Comments: On Working Shitty Jobs

Hear, hear! Most people benefit from restaurant/retail experience or some sort of shitty service job in their quest to evolve into decent human beings. There are people who are constitutionally unable to so, however, usually due to misplaced pride. It's honest work and it's money, honey.

Posted by Bunny at November 28, 2016 10:34 AM

One of the worst jobs I ever had, I lied to get. I was unemployed as a newspaper librarian/archivist/transcriptionist/proofreader page paster-upper. No one wanted to hire me. I lied and got a job as a dishwasher. One of the best jobs I ever had. I learned how to cook working with chefs and line cooks.

Posted by Jewel at November 28, 2016 10:36 AM

Making gourmet donuts for drunk people in Texas is easily the worst job I’ve ever had.

Stick around, kid, you ain't seen nothin yet.

In no particular order, dishwasher, fry cook, busboy, caddy, ditchdigger, shovel operator (dirt), shovel operator (cow shit), furniture mover, file clerk, phone solicitor, general flak catcher (telephone), messenger, keypunch operator, livestock auction cowboy, practically anything in the woods, ramp rat for TTA in Austin, waiter, psych aide on graveyard shift.......

I'll think of some more, no doubt, after I've had some coffee. There were some good ones too.

Posted by Rob De Witt at November 28, 2016 11:09 AM

I wish I could say "Making gourmet donuts for drunk people in Texas is easily the worst job I’ve ever had.", of the *33 shitty jobs* I had by the time I was 30 years old, but I can't.

Then I discovered the only boss I could ever put up with was me. 31 years later and I'm still here, haven't been fired yet.

**The shortest was about 8 hours and the longest was 4 years.

Posted by ghostsniper at November 28, 2016 11:10 AM

Rob, I held a pile of those jobs some lasted a day, others for a year or more. One thing about that kind of work is you get a chance to learn stuff that does come in handy.

Usually, the people with whom one worked were that type that would work rather than go on welfare.

Posted by Vermont Woodchuck at November 28, 2016 4:11 PM

Well back in the late 60's and 70's when I was putting up with them 33 shitty jobs welfare was mostly non-existent in my world. I heard of it but didn't know anybody that received it as far as I knew it was for extremely poor people that lived in *that* part of town. It never entered my radar sweep to collect that stuff and still doesn't.

I'll shovel shit in private before I accept charity in public.

I'm a victim of the way I was raised, and wouldn't have it any other way. Once you've sold out in that manner (receiving welfare) you are most likely ruined for the rest of your life.

Posted by ghostsniper at November 28, 2016 6:40 PM

Shitty jobs are often the motivation to do something better or, at least, something more compatible to one's personality.

In the mid-century years (1933-1967) they were the training that was necessary to accustom one to going to a place of employment, doing the work necessary, and to be thankful you had a job that put money in your pocket. Learning the work ethic, as it were.

Like most, I went through a succession of jobs I didn't care for. Put myself through college washing dishes and cleaning dormitories. I didn't want to do that for a lifetime, but tried to give a day's work for the pay received. As my Grandpa told me, "You'll never go hungry if you are willing to work." Those were the end of Depression years and hunger was an issue on people's minds.

I treasure the fact that those crappy jobs taught me a work ethic and motivated me to aim for something better.

Posted by Jimmy J. at November 29, 2016 11:01 AM

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