We should all listen to Kevin, the guy who I'd guess much of his anger has been derived by working lots of minimum wage crap jobs most of his life. He probably is the resident expert on that here. But you'd think he would be happier now as part time study hall monitor though but guess not.
I've never seen such a "smart" know-it-all do such a meaningless job. Go figure.
Candy, good advice. My advice isn't nearly as good as yours because it isn't very practical, but here goes:
Young people should time travel to when Candy was a young adult. Tuition at a state college was, what, $500 a year? (Maybe $2,000 in today's dollars.) Now it's utterly impossible to "work your way through college." When was the last time you heard that phrase? It's a joke now, isn't it?
And back then shortly after they graduated from college young people could probably buy a house. Of course now those fortunate enough to graduate from college wind up with student loan payments making a mortgage undoable. So no house for you!- unless you have family money.
Another good reason to time travel, especially for those who didn't advance their education, was that blue-collar wages were so much higher back then. Thirty years ago we had a much, much higher federal minimum wage in today's dollars and many more union jobs with higher union wages. Didn't belong to a union or work for minimum wage back then? No matter, those higher wages put pressure on other employers to pay higher wages, and you were probably a beneficiary. You know, a rising tide lifts all ships.
So like I said, Candy, good advice. Just realize that as a group, young adults today have a much tougher time than your cohort. Your generation left behind a real shit-show, and even though I'm one of them, we can't bury Boomers fast enough.
Originally posted by: O2bnVegas
Regarding the challenges of finding a path to economic stability, I realize a "help wanted" sign isn't a magic wand waved over every applicant. Maybe not the most desirable jobs at the moment, maybe just half a day at $18 an hour. Maybe night hours. But they can be the start of something good for someone who really wants it. People do it all the time--work out the child care somehow, get the GED, take one or two basic courses at the local technical college at a time (our local University has free tuition for anyone over age 60), work out the bus schedule if no car. One foot in front of the other. Salt the pennies away until they turn into quarters and then dollars. If you have no job, your job is looking for a job eight hours a day.
Volunteer work can connect one to...connections with folks who see 'your' potential and need workers, possibly better than the car wash. Learn about a Breast Cancer race or Alzheimers fund raiser or anything, walk up, volunteer for the event, any task they need. Show a great attitude.
People joke about "finding a fascinating career in the fast food industry", as in flipping burgers, but that is where a go-getter can show maturity, responsibility (reporting on time, show interest, willing to work extra when needed, clean the grill, empty the grease, clean the restrooms), and move up the chain, learn food industry skills and people skills at the same time.
Fear of putting one's health at risk? OK, fine. I love listening to "they haven't assurred us the vaccines are safe yet", while they puff away on their Camels, which contain cancer warnings.
Stop listening to how bad things are on TV and Facebook, whether the current political situation is helping or hurting you. Doesn't apply to YOU. Get out there. Be your own person. Seek and you will find. Not instantly, not magically, not necessarily glamourously, but eventually. Accept rejection, move on to the next place. Most high profile actors, athletes, etc. have been rejected on their way up.
Candy
Your uplifting advice is relevant to people just beginning their careers, not to, say, a former sales rep (for a company that has shut down/curtailed its operations) who is trying to decide if she wants to work as a barista for $9 an hour (1/4 of what she used to make).
The trouble with your Horatio Alger strategy is, for many people, they aren't just starting out in life. They have children. They're paying high rents or have mortgages. They've run up debts. They need health care. Et cetera. Bootstrapping yourself is fine and noble and will undoubtedly lead to great things, but many people don't have the luxury of living on peanuts until their luxury liner comes in.
The primary cause of this problem is wage stagnation. People on the lower economic rungs (as far as wages and salaries are concerned) used to be able to at least get by. Now, they can't. All the pluck, fortitude, and derring-do in the world won't let you pay the rent if your paycheck is too small.
I realize that it's a very standard (and very tired) conservative meme that anybody who doesn't become a corporate titan is either stupid, lazy, or both. That mantra is used to justify denying help to all those lazy and stupid bums--and as a bonus, it allows the wealthy an excuse to preen and tell everybody how noble they are.
The sad and ludicrous part is that the rich have thoroughly sold the working class heroes on this ideology.
Originally posted by: Jerry Ice 33
We should all listen to Kevin, the guy who I'd guess much of his anger has been derived by working lots of minimum wage crap jobs most of his life. He probably is the resident expert on that here. But you'd think he would be happier now as part time study hall monitor though but guess not.
What you'd guess, Vending Machine Man, has no relation to reality. Probably fueled by your anger at having to lug around those heavy coin hoppers every day.
