Career Strategies

Some current US minimum wage employees may enjoy their work, but cannot earn enough to be truly self-supporting.  A typical strategy for survival has been to find roommates to share the rent and utilities, especially if everybody needs cars. 

Some fast food and restaurant workers who want to become store managers learn everything about the facility and work in all functions. If you want to move ahead, you need to learn about cooking, the equipment, the computer system, food prep processes and clean-up requirements and become assistant managers if they are skilled at leading work crews.

Some retail workers who want to become store managers learn everything about the operation of their stores including receiving, inventory, assisting customers, the computer system, making bank deposits, opening and closing. Those who are skilled at leading store associates may want to work their way up to assistant manager and then store manager

The same process is true for grocery store workers, who also need to understand refrigeration equipment and temperature requirements and clean-up procedures as well as cash register operations, checkout, stocking, inventory and receiving.

Those who are ready for something else to increase their earnings need to try things to see what they enjoy and can do well. Some will move to construction and other outdoor work. This might expose them to skilled work like carpentry, plumbing, electrical, flooring, roofing, driveway pouring, concrete work, brick laying, HVAC and appliance installation servicing and repair and other skills working as an apprentice or helper and taking classes at trade schools and self-learning on the internet.

Those who own equipment required for some tasks can open their own business for things like tree removal, tree trunk grinding, Hydraulic log splitting and tree limb shredding.

Operating heavy construction equipment like front end loaders and bull dozers can develop as a skill as can 18 wheel over-the-road truck drivers.

For the college-bound its best to start at a 2 year community college or trade school. It’s cheaper to live at home and courses are cheaper. You should get an Associate Degree in whatever you are interested in learning. You will also satisfy your basic course requirement to enter a 4 year college as a Junior.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader