Would you take a job you didn't like in order to get started in life?

[jld]

I read the article, "American Dream Elusive for Younger Generation", just now in the NYT, and in it a young man says he wants to wait for a job he likes rather than take something now just to have a job.

 

What would you do in his shoes? What would you advise your kids to do?

[coffeefreak]

He's dumb. I've worked jobs I didn't like, DH worked a job for 4 years he didn't like! He looked for work the entire time! Is this guy prepared to wait around for 4 years? People like that make me angry.:mad: I would tell him to get of his butt and go to work.

[Renee in NC]

What a moron! He turned down a $40,000 a year job because he thought it would stunt his career? He doesn't *have* a career. He has a college degree and no marketable skills. His parents are paying his cell phone bill and his rent. He's 24 for goodness sakes!

 

I just don't understand. He could have taken the job as the claims adjuster, increased his skills, and then reapplied for the management training program. Work on an MBA at night. Volunteer in some capacity that would further the career that you want to be in.

[OnTheBrink]

You know, my son had the same issue. He didn't want just any old job, he wanted the high pay, status, etc. RIGHT NOW.

 

After I got up off the floor from laughing, I told him that he was going to get NO job with that attitude. A work history, even at jobs you hate and are overqualified for, is better than a long stint of unemployment. If you work flipping burgers and do it well, and get good reviews from your employer, that tells future employers you're a good worker, even if you have no or little experience in the job you're really wanting.

 

My current job is not my dream job, even though I'm wholly thankful for it. But, my supervisor said that she can train anyone to do the job, she was looking for someone with the right character so they could depend on and trust the person to do the job. I had to use my volunteer positions as references, because I'd not worked in so long, but because I had a history of being a hard worker and reliable, even though I'd never done this kind of work before, they held those qualities as more important than having years of experience and being a lousy employee.

 

SO, my advice to any young person seeking employment is the same, especially in the current economy. Take whatever's offered for right now. Be a good employee. Be on time. Be appropriately dressed and groomed. Take initiative. Ask questions. Work on work time, break on break time. When you're ready or when you find a job you like better, give the current employer adequate notice. Be considerate. Skills can be learned. Character can be developed. Be patient. Expect to work. Don't over estimate your worth and get cocky. Treat whatever job you have seriously. Reputation and recommendations sometimes go farther (or is it further?) than a pretty resume.

[silliness7]

I read the article, "American Dream Elusive for Younger Generation", just now in the NYT, and in it a young man says he wants to wait for a job he likes rather than take something now just to have a job.

 

What would you do in his shoes? What would you advise your kids to do?

 

Maybe he was homeschooled only using curriculum that he liked.:lol:

[RoughCollie]

I would say do something, even if it isn't the exact path he wants, because it could lead to the right path for him.

[RoughCollie]

Maybe he was homeschooled only using curriculum that he liked.:lol:

 

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[Gooblink]

Hmmm, I've interviewed and hired a lot of folks over the course of my professional career and will say that resumes with employment gaps go straight into the slush pile. Chances are if someone thinks they're worth too much to support themselves with a lesser, but honest, job then they're not gonna want to work very hard for me, either.

[TXMomof4]

That's obnoxious. Of course you take a job to bring in an income while you search for a job you'd like/love. Let me tell you, working in a movie theater is NOT fun, but it certainly pays for gas and food while you wait for that great opening at the Gap. (Speaking from personal experience here.)

ETA: That was HIGH SCHOOL experience. I'm not hanging out waiting for the Gap the call now. Maybe when the kids are older...

[LizzyBee]

I read the article, "American Dream Elusive for Younger Generation", just now in the NYT, and in it a young man says he wants to wait for a job he likes rather than take something now just to have a job.

 

What would you do in his shoes? What would you advise your kids to do?

 

I would advise my kids to find another place to live because they're not living on my dime unless they're going to school or working.

[RegGuheert]

It is an interesting article, and I have mixed feelings on this subject.

