Should I admit to being ok with McJobs?

newestUser

I met a girl last night. We were talking for a while, and then she mentioned how graduates today had no experience of living through a recession, whereas we (both 30/31), having grown up in the 80's, were more grounded in reality.

I agreed with this, saying that having been an IT graduate trying to get my first proper job in the 2001 dot-com bust, I ended up having to take options which previously I would have considered beneath me, such as going back to college for further education, working in service-sector jobs paying near minimum wage, that kind of thing. I told her it was an experience that knocked some of the pride out of me. I do not presume that I will always have a job that's as good as my current one (which is a "proper" job), and if I lost my job now, I'd have no problem swallowing my pride, and doing low-skilled, low pay work to pay the bills. I said that basing a large part of your identity on your job can be risky, because it's not beyond the realms of possibility that you lose your "good" job, and you couldn't get another one. I told her about meeting people while working the low-wage, service sector jobs who I knew from college belittling me, and how angry I was at their actions.

Cue following reaction.

Her: "Yeah, they went too far. But us Irish are a proud people."

Me: "Ok."

Her: "You seem like an intelligent guy. Why would you want to work in those jobs?"

Me: "I don't want to work in those jobs."

Her: "Your job now? It pays better than those jobs?"

Me: "Yup."

Her: "So why would you work in those dead-end jobs?"

Me: "I don't want to, it's not an aspiration of mine, if I couldn't find work
that made use of my abilities and education due to recession, I wouldn't
consider myself above minimum wage, if bills had to be paid and responsibilities met."

Her: "But you can't live properly on the money those jobs pay. How would you raise a family? I think you're idealistic."

Me: "Do you mean naive? It's not like I want to work in such jobs. I'd do them if I didn't have the option of doing work in the field I'm trained in, and to be honest, I wouldn't be that put off by the idea of doing it, I've done it before."

Her: "But...you're 30? I worked as a waitress during college, and while doing it, I knew I was better than that work. And would you work in those jobs here (the UK) or back home?"

Me: <bit of careful thought>Couldn't give a f*ck.

Her: That's....admirable. Bye.

Weird conversation, and one that infuriated me. From "Oh, the youth of today don't know how lucky they are, they don't know the hardships our generation had to endure" to "I'm better than minimum wage, and there's no way I'd reduce myself to that" in 2 minutes. But it was like I was speaking a different language that she couldn't understand: she didn't comprehend that someone might have to take an unskilled job that didn't pay much out of necessity because they couldn't work in an area they were skilled or qualified in due to a lack of jobs/recession/whatever. She assumed I wanted to work in dead end jobs, had no ambition, thought all jobs were the same and would be just as happy working in MickeyD's as in my current, highly skilled, job. Perhaps it's because she graduated in 1999, walked into a telecoms job, and has had graduate jobs ever since.

I thought I was being uber-pragmatic and realistic by saying that if bills needed paying I'd do whatever work (within reason!!!) was available to get money. This isn't your standard boards <checks dictionary.com> misogynistic rant, I'm not stating all women (or anywhere near to all women) are like this. But,I'd like to hear women's perspective on this. Should I avoid saying that I'd work minimum wage if I absolutely had to? Would you have responded in a similar fashion? Do you think (as I do!) that many people play the 'child of the 80s' card, "I've known real hardship, kids today are so insulated from reality", but have just as much a sense of entitlement as people ten years younger? Would you do the minimum wage (or near minimum wage) job to pay the bills, because you couldn't get a job that more closely matched your skills and abilities?

barbiegirl

Like you I am working in a good job at the moment but if I lost it I would have no problem working a lower paid job to pay the bills. The attitude of I'd rather be on the dole is terrible. You're not naive, your friend is.

I have two friends, they have a baby and a mortgage and neither are working. He won't look outside his former occupation, they can't make mortgage payments, have no money. The baby is 7 months and she won't look for work either, she says she wants to be at home for a while more. I can't understand this. I grew up in the 70's/80's and you did whatever was necessary to pay the bills. Pay mortgage/buy food/pay esb everything else is an extra.

ztoical

I'm not sure I get this post and it's relation to women. From the sounds of it it's an age and class thing more then anything else.

angel_x_19

newestUser wrote: »

I met a girl last night. We were talking for a while, and then she mentioned how graduates today had no experience of living through a recession, whereas we (both 30/31), having grown up in the 80's, were more grounded in reality.

I agreed with this, saying that having been an IT graduate trying to get my first proper job in the 2001 dot-com bust, I ended up having to take options which previously I would have considered beneath me, such as going back to college for further education, working in service-sector jobs paying near minimum wage, that kind of thing. I told her it was an experience that knocked some of the pride out of me. I do not presume that I will always have a job that's as good as my current one (which is a "proper" job), and if I lost my job now, I'd have no problem swallowing my pride, and doing low-skilled, low pay work to pay the bills. I said that basing a large part of your identity on your job can be risky, because it's not beyond the realms of possibility that you lose your "good" job, and you couldn't get another one. I told her about meeting people while working the low-wage, service sector jobs who I knew from college belittling me, and how angry I was at their actions.

Cue following reaction.

Her: "Yeah, they went too far. But us Irish are a proud people."

Me: "Ok."

Her: "You seem like an intelligent guy. Why would you want to work in those jobs?"

Me: "I don't want to work in those jobs."

Her: "Your job now? It pays better than those jobs?"

Me: "Yup."

Her: "So why would you work in those dead-end jobs?"

Me: "I don't want to, it's not an aspiration of mine, if I couldn't find work
that made use of my abilities and education due to recession, I wouldn't
consider myself above minimum wage, if bills had to be paid and responsibilities met."

Her: "But you can't live properly on the money those jobs pay. How would you raisea family? I think you're idealistic."

Me: "Do you mean naive? It's not like I want to work in such jobs. I'd do them if I didn't have the option of doing work in the field I'm trained in, and to be honest, I wouldn't be that put off by the idea of doing it, I've done it before."

Her: "But...you're 30? I worked as a waitress after I finished college, and while doing it, I knew I was better than that work. And would you work in those jobs here (the UK) or back home?"

Me: <bit of careful thought>Couldn't give a f*ck.

Her: That's....admirable. Bye.

Weird conversation, and one that infuriated me. From "Oh, the youth of today don't know how lucky they are, they don't know the hardships our generation had to endure" to "I'm better than minimum wage, and there's no way I'd reduce myself to that" in 2 minutes. But it was like I was speaking a different language that she couldn't understand: she didn't comprehend that someone might have to take an unskilled job that didn't pay much out of necessity because they couldn't work in an area they were skilled or qualified in due to a lack of jobs/recession/whatever. She assumed I wanted to work in dead end jobs, had no ambition, thought all jobs were the same and would be just as happy working in MickeyD's as in my current, highly skilled, job. Perhaps it's because she graduated in 1999, walked into a telecoms job, and has had graduate jobs ever since.

I thought I was being uber-pragmatic and realistic by saying that if bills needed paying I'd do whatever work (within reason!!!) was available to get money. This isn't your standard boards <checks dictionary.com> misogynistic rant, I'm not stating all women (or anywhere near to all women) are like this. But,I'd like to hear women's perspective on this. Should I avoid saying that I'd work minimum wage if I absolutely had to? Would you have responded in a similar fashion? Do you think (as I do!) that many people play the 'child of the 80s' card, "I've known real hardship, kids today are so insulated from reality", but have just as much a sense of entitlement as people ten years younger? Would you do the minimum wage (or near minimum wage) job to pay the bills, because you couldn't get a job that more closely matched your skills and abilities?

I don't think it's a woman thing. I think it's something that a lot of people think - this sense of entitlement is stunning in some people. :mad:

missmatty

barbiegirl wrote: »

The baby is 7 months and she won't look for work either, she says she wants to be at home for a while more.

Well she is a bit young for the workplace (sorry couldn't resist!) :pac:

Completely agree with both of you. I did all the usual minimum wage jobs in college to support myself and if i lost my proper job tomorrow I would rather go back to that than go on the dole. I would feel bad on the dole or being supported by my parents, which is why I am putting money away now for the future either for emergencies like job loss or for an eventual property deposit.