As a group, sure maybe, MisterPicture. I refer more to the individual with initiative and drive and imagination who can overcome the barriers you mentioned. Willing to put in the effort, suffer rejection until hired, start low on the totem pole. I don't think I said "work your way through college", though my reference to Technical schools and the free tuition for senior citizens at the local university may have sounded like I did.
As I mentioned, right now there are businesses willing (begging) to 'train' new employees to work in their stores. I had a guy at Bulbs & Batteries (or is it Batteries & Bulbs?) ready to take me on and teach me what I needed to know to work in this nice, air conditioned store. I went in there to buy a watch battery and saw their "Hiring" sign, asked what it took to be hired (just curious, not looking). The two working there were the total workforce (for whatever reason...didn't get that far into the conversation) and they wanted some help ASAP. Probaby stocking, customer service, cashier, etc. at the beginning. I think almost anybody looking for work would have a good shot at some hours of pay at this place. He even said something about "Health plan, benefits." Maybe a national chain?
I don't understand what you mean by my generation leaving behind a shit show.
I realize I'm like Pollyanna, always looking for the good in things. But it hasn't hurt me too badly.
Candy
Originally posted by: Kevin Lewis
Your uplifting advice is relevant to people just beginning their careers, not to, say, a former sales rep (for a company that has shut down/curtailed its operations) who is trying to decide if she wants to work as a barista for $9 an hour (1/4 of what she used to make).
The trouble with your Horatio Alger strategy is, for many people, they aren't just starting out in life. They have children. They're paying high rents or have mortgages. They've run up debts. They need health care. Et cetera. Bootstrapping yourself is fine and noble and will undoubtedly lead to great things, but many people don't have the luxury of living on peanuts until their luxury liner comes in.
The primary cause of this problem is wage stagnation. People on the lower economic rungs (as far as wages and salaries are concerned) used to be able to at least get by. Now, they can't. All the pluck, fortitude, and derring-do in the world won't let you pay the rent if your paycheck is too small.
I realize that it's a very standard (and very tired) conservative meme that anybody who doesn't become a corporate titan is either stupid, lazy, or both. That mantra is used to justify denying help to all those lazy and stupid bums--and as a bonus, it allows the wealthy an excuse to preen and tell everybody how noble they are.
The sad and ludicrous part is that the rich have thoroughly sold the working class heroes on this ideology.
Well, there are all kinds of stories in the naked city. And I'm sorry for the family man who is laid off all of a sudden. I can't help but wonder how he has manged his finances against a possible downturn. How many cars, boats, private schools, fabulous home mortgaged to the hilt? I remember when we bought our house the guy said we could afford a lot higher loan than we were applying for, but we didn't roll that way. Still live in the same house (paid off, thankfully).
Candy
Originally posted by: O2bnVegas
Well, there are all kinds of stories in the naked city. And I'm sorry for the family man who is laid off all of a sudden. I can't help but wonder how he has manged his finances against a possible downturn. How many cars, boats, private schools, fabulous home mortgaged to the hilt? I remember when we bought our house the guy said we could afford a lot higher loan than we were applying for, but we didn't roll that way. Still live in the same house (paid off, thankfully).
Candy
Well, sure, some people are better at managing their personal finances than others. I don't think that should be the primary metric for whether you survive or tank when a crisis hits, but that's the way it is, capitalism yay yay yay. Many people have skill sets that don't produce massive monetary gain but are nonetheless essential to society--like being good with children, for example (and yes, I know that can lead to employment, but sure as shit not very lucrative, as opposed to, say, the Trumpian skill of knowing how to scam people. And yes, I mentioned him again. Deal with it.)
As far as managing for a "possible downturn"--how possible is that for everyone? And what severity or duration of such a downturn? Many, many people had a financial cushion prepared but weren't able to deal with a complete elimination of their jobs for a year or longer. Many people had medical, casualty, etc. expenses that evaporated that cushion. Many people never made enough to pad that cushion in the first place.
Me, I've always had at least one year's worth of living expenses in reserve. I've managed that fund through safe investments and have essentially kept pace with inflation. But I did it because I was both able and willing to. I'm not going to criticize someone who didn't and couldn't do something like that. I don't have the wisdom or look-down-from-above perspective to say what another person should have done blah blah.
To return to what I said above, some people's skill sets don't produce direct economic benefit but are nonetheless highly valuable to society. Yet, we value people solely by their economic output. Again, yay capitalism. That philosophy is used to justify not extending aid to people who need it, because they were never very "productive" (by that narrow metric) in the first place.
Here's the Liberal's argument. If one can retire on a million dollars, and government gives everyone a half a million dollars, none of those folks can afford to retire. Dunderheads all.
"Only problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other peoples money." - Margaret Thatcher
