Seriously. I just turned 41. Since I was a Sophomore in high school I have worked fast food. I have tried other jobs but always end up returning to
fast food. I have gone to college - still end up with my love of that business.
I got hired in last week at a fast food place to become a shift manager and then assistant manager. My goals are to ultimately become a Store Manager
and then Area Supervisor. At least here in my curent State pf residence, Store Managers get between 49k and 57k a year. Area supervisors get between
63k and 77k a year. Not bad at all. Don't need college one bit, you train as you go.
For now I'm taking a second fast food job just to make some extra money until I get trained at the first and get my shift manager raise. It'll be
around 9.50 an hour for that management raise. I may still keep the second part time job just to keep making a little more. I'll do this until I
become an assistant. They get a good decent salary of 32 to 45k a year, both salaries I have never seen in my entire life.
See, the great thing about working fast food since 89, you learn how to live cheaply from minimum wage. Even 24k a year to me would be a personal 1%.
I'd not live too much differently than I do now, aside from getting a car and maybe finding a slightly nicer place of maybe 500 a month (that is RICH
in my area, mind you). Right now I'm making 8 at the first place (and I was hired in far above the normal starting pay of 7.25 so I'm blessed!) and
I'm expecting 7.25 at the other, though that will be just 20 hrs a week, with 40 at the other. My total bills a month are 750 dollars (rent, net,
food, water and electric) so the rest will easily be saved. If I just worked the one job, I'd not be able to save much at all. What is the point
then?
I keep going back to fast food because I love the environment, love working with people, love making guests happy and pleased, take huge pride in my
store I'm working in and it's fast paced, hard enough work to keep me at a low stress level to ensure I do the best I can do. I go home exhausted
and hurting after a full shift, hehe. We do earn our money, that's for sure.
Heck, I was going to apply for a shift mgr position at CVS and was nodding at the job duties. I'll post em here just so people can see what we get to
do as min wage workers. I have read other places on here where many think you just 'flip burgers' or 'take money'. The following is for CVS (like
a Walgreens, if you will) for a shift mgr position, paying 8.50 to 9.50 an hour.
Management
Work effectively with store management and store crews
Supervise the store’s crew through assigning, directing and following up of all activities
Effectively communicate information both to and from store management and crews
Customer Service
Assist customers with their questions, problems and complaints
Greet customers using the eye’s, hi’s and help at all times
Handle all customer relations issues (accidents) in accordance with company policy and promote a positive shopping experience for all CVS
customers
Maintain customer/patient confidentiality
Merchandise/Presentation
Price merchandise
Stock shelves
Execute the display, sign and inventory of weekly, major promotional, and seasonal merchandise
Reset departments following POGs, adapting them to a particular store if necessary
Execute the display and maintenance of off-shelf merchandise
Shrinkage
Control use of register keys, securing door keys, and safe combinations
Control use of employee discount card for register management functions
Execute locking of safe and setting of alarms when closing the store
Complete random cash verifications, electronic journal tape checks
Conduct employee bag checks
Identify and react to shoplifters and apprehend to secure company assets
Maintain and react to EAS program
Monitor and react to signs of internal theft
Operations
Operate a cash register - including: cash, check and charge transactions, bagging merchandise
Identify and react to in-store repairs
Execute and document: cash/check pulls, deposits, returned check payments, check acceptance, refunds, voids, discounts, cashier verifications,
rainchecks, signing crew members on/off
Deliver deposits to and secure change from the bank and balance imprest fund
Open/close store
Execute the daily cash report (DCR)
Process photofinishing activities
Assist pharmacy staff in/out of pharmacy area
Access, input and retrieve information from the computer (e-mail)
Answer telephone
Access, input and retrieve information from the computer
Load and unload deliveries
lift 35 pound trays/cases to a height of 4 feet
move trays/cases from one location to another
Schedule daily activities
Execute a walk through of the store and establish a priority list
Ensure compliance with all company policies and procedures (such as cash management) and federal and state
Cut in new items, remove discontinued items and adjust facings
Check in merchandise: verify billing, document errors
Order regular merchandise, maintaining accurate inventory levels (using order guides when appropriate) through the use of the Telxon machine
Prepare and distribute reports and records: customer cash discrepancy, accident reports
Human Resources
Ensure on-the-job safety of all employees and treatment for employee injuries sustained on the job
Maintain a work place free from discrimination and harassment
Train, develop and evaluate hourly non-exempt employees
Assist customers with large purchases
taking out to vehicle
Execute the completion of check-out bulletins
Execute completion of price changes: document counts, utilize price gun
Work overstock, weekly using Telxon enhancements
Execute the display and maintenance of greeting cards
Pay vendors following vendor pay out policy
Maintenance/organization of office and back room
Execute management bulletins/action sheets
Execute store maintenance: vacuum, face/dust, sweep (back room, store exterior), clean windows, trash removal, clean rest rooms.
All that is done during the shift, some parts more than just one time. That's a lot of work if you think on it.
I like to say that even if every single person in the country got their Bachelors in a useful degree area, you'd still need folks to wash your cars,
get you your food when you eat out, run your registers when you buy things, make your pizza's, do your dry cleaning, park your cars, drive your cabs,
sell you your tuxedos and dresses, etc etc. Heck, even EMT's get maybe 9 to 10 an hour to save lives.
Can't really dog the low wage workers. If the country didn't have them, a lot of the conveniences we take for 'granted' wouldn't be there any
more. No more ice cream cones on a hot day. No more ticket takers for the amusement parks. No more people to clean up said parks. No more landscaping
jobs being done. I could go on and on.
I love what I do. I keep going back to it because it is what i love to do. I may get worked my butt OFF every day/night, but when I come home, I'm
thrilled for having done it and look forward to returning the next day.