Vegeta

It had nothing to do with the fact she happened to have a vagina.

The next person (be they man or woman) you talk to may agree or disagree, that's just people.

On a personal note one of my favourite jobs ever was when I was 16 I cleaned the exterior of boats. It was extremely satisfying and I took great pride in getting them spotless. It was physical work, outdoors and you could see the results of your work at the end of the day. Great fun.

newestUser

ztoical wrote: »

I'm not sure I get this post and it's relation to women. From the sounds of it it's an age and class thing more then anything else.

I didn't want to slap this into After Hours because I'd get nonsensical answers, and I'm wondering if many women (and particularly women of my age) have similar opinions.

g'em

Moved from tLL - I'm a bit lost to see where the connection to the ladies (and not the gents) is...

Das Kitty

I just think she was a person who was a bit stupid to be honest. She didn't understand that you'd rather work to pay the bills than sit on the dole waiting for things to pick up. I don't think it has anything to do with her gender.

Don't change what you say to people for fear of their reaction, if that's her reaction do you really want to be talking to her?

To be honest I think it's admirable to be willing to do menial work to pay the bills, I'm of the same mind. I'd have absolutely no problem going back making sandwiches if it happened that I lost my job.

I may not like it too much but it's always good to be working.

newestUser wrote: »

I knew I was better than that work.

I hate this attitude and encountered plenty of people with this attitude whilst working in menial jobs, they were usually the worst workers too. If you think you're too good for a job, then by all means prove it by excelling in it, but don't sit there twiddling your thumbs complaining about how this is the worst thing you ever had to do in your life.

newestUser

g'em wrote: »

Moved from tLL - I'm a bit lost to see where the connection to the ladies (and not the gents) is...

Connection (in my mind!) was that I was on a date with this woman, and wanted the ladies' perspective on what I said, and how they would have reacted. Apologies if the post was coming across as slightly misogynistic or off-topic.

ztoical

newestUser wrote: »

I didn't want to slap this into After Hours because I'd get nonsensical answers, and I'm wondering if many women (and particularly women of my age) have similar opinions.

there are alot of work related forums on here as well that might be more suitable. Someone having XX chromosomes rather then XY isn't going to make a difference IMO, peoples up bringing will have more impact. I know plenty of people, male and female, who didn't have to work when they were in college due to mummy and daddy paying the bills who would turn their nose up at working minimum wage jobs. You'll always find people with those attitudes, their gender will have very little to do with it.

Khannie

Whoever that is obviously has no mortgage or a shed load of savings. I have a really good job at the moment and have been fortunate enough to have one since I left college, but would I go back to being a waiter to pay the bills and put food on my table if it came to it? In a heartbeat.

Would you like fries with that?

dollybird09

:mad: I have just finished a four year degree and its unlikely that I'll get a job related to my degree. I mentioned to a friend that I have an interview for an admin role in a pharmaceutical company and wow I have been slated and mocked etc etc for even considering it. :mad:

The salary is enough to pay bills and live comfortably enough on until something else comes along. I don't think there is anything wrong with taking a job like this but people's attitudes have really upset me.:mad:

oh and these people are all claiming jobseekers allowance...

:mad:

Kinetic^

Some people will do what they gotta do while others will sit around feeling like a victim of the times. OP, you're right in your line of thinking imo.

Goduznt Xzst

It's Irish pride. I've come up against it a lot. In fact, I used to work with a few guys in a petrol station and they'd be constantly complaining about how they felt they where treated poorly by customers, only for us to walk to the local McD's for lunch where they'd equally treat the staff bad there, then give out about them. Think it comes under the "Dunning-Kruger effect"

I've worked a few minimum wage jobs before landing the well paid, 9 to 5 with benefits job that I'm in at the moment. Of all of them though this one is the least interesting. I think the higher up the ladder you go the less interesting the people get. Everyone has a lot more to lose at this level so they keep their true personalities under wraps.

