MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Should Lofty hold out for his dream job?

Brockyman

Sir Terry Leahy is the CEO of Tesco and he is well known for having started working at Tesco as a Part time shelf filler. He had a degree but he needed a job so that's what he took. It certainly paid off for him.

I am currently waiting to start a job with Asda and the guy who showed me round had a degree, can't remember the subject but it was something to do with finance. He told me he wanted to be a stockbroker but couldn't get a job doing what he wanted so he changed his plans. He applied to Asda but HAD to start as a shelf filler. He is now a manager, it has taken him 30 months and he is very happy doing what he is doing. All the people I spoke to at Asda had started as shelf fillers, including all the department managers and the assistant store manager.

So yes, Lofty shound very definitely take the shelf fillers job. If he is any good he will soon get noticed. Life's what you make it and you make your own chances. If he sits at home moping he will get nowhere.

leathersofa

The problem here, what, is that you're looking at university study purely as a means to one end and one end only, that of earning the most possible money, and that asap. There was a time when university study was seen as something else, ie the chance to go further than is possible at school into a subject in which a person is passionately interested. That's why people do history, or philosophy, or even, gasp, ancient Greek (as I did). It is very sad to see university study being described as 'a con' because it doesn't necessarily lead to megabucks. And if 'the modern workplace' is somewhere where history, philosophy, art and Greek are seen as 'crap subjects that have no use' there, then I'd rather work in a less modern workplace. Which, thank God, I do. It is none of an employer's business to criticise a prospective employee who may have decided to do postgraduate study, unless that employer's interested in the hard work and self-motivation it takes to do so, which s/he should be. All that matters is what the employee now, when they're applying for a job, has to offer, and if I were in the employer's position I'd be very interested in someone who has shown the grit and determination to keep on studying out of passion for their subject when the rewards (material) are low and they have to put up with insults from people who take a strictly Gradgrindish attitude to academic study to boot. This has to be one of the most depressing posts I've read in some time.

leathersofa

I would also add that someone with an OU degree *should*, rightly, be in huge demand, because getting one while simultaneously working is about the hardest thing you can do. I have huge respect for anyone who does that.

Voyager2002

An excellent post at #103.

I would add to it that many of the more demanding jobs in "the modern workplace" require qualities such as judgement, assessing the relevance of different kinds of information, seeking out and synthesising ideas from a range of contexts... all of which are likely to be developed by a prolonged period of higher education.

An example that should give the modern Gradgrinds pause for thought: I used to work in a building that had been paid for by a million-dollar donation. The donor had made a fortune in the dot-com boom in California, and had the astuteness and good judgement to hold on to his money and even increase his fortune. He believed that what made his success possible was the mental discipline of doing a doctorate in Philosophy. That was why he made the donation, to provide a fitting home for the research unit led by his former supervisor.

djewkes

I think this is a total no-brainer, if he has a chance of a job...any job, then he should take it. If he needs to study further to get his "dream" job then he can do like the majority of adult learners and do it in his spare time. Jobs don't drop in your lap and you need to work for them. It will do his work prospects no good whatsoever for him to be unemployed. Also, why should he live on benefits if he has the opportunity to pay his own way, there are enough people on benefits through no fault of their own without someone who could have a job!

chriswatts

leathersofa, what you mention is one of the reason that people can't get jobs with a degree these days. In the past degrees were more vocational and you needed to know what job you wanted to take one. These days people do take them because they liked the subject at school and want to study further. But unless you want to be an archaeologist or historian what's the point continuing studying history or ancient Greek, or perhaps even English and maths. Quite a lot of these degree subjects are school subjects, most school subjects should be left behind when you leave school! If someone still doesn't know what job they want to do, going to university should be the last thing on their minds.

naturally_2

No question about it. Stack shelves until the right job comes along.

I was in the same position when I graduated.

5and1e

I think he should take the job as it shows a willingness to work, no matter what the job and he may well find his enthusiasm is rewarded with other opportunities.

Spirit_2

I have responsibility for a lot of recruitment ranging from unkilled posts to highly qualified professional staff. The team fill 1800 positions and handle 20,000 applications each year.

From a moral perspective - As an applicant the graduates decision to take the shelf stacking job, if that is all that is available, should be motivated by whether they can be self supporting without it.

From an employers perspective - To make themselves a more attractive applicant in their prefered field, the shelf stacking experience is unlikely to be relevant to their specialist skills, however it will give the opportunity to demonstrate other competences (team working, leading, communications and influencing) - so this position has the opportunity to yield more than money if it is approached positively and without arrogance, and can bolster a cv.

They key bit though if determined to work in a specialist field will be to get experience in that field - and that may neccessitate a regular and long term commitment to voluntary work in the subject area and/or further study to keep his/her application current.

Doing this alongside the shelf stacking job may be a necessity. Employers can see concurrent 'roles' and the best candidates use all their roles to demonstrate a variety of competences and give several examples of when they have demonstrated these abilities.

Sami_Bee

keet83 wrote: »

don't take the job you'll get too settled and it'll slow you down or even stop you looking for your dream job. keep looking and just watch your money, only take the job if you need the money desperately.

We'll see if you still think this when you're on benefits after you can't find a job when you've finished being a student.

Of course Lofty should apply for the supermarket job!! I personally don't see a dilemma here at all he needs a job, there is a job available ergo he should take the job!
As my mum always says, "Its always easier to get a new job when you already have one":cool: