Posts: 2,164
Threads: 0
Joined: Apr 2011
Reputation:
12
Back to the Bottom Rung
10-05-2011, 06:42 PM
So I always heard stories about guys who started working at Big Company X as some shit kicker (mail clerk, data entry, whatever) and with hard work and diligence worked their way up and ended up having pretty cushy desk jobs that were fairly easy and paid decent.
My question is, where do you find these? I've been browsing all the job finder sites daily for about two weeks, and I'm not seeing any of these. Am I looking for the wrong key words? Or are employers inflating the job title and requirements to make it look more difficult and not applicable (even though it is) to guys who dont have any experience in the corporate world?
Posts: 650
Threads: 0
Joined: Mar 2011
Reputation:
8
Back to the Bottom Rung
10-05-2011, 09:27 PM
I don't know what stories you heard, but the stories I've heard involved people who worked their asses off & showed above average interest in the company. And the end job wouldn't be considered cushy. Andrew Carnegie is one example.
I can think of one exception, and it was a guy who started as a janitor working at the place since the beginning and was friends with the owner.
Posts: 2,164
Threads: 0
Joined: Apr 2011
Reputation:
12
Back to the Bottom Rung
10-06-2011, 08:23 AM
I've heard it from a lot of older family.members who started at the bottom and worked up. Is this concept just gone in this day and age?
Posts: 253
Threads: 0
Joined: Apr 2011
Reputation:
1
Back to the Bottom Rung
10-06-2011, 09:13 AM
Kinda feel like the problem is the babyboomers still have these jobs. Sprinkle in some over population and I think you go a long way to figuring out how most of the 99% ended up where they are. (Just not enough good jobs)
Posts: 1,368
Threads: 0
Joined: Jun 2009
Back to the Bottom Rung
10-06-2011, 12:18 PM
thats going to be harder to do in the corporate world in this day and age. the best way to do that would be to find a relative, friend, whatever, who you admire and has a nice business. latch onto him/her, follow him or her around all day, do whatever that person needs to make yourself valuable, and grow that way.
Posts: 1,909
Threads: 0
Joined: Jul 2010
Reputation:
59
Back to the Bottom Rung
10-06-2011, 02:55 PM
The problem is that people aren't sticking with the same company for 20+ years anymore. My dad started at the bottom and worked his way up but that's almost unheard of now. Companies are bringing in new faces to keep up with competition and employees are switching to whomever is going to sign a higher paycheck. Company loyalty has gone down the drain for the most part. Sure going up one rung from assistant manager to manager is a common occurrence, but I doubt going from the mail room to CEO is going to happen unless you have an in from the beginning.
My suggestion is to get the experience necessary and then move up the rung on your own, even if you have to switch companies a few times.
Posts: 2,164
Threads: 0
Joined: Apr 2011
Reputation:
12
Back to the Bottom Rung
10-06-2011, 04:16 PM
I'm attempting to move up at the moment, but where I'm working now has no middle management position to speak of, and until someone quits/gets fired i'm stuck. I've shown a lot of interest in jumping roles and getting out of the kitchen and into a management position but they've actually told me I'm TO GOOD at what I do, if they take me out of the kitchen the whole place is gonna go to shit because I almost literally fix every problem that arises on a daily basis.
Sorry, this thread is a tad unnecessary, but needed to vent my frustration at the job market, tried to make it constructive to others.
What about government jobs? I've been told that Uncle Sam is pretty good for sticking in one spot and moving up.
Posts: 1,368
Threads: 0
Joined: Jun 2009
Back to the Bottom Rung
10-06-2011, 05:09 PM
Uncle Sam is pretty much the cushiest gig there is out there but they're not the easiest jobs to get.
Posts: 283
Threads: 0
Joined: Nov 2010
Back to the Bottom Rung
10-06-2011, 07:37 PM
Chad,
Try getting into contracting/temp agencies to get into the door and make the connections.