 

Ultimately, my feelings are mingled with previous discussions we have had here and on the college board regarding whether you should seek a college education to launch a career or to study something that interests you. In this case, the young man studied political science and history, yet he is seeking positions in the financial industry. In this case, I agree with PPs who have said he should take what he can find. I do think this young man may have put himself into a bad position by comparing himself with his older brother (who took his current job in 2006 before the recession started).

 

OTOH, in my industry (electrical engineering) as well as many other professional career paths, taking an out-of-field job just out of college can be a huge set-back for your career. Practically all future jobs are based on previous employment, including both wages and tasks, and starting out with low wages and out-of-field work can limit or even eliminate your possible career in the desired area, depending on how long you stay out of your field.

[Crissy]

I seems to me that this young man's sense of entitlement is preventing him from noticing that the American Dream is right in his face.

[Joanne]

Absolutely. It's called maturity.

[Barry Goldwater]

Would you take a job you didn't like in order to get started in life?

I read the article, "American Dream Elusive for Younger Generation", just now in the NYT, and in it a young man says he wants to wait for a job he likes rather than take something now just to have a job.

 

What would you do in his shoes? What would you advise your kids to do?

 

In fact, I did, several times...1st job I took where I wasn't also continuing job hunt occurred after 13 years into my career...it lasted 5 yrs.:lol:

 

Even the ideal job changes...ownership of employer (my case), your own interests and desires for new challenges, change in supervisor, change in your own life circumstances (my ideal job also became 'less so' as family time needed to increase). Nothing happens if you just sit at home and wait...or as one wise coworker told me once, "if you want to be out there, you have to be out there..."

 

The kid (24 yrs old!) is a big baby, over-indulged by parents, and needs a serious kick out the door for a dose of reality...it would do him good.

 

BTW, if this is the competition MY dear children are going to face, they're going to conquer the planet...:drool5:

[Crissy]

BTW, if this is the competition MY dear children are going to face, they're going to conquer the planet...:drool5:

 

 

:thumbup:

[Desert Rat]

I would never have been in his shoes. I had to take any job I could get. Still do.

[RebeccaS]

BTW, if this is the competition MY dear children are going to face, they're going to conquer the planet...:drool5:

:lol:

 

Shortly after we were married, dh lost his job. For the next year and a half, he took whatever short term jobs he could (in his field) until he landed the permanent, full time job he's at now. He really hated some of those jobs, but they paid the bills. I love that he did that for us. :001_wub:

[dangermom]

His strategy is going to backfire. Far better to be looking for a job you like while you're employed; the longer he's unemployed, the worse his prospects will be.

[Rosy]

Just to throw another thought out there (and I didn't read the article, so this might have been mentioned)...

 

There are some fields (like Reg mentioned) where it could be detrimental to take an unrelated job and then try to get in a few years down the road. So just jumping on a decent job might not be in one's best interests long-term. I don't think this is necessarily true for a poli sci/history major, but it might be in some cases.

 

However, I don't think sitting around, waiting for the perfect job to drop into one's lap is the answer either. If my kid was in that position, I would encourage him/her to stay involved with his/her field by interning, volunteering, etc. and find a job that would allow him/her to do that. It might mean waiting tables/working a graveyard shift somewhere in order to have days free. Or taking the insurance adjuster job and continuing to network, join professional associations, etc.

 

I also think kids need to think long-term about what they intend to do with their degrees, not just get the degree and assume a job will be there when they graduate.

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

My dh has taken jobs he didnt like a few times. You have to do what you have to do-- especially in this job market! I would advise my kids to take the job while looking for what they want.

[Mejane]

Typical mindset. My kids know they will most likely start at the bottom doing something that's not their dream job, and work their way up. Dh is in a good place employment-wise, but they're well aware it took their father twenty years to get where he is.

[Nicole M]

I seems to me that this young man's sense of entitlement is preventing him from noticing that the American Dream is right in his face.

 

Yup.

 

My first job out of college was selling lingerie at Sears. They scheduled folks to work 38 hour weeks then laid them off during the off season. That way they wouldn't have to pay benefits, since technically the job was "part time," didn't exceed a certain number of hours / year. It was one of suckiest jobs I've ever had, and I've had quite a few sucky jobs. It did not prevent me from getting a "real" job the following fall.

[Mom in High Heels]

Give me a break. You have to eat. You take a job, any job to get by until you find something you like. What a tool.

[Daisy]

Sure I've worked jobs I didn't like in order to make a living. I don't understand the mentality that says you have to like everything you do. Time to put on the big boy/girl panties and get to work.

[jenL]

I seems to me that this young man's sense of entitlement is preventing him from noticing that the American Dream is right in his face.

 

 

:iagree: Both Dh and I took jobs we didn't like to get by while we searched for something else. We both learned skills at these jobs that ended up enhancing our qualifications for the future. This boy needs to grow up and his parents need to stop helping him maintain this attitude by supporting him with housing and finances.

[MamaSheep]

A 24 year old is not a child. I'm willing to support my children, but I think adults should support themselves. And sometimes that means doing things that we don't like. Welcome to adulthood. (Which is not to say I wouldn't help out an adult child (or sibling or parent or in-law) in a real pinch by taking them into my home and whatnot. But I can't see myself willing to pay bills for an adult who had just turned down a $40K job offer.)

[Nicole M]

Give me a break. You have to eat. You take a job, any job to get by until you find something you like. What a tool.

 

OMG, I love you for using "tool."

[Impish]

Lets see:

 

• Grandparents paid his tuition AND his board for college
  
• Mom and Dad let him move home after graduating in 2008
  
• Mom and Dad now pay half of the $2000 rent at his brother's.
  

 

Absolutely no wonder to me that he's sitting around, mowing lawns at 24 yrs old, waiting for the 'right' job. One would think that mowing a lawn would be more the 'wrong' job than the one for $40k he turned down...but then, its occasional work vs full time. Perhaps the young man is as lazy as he is entitled?

 

Now, I'm Canadian, so I might have this a bit wrong, but isn't the 'American Dream' based on working your butt off and achieving, rather than waiting for family connections or similar to hand you what you want? That's what *I* thought it was supposed to be, but perhaps something got lost this side of the border.

 

Its symptomatic, to me, of the parents I've heard state that 'going to school' is their child's 'job' and the child wouldn't be required to do anything else until graduating. Kids are being so coddled in some quarters that they don't have a grip on reality, and what it takes to survive.

 

I agree with 'what a tool'. Any other term I can think of would be bleeped.

 

Only someone with severe entitlement issues and well off parents/grandparents could AFFORD to sit and wait for the 'right' job. The rest need to feed themselves.

[Aggie]

You know, my son had the same issue. He didn't want just any old job, he wanted the high pay, status, etc. RIGHT NOW.

 

After I got up off the floor from laughing, I told him that he was going to get NO job with that attitude. A work history, even at jobs you hate and are overqualified for, is better than a long stint of unemployment. If you work flipping burgers and do it well, and get good reviews from your employer, that tells future employers you're a good worker, even if you have no or little experience in the job you're really wanting.

 

My current job is not my dream job, even though I'm wholly thankful for it. But, my supervisor said that she can train anyone to do the job, she was looking for someone with the right character so they could depend on and trust the person to do the job. I had to use my volunteer positions as references, because I'd not worked in so long, but because I had a history of being a hard worker and reliable, even though I'd never done this kind of work before, they held those qualities as more important than having years of experience and being a lousy employee.

 

SO, my advice to any young person seeking employment is the same, especially in the current economy. Take whatever's offered for right now. Be a good employee. Be on time. Be appropriately dressed and groomed. Take initiative. Ask questions. Work on work time, break on break time. When you're ready or when you find a job you like better, give the current employer adequate notice. Be considerate. Skills can be learned. Character can be developed. Be patient. Expect to work. Don't over estimate your worth and get cocky. Treat whatever job you have seriously. Reputation and recommendations sometimes go farther (or is it further?) than a pretty resume.

 

Great advice. :iagree:

[gingersmom]

I was just discussing that article with my 13 year old daughter. And the other funny thing is I was talking to someone yesterday about their daughter who just graduated from University of Vermont and is unemployed as is all her fellow graduates.