When working as a laborer on a building site and talking to Eastern Europeans all day or working on an assembly line and talking to Nigerians and Indians I felt I was talking to people without a care. Some of my best conversations and experiences where in those jobs at the bottom.

partyguinness

OP you are 30/31 not 50/51...FFS

You were not a graduate in the 80s or even had a job in the 80s so what the hell are you talking about......being more "grounded in reality"

You would have graduated at the height of the "Celtic Tiger" circa 1999/2001. You have no idea what being in rescession is about.

And watching "Bosco" and the "A Team" does not mean "I was there, man"...

newestUser

partyguinness wrote: »

OP you are 30/31 not 50/51...FFS

You were not a graduate in the 80s or even had a job in the 80s so what the hell are you talking about......being more "grounded in reality"

You would have graduated at the height of the "Celtic Tiger" circa 1999/2001. You have no idea what being in rescession is about.

And watching "Bosco" and the "A Team" does not mean "I was there, man"...

Lol. Good point. But, I graduated from an IT course at time when jobs for IT grads were rare as rocking horse sh*t. The IT industry was in severe recession at the time, and for a while I felt trapped: I couldn't get a job that I was qualified for, and I couldn't afford to go back to college again. I did find alternative work, and that's the difference between my experience and the experience of people in the 80's: in the 80's, there was nothing. In 2001, for me, I had to do work which I didn't need a degree for. Not the same level of hardship at all. I agree with what you're saying, and I thought the same. Although money was tight when she was a kid in the eighties, she'd known nothing but relative prosperity since 1999. We didn't have it as bad as people our age in the 80s did.

I agreed with her that (up to recently) many graduates had a sense of entitlement. The 'I grew up in the 80s maaaaan' line was hers. My contribution to the conversation was 'I couldn't get a graduate job in 2001'. And I think it did change my views, and expectations, relative to people who jumped straight from university to work with no hassle. But yeah, I didn't mean to make out that my young adulthood was Angela's Ashes-esque, and apologies to those who had to live, and work, through the horrendous economic environment of the 1980s.

Ginny

I have a good education, and a good job, but if anything happened tomorrow I'd have no problems working in the likes of McDs, it would pay the bills. I put myself through college doing these jobs, its work, work=money=paying the bills.

enry

dollybird09 wrote: »

:mad: I have just finished a four year degree and its unlikely that I'll get a job related to my degree. I mentioned to a friend that I have an interview for an admin role in a pharmaceutical company and wow I have been slated and mocked etc etc for even considering it. :mad:

The salary is enough to pay bills and live comfortably enough on until something else comes along. I don't think there is anything wrong with taking a job like this but people's attitudes have really upset me.:mad:

oh and these people are all claiming jobseekers allowance...

:mad:

Your friend is a D**khead and a good example if why the majority of people coming out of college at this time are going to find it difficult to adjust.

Anyone who looks down on another person because of what they do for a living is a fool. Arrogance and condescension usually are the trademark of these how lack substance. I've seen it a million times particularly with the young D4 element.

Your friend's opinion is not worth noting.

LimeFruitGum

newestUser wrote: »

Lol. Good point. But, I graduated from an

I agreed with her that (up to recently) many graduates had a sense of entitlement. The 'I grew up in the 80s maaaaan' line was hers. My contribution to the conversation was 'I couldn't get a graduate job in 2001'. .

I graduated in 2000 and had the same problem, ended up having to take a crappy ill-paid call centre job just so I wouldn't have a gap in the CV and try to spin it as good work experience.

I can see where your friend is coming from, we didn't go to college in order to do menial work afterwards. When I was made redundant in 2002, I got a part-time data entry job so I still had time for interviews and kept my hand in the office world. Mind you, you could take one of those mcjobs and realise you'd be better off on the dole.

What I would be concerned about is how to bridge the gap between the Mcjob and the "professional" job, when you're back out there going for interviews. It could prove to be difficult to get back in there again (if you want to)

newestUser

LimeFruitGum wrote: »

I graduated in 2000 and had the same problem, ended up having to take a crappy ill-paid call centre job just so I wouldn't have a gap in the CV and try to spin it as good work experience.

