more aggressive about asking for raises as a professional. There just isn't much you can do as an unskilled laborer. And in most small towns in the US it doesn't matter how good of a chef you are or how long you've been working, you are still going to be at or just above minimum.

I've always found this annoying. All the skilled work I've ever done was far less stressful and demanding on me as an individual than the "unskilled" labour. I kind of envy those who can thrive in a burger flipping role because I definitely couldn't.

Although maybe this could be chalked up to the social aspect of the job. Most of the unskilled work I did was customer-facing, and there's nothing worse than a customer.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I've always found this annoying. All the skilled work I've ever done was far less stressful and demanding on me as an individual than the "unskilled" labour. I kind of envy those who can thrive in a burger flipping role because I definitely couldn't.

Although maybe this could be chalked up to the social aspect of the job. Most of the unskilled work I did was customer-facing, and there's nothing worse than a customer.

Oddly enough one of my favorite jobs was as a cashier at Goodwill's. I'm good with people and I had no real responsibilities at that job. It was fun and full time with a somewhat set schedule. But it paid $0.25 above min with threadbare benefits.

 

[Drewcifer]

In my list I lumped several jobs together. I actually counted how many separate jobs I have had last night and it's 18. I was a dishwasher and line cook at a Taco Bell, Wendy's and a family owned pizza place. I was a Chef at a smokehouse and a manager at a Quiznos (I lumped those two together bc I was technically a manager at the smokehouse too). Both of those gigs paid betwwen $7.25 and $9.

Have you thought about moving? In most cities in the US there is a massive shortage of cooks and chefs. In my market line cooks make $13 to $18 an hour, sous chefs $40k to $50k a year. The cost of living is higher than in small towns but if you avoid the cities on the coasts it isn't that much higher.

 

[Dachs]

Have you thought about moving? In most cities in the US there is a massive shortage of cooks and chefs. In my market line cooks make $13 to $18 an hour, sous chefs $40k to $50k a year. The cost of living is higher than in small towns but if you avoid the cities on the coasts it isn't that much higher.

That was a previous job. Hobbs is now a rocket scientist.

 

[Drewcifer]

Never mind then.

 

[Broken_Erika]

I am a professional procrastinator.

 

[MaryKB]

My first job when I was a teenager was as a cashier at McDonalds, I did that for a couple years. After college I got a job working in insurance adjusting, I'd have to do like cataloging of peoples' possessions after fires and estimate replacement values, I felt that job was extremely depressing, and it had nothing at all to do with my degree in accounting. I moved from Canada to the United States, and my aunt helped me get a job as a bank teller, and I worked there for like four years, then I moved again and got a job in another bank in customer service. I was doing that job for one year, then I moved into fraud, and after about a year I moved into fraud data analytics, and I've been doing that for like six years now. I was promoted to Vice President in February, I don't have any people I manage or anything, but I'm pretty much like the central person for fraud analytics, and I've probably hit my ceiling now because I have no management experience, like ever.

 

[rah]

Every manager in history didn't have managerial experience at some time.

If you carry yourself in a manner that suggest you can manage people, somebody may eventually take a chance on you.

 

[Synobun]

Also, VP titles are like crack for the resume.

 

[rah]

Unless you're in a service industry where they get handed out like candy.
Customers don't want to deal with anybody lower than a VP.

 

[Synobun]

Unless you're in a service industry where they get handed out like candy.
Customers don't want to deal with anybody lower than a VP.

I'm not satisfied with my McD's experience until I've spoken to the Vice President of Bovine Processing Operations.

 

[Lexicus]

I'm not satisfied with my McD's experience until I've spoken to the Vice President of Bovine Processing Operations.

Pro-tip, you can really annoy McDonald's workers by repeatedly asking to talk to the Vice President of Give Me My Goddamn Food In Five Minutes Or Less

Have you thought about moving? In most cities in the US there is a massive shortage of cooks and chefs. In my market line cooks make $13 to $18 an hour, sous chefs $40k to $50k a year. The cost of living is higher than in small towns but if you avoid the cities on the coasts it isn't that much higher.

B o o t s t r a p

 

[Synobun]

Move to another city to pursue your passion of a $13/hr line cook job.