 

I told my daughter I would recommend she take the job and continue looking for another one at the same time.

 

At a time of near record unemployment how can you afford to turn up your nose at $40,000.

[Crissy]

Lets see:

Now, I'm Canadian, so I might have this a bit wrong, but isn't the 'American Dream' based on working your butt off and achieving, rather than waiting for family connections or similar to hand you what you want? That's what *I* thought it was supposed to be, but perhaps something got lost this side of the border.

 

 

 

I do think a lot of young people have a very different definition of the American Dream than folks used. They don't believe that the Dream is having the opportunity to work hard and achieve, rather the Dream is the end result. The high paying job, the big house and the luxury car.

[LibraryLover]

Some people are lazy and in La La Land, but not everyone. Let's remember there is no story in the situation illustrated above. Nobody is going to click on Recent Young College Grad Hired For Decent Job/Moderate Pay. Of course a 'journalist' is going to go for the story that pisses everyone off.

Edited July 14, 2010 by LibraryLover

[runmiarun]

Ok, that's appalling. He was told he could go back into the Marines as a second lt. but "the sheen was off" so he doesn't want that anymore. He was told in the interview that his brother's job was about 15 steps above his. He was given a chance to start his way at the bottom of a company and work up, rather than start at the top and work down. In effect, he turned down 2 secure jobs in a nation where the unemployment rate is into the double digits and not budging anytime soon. I feel no sympathy for him. My husband happily dumps other people's trash cans every day, cleans their public bathrooms, and mows their public parks so we can make the bills. He has a degree in computer science and 15 experience in IT but can't find work in his field after 2 years of being laid off. He took the first job offered after his layoff and we jumped for joy to have it. If the kid wants to wait, let him. My husband would gladly take that job he turned down so we could have breathing room in our budget for getting the van fixed, repairing our leaky roof, replace the rotted sheetrock in the laundry room, and not eat rice and beans 3x week.

[coffeefreak]

I'm still mad about that article. The job market wasn't any better when I graduated from college. My first job was as a customer service rep for the local newspaper making 8.50 and hour! I then worked for a brokerage firm making 9.50 an hour! NONE of my friends were offered anything CLOSE to $40000 a year at their first jobs even WITH college degrees. Hell, even the military academy pay less than that to their graduates.

 

A pp is right, he is a tool!

 

And Barry Goldwater, you're so right, our kids are going to be RICH!:D

[JennyD]

 

There are some fields (like Reg mentioned) where it could be detrimental to take an unrelated job and then try to get in a feyears down the road. So just jumping on a decent job might not be in one's best interests long-term....However, I don't think sitting around, waiting for the perfect job to drop into one's lap is the answer either. If my kid was in that position, I would encourage him/her to stay involved with his/her field by interning, volunteering, etc. and find a job that would allow him/her to do that.

 

 

 

I agree. The competition with his brother isn't doing him any favors, but there are circumstances in which it can be better to hold out for a more in-field position.

[kewb]

Its symptomatic, to me, of the parents I've heard state that 'going to school' is their child's 'job' and the child wouldn't be required to do anything else until graduating.

 

That was my parents philosophy and my sister and I worked our butts off doing that job. We then took whatever job we could get after college because the other thing our parents taught us is that it is easier to find the job of your dreams if you already have a job.

 

Having your studies be your "job" does not automatically lead to an over developed sense of entitlement. Parents not expecting anything of their children and handing them everything does.

 

The young man waiting for the right job is a nutter who will be waiting around for a long time.

[delaney]

I did. I took a Special Ed position b/c they couldn't get anyone else to do it. I really didn't want it but it was a way to get in the door. It turned out okay since I got to get my feet wet on a smaller scale than 22 kids at once.

[Impish]

That was my parents philosophy and my sister and I worked our butts off doing that job. We then took whatever job we could get after college because the other thing our parents taught us is that it is easier to find the job of your dreams if you already have a job.

 

Having your studies be your "job" does not automatically lead to an over developed sense of entitlement. Parents not expecting anything of their children and handing them everything does.

 

The young man waiting for the right job is a nutter who will be waiting around for a long time.