Posts: 1,363
Threads: 0
Joined: Oct 2011
Reputation:
5
Back to the Bottom Rung
10-07-2011, 07:45 AM
Best thing to do is start your own company. That's what I did. Even if you don't make a lot of money from it (I still don't), it at least gives you and Ace-in-the-hole.
Did you ever see the movie BOILER ROOM? There's a poignant line at the beginning:
"Nobody wants to work for it anymore. There's no honor in taking that after school job at Mickey Dee's, honor's in the dollar, kid."
Posts: 254
Threads: 0
Joined: Sep 2011
Reputation:
2
Back to the Bottom Rung
10-07-2011, 08:11 PM
The government is indeed a good place to park if you want to stay in the same place for years and move up internally.
Good luck doing this anywhere else. Everyone ELSE you work with will be moving around constantly, and when you get new bosses they often want to bring along their old subordinates and you'll be out the door.
DISCLAIMER: I don't know what I'm talking about and my posts are opinion, not advice.
Quote:Gmac Wrote:
your time > her feelings
Posts: 1,548
Threads: 0
Joined: Sep 2011
Back to the Bottom Rung
01-21-2012, 12:08 PM
Quote: (10-07-2011 07:45 AM)ColSpanker Wrote:
Best thing to do is start your own company. That's what I did. Even if you don't make a lot of money from it (I still don't), it at least gives you and Ace-in-the-hole.
Did you ever see the movie BOILER ROOM? There's a poignant line at the beginning:
"Nobody wants to work for it anymore. There's no honor in taking that after school job at Mickey Dee's, honor's in the dollar, kid."
Amen
Posts: 5,420
Threads: 0
Joined: Sep 2010
Reputation:
102
Back to the Bottom Rung
01-22-2012, 08:16 AM
I met a girl working at a pharmacy that's going to school to be an xray technician.
The school is very short, only six months to two years, I forgot, and they make a lot according to her, 100 k.
You need something to diferentiate you as an immediate profit source, just having a degree and no particular IMMEDIATELY MONEY-MAKING SKILL for your employer makes you more of a risk than an immediate benefit.
The xray technician brings in money immediately from the insurance companies.
Government jobs ( how I retired on a pension) are different in that the people above you don't view you as a cost, they view you as help getting the stuff done. And at most government jobs they don't want to fire you, because they all are risk averse and the don't want that kind of climate.
Also, a lot of government jobs are positive, (not maybe IRS or DEA) regardless of what flat-earther libertarians scream about. I helped place people in nursing homes, and made sure people who were disabled got placed in the right facility for their care. Compare that to working for Goldman-Sacks [sic] ripping off everyone in sight in the (cough cough) "free market" ( free if you're a .001 percenter)
Posts: 11,055
Threads: 0
Joined: Mar 2011
Reputation:
152
Back to the Bottom Rung
01-22-2012, 11:56 AM
Chad, For years I've heard from old guys who are successful "Go with what you know"
They said you were too good in the kitchen. So?
One that I've never seen done is Paleo/Atkins type of place for fast food. Develop a menu/model and pitch to investors. I'm sure the guys here would help with the pitch.
You could call it McCavemans and hire the Gieco dudes for commercials
Posts: 6,695
Threads: 0
Joined: Mar 2011
Reputation:
146
Back to the Bottom Rung
01-22-2012, 12:04 PM
Might have something in Bethesda if it's not already filled Chad. Shoot me a text so I don't forget.
That said, it's rare for people to "work their way up" in 2012. You have to kind of move up the ladder sideways... jump from company to company or position to position. People just don't make a career out of one straight path anymore... generally speaking.
Vice-Captain - #TeamWaitAndSee
Posts: 4,116
Threads: 0
Joined: Aug 2011
Reputation:
176
Back to the Bottom Rung
01-22-2012, 05:10 PM
Maybe someone already posted it. But I didn't read replies.
Look, I stopped reading when you said, "job boards."
You don't find good gigs through the Internet.
You gotta get out there, talk to guys at the gym, talk to older guys if you see them at the bar, chill at a hotel bar.
In the modern economy, you need either superior credentials or superior contacts. If you don't have the former, get busy on the latter.