Blog #5

The ideas put forth by Mirabelli are some that I can relate too and I am sure many others can as well. Working while attending college is no simple task, and many times people just take any position that will help pay the bills. Many of the jobs held by current college students are those defined by the National Skills Labor Board as "low skilled professions." To those people that have never held an in-person or interactive services job, as described by Mirabelli, these waitressing or cashier jobs are seen as capable of being done by any particular person. What is not seen, is the work and stress that can accompany these certain positions. For example, imagine how stressful it is to be a taxi driver in New York City. The amount of traffic one deals with and the constant honking of other drivers is enough to make someone go insane. Yet, there is thousands of drivers that do this day in and day out to provide. As seen in the comments based off the customer horror page, in particular the second one coming from the mother of four, these jobs take certain talents that do not come easy. As for her case as well, she has four children. That type of attention and care could prevent them from even attempting trying to go to school and receive a degree. Sometimes, these so called low skilled jobs are the only form in which someone can make an income. Being quick to judge someone based off the job position they hold is demeaning and instead one should place themselves in their shoes and not be so quick to judge.

Thinking back to when I got my first job as a dishwasher and busboy, I believed that the position would be tiring, but not difficult. After about two weeks in that position, I had asked the supervisor if I could be moved up to become a server. She wanted someone with some experience, which I had none, but I reassured her that I was capable of doing the tasks. She tried me out one afternoon during one of our busy times, testing me to see my ability to work under pressure. First go around as a server, I thought to myself this should be easy, I am just taking food to the customers. I had that part right, but did not know the restaurant was divided up into sections with different numbered tables. I had already been working there for a while now, and it was something I should have known. Next thing to go wrong was understanding the abbreviations placed by the waiter/waitress. I had no idea what was being given out or if someone had a special request because I was not familiar with their system of writing. After that night, I realized that different positions would require different skills, ones that need to be learned through practice and not just thinking they will be easy. Since that moment, I have never underestimated the job positions I have held, as well as those that are held by others.

After reading Mirabelli's piece and reminiscing on my first job, it is easy to see how many people have a misconception on certain job positions. One might see a waitress or cashier and think that they are there because they choose to be, that might be true for some, but for many, people do not see the struggle of them working that job to pay for college, their family, and many other things.