Bingo. And the same ppl I've heard irl saying that their kid's only job is school fit into that line of thought. No chores, live at the parents until after they were married and could afford to buy a house (including many stints of unemployment, because, well...they didn't *have* to pay bills), etc.

 

Its been my only experience of it, hence my answer.

[Food4Thought]

I used to work for a recruiter. If I received that man's resume, and he hadn't worked a single job after graduating college TWO YEARS AGO, it would go in the trash. I don't care what his GPA is if he has no job experience by age 24.

 

It's a good thing his parents and grandparents have enough money to take care of him for a while.

 

He probably didn't even have to hold down a job during college, since they paid everything for him. I wonder if his parents realize they crippled that boy.

[catalinakel]

You know, my son had the same issue. He didn't want just any old job, he wanted the high pay, status, etc. RIGHT NOW.

 

After I got up off the floor from laughing, I told him that he was going to get NO job with that attitude. A work history, even at jobs you hate and are overqualified for, is better than a long stint of unemployment. If you work flipping burgers and do it well, and get good reviews from your employer, that tells future employers you're a good worker, even if you have no or little experience in the job you're really wanting.

 

My current job is not my dream job, even though I'm wholly thankful for it. But, my supervisor said that she can train anyone to do the job, she was looking for someone with the right character so they could depend on and trust the person to do the job. I had to use my volunteer positions as references, because I'd not worked in so long, but because I had a history of being a hard worker and reliable, even though I'd never done this kind of work before, they held those qualities as more important than having years of experience and being a lousy employee.

 

SO, my advice to any young person seeking employment is the same, especially in the current economy. Take whatever's offered for right now. Be a good employee. Be on time. Be appropriately dressed and groomed. Take initiative. Ask questions. Work on work time, break on break time. When you're ready or when you find a job you like better, give the current employer adequate notice. Be considerate. Skills can be learned. Character can be developed. Be patient. Expect to work. Don't over estimate your worth and get cocky. Treat whatever job you have seriously. Reputation and recommendations sometimes go farther (or is it further?) than a pretty resume.

 

Very wise counsel. I have been taking an informal poll all of my working life. I have had dozens of jobs, and whenever I have worked with people who are conscientious and dependable, it has turned out that they worked a job in high school. I believe that those high school burger-flipping jobs can make all the difference in a person's work ethic.

[elegantlion]

I seems to me that this young man's sense of entitlement is preventing him from noticing that the American Dream is right in his face.

 

Sure I've worked jobs I didn't like in order to make a living. I don't understand the mentality that says you have to like everything you do. Time to put on the big boy/girl panties and get to work.

 

:iagree::iagree:

[cathmom]

I did. I took a Special Ed position b/c they couldn't get anyone else to do it. I really didn't want it but it was a way to get in the door. It turned out okay since I got to get my feet wet on a smaller scale than 22 kids at once.

 

My mil did the same thing - she took a 7th grade job even though she wanted younger elementary. A year or two later, she got the grade she wanted.

 

I have had dozens of jobs, and whenever I have worked with people who are conscientious and dependable, it has turned out that they worked a job in high school. I believe that those high school burger-flipping jobs can make all the difference in a person's work ethic.

 

OTOH, my dh was one of those people. He began working illegally at age 13, thinking work experience would pay off. He now wishes he had spent more time studying, because his lack of a degree has seriously hampered him, even though he is incredibly conscientious and dependable.

[fhjmom]

I read an article the other day that said many of the HR deptartments now are automatically putting any canidate without a current job in the "do not hire" file. They said that companies are getting such an exorbanant amount of applications for every open position, they are doing what they can to weed through them quickly. The advice in that article was any job was better than no job, then keep looking.

[cathmom]

I read an article the other day that said many of the HR deptartments now are automatically putting any canidate without a current job in the "do not hire" file.

 

That's insane! Those people already have a job!

 

At first I was sympathetic to the guy in the article, but the more I thought about it, the more I just want to smack him!

[Harriet Vane]

You know, my son had the same issue. He didn't want just any old job, he wanted the high pay, status, etc. RIGHT NOW.

