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As a bit of a counterpoint, I have a number of people with more "blue collar" jobs in my family, and while they also relate all the downsides of manual labor that you listed, they also see what I do as a clear "no thank you!". They would, of course, love to be paid as well as I am, and many would love the schedule flexibility (though some of them also get to make their own schedules much like I do), but they feel very strongly that being stuck inside, immobile, spending all their days reading, writing, and talking, mostly on a computer screen, would be totally miserable. So the grass isn't always greener! I'm the opposite, I certainly fantasize about doing different things that are mostly intellectual, but I know I'm well suited to sitting around reading, thinking, writing, and chatting from time to time. I didn't really understand this until some of those family members started finishing high school, and I started trying to suggest careers that seemed good to me, and more than one person finally told me, "I don't want to do any of those things because I'll be stuck in front of a computer all day every day and I would hate that". And I think they were right! "Know thyself" is important. (Note: I'm talking about careers in trades and professions that are not office work. But not entry level jobs at retail businesses like most of your examples. I think everyone does indeed hate working in retail. But not everyone actually does prefer being on a computer in an office to nailing shingles onto a hot roof!) |
I loved that everything I sold went into my pocket. Certain products had spiffs (10 dollars for activating a phone/plan) while everything had a commission (%4 for name brand / 6%/ 10% (for batteries). If I didn't sell enough to make minimum wage I would get minimum wage otherwise whatever I made.
I loved the busy time around christmas. I loved when people came up and I rang them up. I loved playing with the products and learning about the stock.
I worked at a booth that gave away food and sold cheese/meat baskets. I loved giving away food, selling and collecting the money.
I wouldn't go back but I miss that selling feeling.