I can see where your friend is coming from, we didn't go to college in order to do menial work afterwards. When I was made redundant in 2002, I got a part-time data entry job so I still had time for interviews and kept my hand in the office world. Mind you, you could take one of those mcjobs and realise you'd be better off on the dole.

What I would be concerned about is how to bridge the gap between the Mcjob and the "professional" job, when you're back out there going for interviews. It could prove to be difficult to get back in there again (if you want to)

I didn't go to college in order to do menial work afterwards either.

But there were no graduate jobs when I left college.

I didn't choose to do menial jobs, I had no other choice.

My 'friend' was mocking young graduates of today for being sheltered and over-protected from harsh economic reality, yet couldn't comprehend that someone might be intelligent and educated, but still be working in a low prestige/low wage job, because there were no jobs available that made use of that person's abilities and qualifications.

In 2003, I remember talking to a girl during my masters (which was coming to an end). I told her that I had a hard time finding work after doing my undergrad, and that I hoped I'd get a job after my masters, because it'd be shame if I had to flip burgers or something after getting bachelors and masters degrees in a subject with supposedly good prospects. She (already being in a 'proper' IT job) looked down her nose at me, and told me:

"Look. Go get yourself a real job. And then, you can go flip f*cking burgers all you want".

I was gobsmacked. I didn't tell this girl 'I want to finish up college and go flip burgers for the rest of my life', but she chose to somehow interpret what I said as meaning that.

The reaction from the girl the other night was similar. I told her that if I had to, if I didn't have the good job I have now, and I couldn't get another job that matched my abilities and qualifications, I'd do the McJob thing, to pay bills, get me out of the house, meeting new people, blahblahblah. And she chose to interpret what I said as: "I think all jobs are the same, and I'd just as soon work in McDonalds as where I am now".

It's weird. There seem to be a lot of people out there who assume that just because you refuse to dismiss the idea or possiblity of you working in a low prestige job, that means you want to work in one, or you've no ambition, or whatever.

Das Kitty

LimeFruitGum wrote: »

What I would be concerned about is how to bridge the gap between the Mcjob and the "professional" job, when you're back out there going for interviews. It could prove to be difficult to get back in there again (if you want to)

Much easier than going for interviews having sat on the dole for years.

You can always tie any work experience to a new role. I was making sandwiches when I interviewed for my current role, I tied in the organisation skills, dealing with customers and teamwork and showed how these skills could be applied to the new role. They agreed.

I'd like to see someone tie being on the Dole to a new job.

I had to go on the Dole once, thankfully it was only for a week by the time it was processed. In that time (6 or so weeks unemployed in total) I had such low self esteem and was constantly stressed, I was delighted to go packing boxes when I got that job.

newestUser

Das Kitty wrote: »

Much easier than going for interviews having sat on the dole for years.

You can always tie any work experience to a new role. I was making sandwiches when I interviewed for my current role, I tied in the organisation skills, dealing with customers and teamwork and showed how these skills could be applied to the new role. They agreed.

I'd like to see someone tie being on the Dole to a new job.

Yeah, I'd question the opinion that having a period of McEmployment on your CV is a bad thing. I think it's a Celtic Tiger thing that people assume that you can work in whatever job you want, when you want, so long as you have the qualifications, and that if you have the golden arches (or something similar) on your CV mid-career, that means you're a slacker, or you lack ambition and dignity.

If I had a spell of unemployment now, and I had to work in a low-skill job for a while...I was going to say I wouldn't put it on my CV because it's irrelevant, but on reflection perhaps I would, because it demonstrates a strong work ethic. I dunno. Maybe it would depend on what job I was going for. This is getting all very hypothetical.

It would be very harsh to judge someone for working in a McJob because they graduated from college or got made redundant at the wrong time. I'm not sure I understand how working in a McJob during a recession would count against you in future when better opportunities came up. People are well aware that these are not easy times for many professions. For example, I don't see how someone working in an architects firm would make a decision, in the year 2011, that an architecture graduate from the class of ' 09 who was applying for an entry level position was an undesirable candidate because they had a string of odd jobs between now and then. They're not idiots, they'd realise it had been an awful jobs market for architecture grads. I can understand people thinking less of that person because they might be socially insecure or snobby, maybe they find that person threatening because their experience challenges some notions they have about being 'safe' because they have a degree and 550 points in the leaving cert, I dunno, but as a business decision, it doesn't make any sense to me. I can't see the sense behind it.

Maybe it's different strokes for different folks, and forced underemployment might be career poison in some walks of life. I don't know. I'm just keen to hear what different people think.

GwayGal

In Short, yes you should admit to be OK with McD jobs. I worked in Scabby-Macs for three years I now have a Masters in HR and am working as a retail manager (no HR jobs in Ireland). However,if I were made unemployed tomoroow, I would not hesitate to apply for my old job.

I hope that woman never loses her job, she is obliviously would not be able to handle it at McD You had a luckey escape:cool:

NickNolte

Always good to get those conversations out of the way early to see what someone is like and write/scare them off when you get the reaction you did. Consider yourself lucky. The number of talentless morons in this country with a ridiculous sense of entitlement is hilarious. The recession couldn't have come sooner. Hopefully some people will learn a little humility.

I just don't understand people like that. They just seem thick to me. I mean, obviously nobody goes to college with dreams to work at McDonald's, but right now you take what you can get! I started college in 2003, at the time there were LOADS of jobs, country was booming. I thought if I worked hard and came out with a good degree from Trinity, I'd find a fairly good job (never thought I'd be well paid but I expected to find something related to my degree). By the time I left, things were going pear shaped and I ended up working in a call centre. You should have heard some of the comments I got, even from customers on the phone who were appalled that I'd gone to Trinity and was now working there. I don't think everyone my age (20's) is like that, though. All my college friends are working fairly menial jobs (care home, supermarket etc) and they don't act above them or say they'd rather be on the dole. Obviously everyone hopes to do better in the future, but right now it's about paying the bills!

Greyham

dollybird09 wrote: »

:mad: I have just finished a four year degree and its unlikely that I'll get a job related to my degree. I mentioned to a friend that I have an interview for an admin role in a pharmaceutical company and wow I have been slated and mocked etc etc for even considering it. :mad:

The salary is enough to pay bills and live comfortably enough on until something else comes along. I don't think there is anything wrong with taking a job like this but people's attitudes have really upset me.:mad:

oh and these people are all claiming jobseekers allowance...

:mad:

ignore them completely , many probably secretly resent you for having the balls to take such a job though it may be what they consider "low end", many of those people wouldnt have the self confidence to take such a job , and would prefer to go with the whole blazé (sp?) "oh , uhuhhu , free money , screw working in McDonalds " attitude

fair play for trying to get a job and not whining about the fact that its low end , your attitude to it was perfect , its a job , pays bills , end of story

f**k the begrudgers

Amy33

I work in Dunnes Stores and literally every time when I'm in a pub or nightclub and I tell a guy with a so called "better" job where I work they laugh into my face. I may not be a millionaire, but at least I'm not thick and ignorant.

Handsome Bob

I'm not sure, it would depend on how desperate I was, and that's coming from someone with a working class background. I have had so many jobs such as

• Kitchen Porter (better known as pot washer).
• Cashier in a Bookies.
• Shelf Stacker in a Supermarket.
• Junior Administrator in a Mortgage company.

The first three were insufferable. Management that thought they could get the best out of their staff with one style (Fordist) and who quite clearly never did a serious course on business. Horrible customers who had no qualms about giving you dogs abuse for things that were out of your hands. This was especially bad in the bookies where customers had their ways of attempting to scam the system, and when you rumbled them, they would be absolutely disgraceful in their behaviour. The Human Resources department would be either non-existent, incredibly difficult to contact, or quite simply amateur. You are basically treated like an idiot and a child in these jobs. You get no respect at all. So as I said, it depends on how desperate I am. If I had to feed a family then I guess I would have no choice but to swallow my pride. However as it is now where I only have myself to look after, I wouldn't consider going back to a type of job that I have had more than my fill of.

On the other hand the Mortgage company was professional. It was only a job to pay for the college bills but I wanted to work for them. Management wasn't one dimensional in their duties. They knew how to get the best out of each individual worker. When you did something right, you were told so and you felt valued. If you did something wrong you weren't humiliated and chewed out in public. Rather you had a meeting and the mistakes that were made were worked through like adults who had mutual respect for each other. So yeah, I make no apologies for wanting only to work in these type of environments.

One last thing, I don't want to here any silver spoon or "you don't know real work" jibes, as I think it's quite evident from what I have said that this would be simply not true.

EDIT I wouldn't look down on anyone in these jobs btw, I'm sure they must just simply have a thicker skin than I have.

miec

Hi Op

I think the girl you were talking to was theorising about the hard times but is a secret snob. I couldn't give a fig what job a man did, but there are some people who do look down on other people's jobs.

However, I am going to be devil's advocate here but before I start I want to clarify like LZ5by5 that as an early school leaver (didn't do my intercert even) I did minimum wage jobs and was treated like scum which included retail where I was often verbally abused and shouted at by customers, I was vastly underpaid, had to do extra hours often unpaid, one customer said how fat I was, etc.

I worked in hotels as a chambermaid and a waitress, the manager screamed at me one time because I was giving out in the corridor about the cleaning trolley I used (the wheels constantly fell off and all the stuff would fall off) and he brought my nationality into his verbal diatribe. Another time a customer did a crap on the floor in the main public toilets, I was asked to clean it up, I refused and was threatened with the sack, I said fair enough, the job was live in where we were fed sub-standard food and had awful accommodation, I was prepared to walk, the boss got someone else to clean it. Hotel bedrooms were often left in an appalling state and I remember one person wrote on the mirror 'clean this **** up' in lipstick, they had left plants in the bath, the floor was an inch thick with rice, they had stuffed dirt in the tea pot and smeared everywhere with toothpaste.

As a care worker on minimum wage I had to deal with residents who had mental illness and could be violent, I had no back up. I have done door to door canvassing, got verbal abuse there, which is understandable, I think everyone hates door to door sales people. As a postwoman I got threatened with physical violence because I was late with their dole cheques (I was in the UK during this time). So I have experienced the whole gambit of being treated like scum, sneered upon because of the jobs I did and having zilch respect or self esteem.

Whilst being a postie working six days a week and getting up at 4am, I did night classes in office skills and moved to the office side of things where I was treated a bit better. I worked in offices and climbed as far as I could go without an education and have loved it. I realised if I wanted to better myself getting a 3rd level education was the way forward, so I did, raising a child alone, I now have a masters. I am very, very proud of my achievements and I will be straight up and say hand on heart, that whilst I would take a job as a cleaner in a house or something if I had to, I would not work in a low paid job like McDonalds, or a hotel, etc again.

Either way being on the dole or working in a low level job that you have done in the past is demoralising. I'd rather do an internship or voluntary work that is satisifying. I've expereinced and lived through recession in Ireland and England, and I've experienced both sides of life. So whilst I commend anyone who wants to take any type of job, I personally wouldn't but I wouldn't look down on that person either.

Additionally, I was watching 'dispatches' on channel 4 last night about the rise of middle classes becoming unemployed and it was a an interesting programme and dealt with this very issue. One graduate took a door to door sales job that was commission only, he didn't get any sales and he was losing money. Another graduate with a masters became an assistant manager for a pizza outlet, but left soon after. One of the commentators on the programme stated that those with higher skill sets such as middle class professionals going for these jobs affect those with a lower skill set to get a job. I think it is important to look at the bigger picture, its not just a question of getting any job. I think you can use the period of unemployment in a number of ways, whether that is retraining, an internship, work experience in a related field. Its not a question of bumming off the dole and to be honest the attitude towards people on the dole is quite sickening as well, the majority of decent, hard working people do not choose to be on the dole, it is foisted upon them and I don't think they should be discriminated against either.

As a final note, I have gone for jobs way below my skill set and have been rejected because I was over qualified, so it is worth bearing that in mind too, sometimes you can't even get that low skilled job.