 

After I got up off the floor from laughing, I told him that he was going to get NO job with that attitude. A work history, even at jobs you hate and are overqualified for, is better than a long stint of unemployment. If you work flipping burgers and do it well, and get good reviews from your employer, that tells future employers you're a good worker, even if you have no or little experience in the job you're really wanting.

 

My current job is not my dream job, even though I'm wholly thankful for it. But, my supervisor said that she can train anyone to do the job, she was looking for someone with the right character so they could depend on and trust the person to do the job. I had to use my volunteer positions as references, because I'd not worked in so long, but because I had a history of being a hard worker and reliable, even though I'd never done this kind of work before, they held those qualities as more important than having years of experience and being a lousy employee.

 

SO, my advice to any young person seeking employment is the same, especially in the current economy. Take whatever's offered for right now. Be a good employee. Be on time. Be appropriately dressed and groomed. Take initiative. Ask questions. Work on work time, break on break time. When you're ready or when you find a job you like better, give the current employer adequate notice. Be considerate. Skills can be learned. Character can be developed. Be patient. Expect to work. Don't over estimate your worth and get cocky. Treat whatever job you have seriously. Reputation and recommendations sometimes go farther (or is it further?) than a pretty resume.

 

:iagree: So often I find myself agreeing with you . . .

[Mejane]

At a time of near record unemployment how can you afford to turn up your nose at $40,000.

 

I have a 24yo nephew who did just that. It just wasn't "enough." For a guy with no dependents and no loans, just himself to support. Right out of college. Guess what? He has the same type of parents as the guy in the article. :glare:

[lovemyboys]

What a moron! He turned down a $40,000 a year job because he thought it would stunt his career? He doesn't *have* a career. He has a college degree and no marketable skills. His parents are paying his cell phone bill and his rent. He's 24 for goodness sakes!

 

I just don't understand. He could have taken the job as the claims adjuster, increased his skills, and then reapplied for the management training program. Work on an MBA at night. Volunteer in some capacity that would further the career that you want to be in.

 

You said it.

 

My first thought is "don't we all?"

 

What a sad, entitled attitude to start your adult life with.

[AngieW in Texas]

I just don't get it. My dh and I graduated with BS in Physics back in 1989 right after the defense industry was tanked. We had jobs lined up for after we graduated, but the entire department ended up getting eliminated. We went to job fairs, we applied in person, we tried everything, but nobody was hiring fresh-outs. There were plenty of people with many years of experience, kids, and a mortgage who were willing to take the entry-level positions, so most places wouldn't even take our resumès.

 

We ended up going back to college and getting MS degrees in physics in the hope that the job market would recover during that time. It didn't. My dh ended up getting a computer programming job (he'd done freelance programming work since junior high). He is still in the programming field and that's where he'll stay.

 

My work experience was all basic stuff (movie theater concessions, daycare, receptionist). I found a part-time job teaching physics at the local cc. It didn't pay well, but at least it was a job and it actually required the degree I had. It paid so horribly that we couldn't afford for me to keep the job after 3 semesters. I ended up working for a temp agency and mostly did secretarial work for about 6 months. Then I finally got a job as a technician with a small startup. I quit after my 2nd dd was born after working there for about 4 years.

 

Teaching and tutoring are what I want to do now although I didn't really care for it back when I first got out of college. For the upcoming schoolyear I am teaching just one class in my home and it's one that I have to teach anyway for my 14yo. The next year I will have at least 3 classes that I'll teach in my home (all classes that I need to teach anyway for my youngest dd or middle dd). I've thought about trying to add in another class for this upcoming year, like maybe Jacobs Algebra, but I'm just not sure that I'll have the bandwidth to manage it.

[MeanestMomInMidwest]

My family has some quotes that are fitting here (we have lots of quotes, these are just some that fit this situation)

 

Children cannot expect to start where their parents left off.

 

Just because you have a job, doesn't mean you have to stop looking.

 

The first job you get does not have to be the last job you get.

[kalanamak]

If my daughter wanted to marry this drip, I'd be up with diarrhea all night.