1. We don't deserve 15 dollars an hour
Seriously. I work at Jimmy Johns and my job is incredibly easy. I make some sandwiches, wash dishes, and drive around delivering subs. There is literally no way I deserve to make 15 dollars an hour. WSBTV-Atlanta created a list of 15 jobs that make 15 dollars an hour and I can, beyond a shadow of a doubt, guarantee you that I don’t deserve to make as much money as them. I mean sure, there is no doubt I would love those paychecks, but I have a lick of common sense and realize that a 15 dollar minimum wage is undeserved and detrimental to the economy
2. Don't let people ruin your day
I learned this lesson really quick. I have been screamed at, called nearly every name in the book, and been verbally threatened; all because I couldn’t put the vinaigrette dressing on the side or deliver a sub to their house. Working for minimum wage, particularly food and retail jobs, you quickly learn that a lot of people are just assholes. They probably wake up pissed off and they definitely go to sleep pissed off, and often times it is hard not to take their insults personally. But, eventually you learn that you will inevitably deal with these customers and that sometimes there is nothing you can do to please them. So, instead of getting upset, you just have to rub it off and continue.
3. Value education.
Sure, my job may not be hard and it is sometimes even fun, but working a minimum wage job has proven that an education is crucial to survival. Minimum wage jobs are meant to be starting places, not career fields; just based on my paychecks alone it is clear that a minimum wage job is not the answer. I can’t even sustain myself on my paychecks, I couldn’t even imagine trying to stretch it out and sustain a family. Only making $8.50 an hour has proven that I definitely need to get a college degree, and no, this is not a bad thing at all. Once again, minimum wage jobs are not meant to be made into careers.
4. Everyone should do it.
After working in minimum wage job for around a year and a half now, I can honestly say I think it is something everyone should do. You learn a tremendous amount from this experience. You learn how to manage money, hold yourself accountable, be on time, deal with difficult people, and much more. It is an experience unlike any other and it teaches you that if everyone were to work for minimum wage, if only for a short while, we would all value what we have that much more. It might even teach you to strive for bigger and better things in your lives, just like it taught me.
