Author Topic: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation  (Read 55957 times)

Schaefer Light

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #100 on: January 02, 2018, 11:39:40 AM »
If you just need to wait for your stash to grow, you could always volunteer for the Peace Corps.

That's an interesting idea.  Thanks.

Imma

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #101 on: January 02, 2018, 11:45:28 AM »
That's what I was afraid of. But useful to hear it from someone who actually saw that the job market was like during a recession firsthand. Thanks, Cranky!

In my country we experienced a triple dip recession for several years starting from 2007-2008. I was around 20 then with a university education. I struggled through various short term shitty jobs that I was massively overqualified for, but I did find all kinds of jobs. I can imagine it's harder to find jobs like that when you're older with lots of professional work experience, but at that age it wasn't hard for me to find jobs.

One place I worked for actively looked for retired people or people who'd moved abroad and needed to work in our country for an X amount of days for tax reasons. It was very easy (but physically hard) work, we were basically shelf stacking for a travelling book market, and they preferred older, professional staff over students that they found unreliable. I also did short term work in hospitality and no one ever asked me for my job experience or resume. I worked through a temp agency and they only asked me questions about kitchen/hospitality skills and they'd match available jobs to that. It was minimum wage work, but we'd often get to eat leftover food and we worked very long shifts, so there was the opportunity to earn a lot of money in a short period of time.

StarBright

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #102 on: January 02, 2018, 11:56:07 AM »

Here are a few ideas I came up with and I'd love to hear from the community:

- Teacher: school districts are always looking for people to take on teaching and, if you're smart enough to FIRE, you're smart enough to at least try out teaching


This one might be a bit iffy because many teaching jobs require a credential. However, private and charter schools do not, so this may be a possible avenue.

Also, in some states having access to a teacher's pension (and having FICA taxes manditorily waived even if you don't participate in the pension) can mess up your access to Social Security. This is a great thread idea - but having explored teaching as a second career and then ending up in a state where teachers can't pay FICA, I thought this was info worth sharing :)

Cranky

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #103 on: January 02, 2018, 01:02:16 PM »
That's what I was afraid of. But useful to hear it from someone who actually saw that the job market was like during a recession firsthand. Thanks, Cranky!

Thinking  about this some more, I’d add that we really only hired from within - when we needed someone to pick up some hours, we looked at the people who were already involved and volunteering, and asked if they wanted to move to a paid position.

I suspect that that’s often the way it works in a high unemployment situation - even small part time jobs can afford to be picky and will hire through word of mouth.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing for someone looking for that kind of work - it just means that you need to use your network. I’ve had a lot of parttime jobs of the years, and everyone of them has been offered to me by someone I know.


eliza

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #104 on: January 02, 2018, 01:46:15 PM »
If you just need to wait for your stash to grow, you could always volunteer for the Peace Corps. They are always looking for older qualified candidates (although they prefer that you have at least a Bachelor's degree). They pay for your medical, dental, room, and board while you are in the program. When you get out they give you $8k to get back to "normal" life. There are also educational benefits.

EDIT - I guess that is a very US-centic answer. Sorry about that. Also, if you do successfully volunteer for the Piece Corps you get to be considered for Federal Government jobs with "noncompetitive eligibility."

That's a very clever idea.  There's also the possibility of a long-term volunteer position through a charity where your basic living costs would be covered (I believe Doctors Without Borders has such programs and I assume other charities as well).

I've thought through a number of options if I need to economize for a few years due to an early market drop after FI.  My top two right now are:

(1) geo-arbitrage - moving overseas to somewhere where cost of living is much cheaper (Chiang Mai, Tahiland?). 

(2) Take a master's degree in Germany (taught in English) - many of these programs are in smaller towns where cost of living is reasonable and tuition ranges from free to ~$1,500 per year. 

maizefolk

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #105 on: January 02, 2018, 04:14:53 PM »
That's what I was afraid of. But useful to hear it from someone who actually saw that the job market was like during a recession firsthand. Thanks, Cranky!

Thinking  about this some more, I’d add that we really only hired from within - when we needed someone to pick up some hours, we looked at the people who were already involved and volunteering, and asked if they wanted to move to a paid position.

I suspect that that’s often the way it works in a high unemployment situation - even small part time jobs can afford to be picky and will hire through word of mouth.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing for someone looking for that kind of work - it just means that you need to use your network. I’ve had a lot of parttime jobs of the years, and everyone of them has been offered to me by someone I know.

These are very good points. It also suggests that making sure that your network includes some people who might have a need for part time workers in the event of a recession is a good precaution to take even in good economic times.

MrsPete

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #106 on: January 02, 2018, 06:08:49 PM »
when you could go house sit or dog sit for someone.
I've considered dog sitting.  I could see building a couple little pens and doing it on a very small basis.  Of course, people would always want to board their dogs on holidays, but I imagine us traveling at low-priced times after we retire. 

No, they weren’t. Because they really weren’t interested in co-op work and didn’t have any skills for it.
And because the co-op people would rather hire someone who actually wants that job and could be expected to stay.  A typical engineer would do that job as a stop-gap until he could get the job he really wants.

My mom was a sub for many years and she found that once she was known and could be expected to do a good job, she got requested nearly every day she was available. 
Yes, this is absolutely true.  When one of us teachers expects to be out (doctor's appointment or whatever), we always try to schedule it as far in advance as possible so we can get one of the GOOD subs. 

Realistically, subs don't work much in August /September ... then they're in demand October - late May.  They work a lot of Mondays and Fridays, and they see half of a lot of movies. 

Another teacher-related job that retirees might consider:  In-home daycare ONLY for teachers' kids.  I know a number of people who do this, and it's a better deal than just plain babysitting anyone's kids.  They get the summers and holidays off.  If they babysit small children, the teachers pick up by 3:30 or 4:00 ... if they provide after-school care, they see the kids off the bus, provide a snack, and help the kids with homework before they're picked up.  Either way, it's fewer hours than a typical babysitter. 

I've considered that I might offer babysitting for school-aged kids on teacher workdays only.  You know, make it a themed day-camp type thing. 


BPA

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #107 on: January 02, 2018, 06:14:35 PM »

Here are a few ideas I came up with and I'd love to hear from the community:

- Teacher: school districts are always looking for people to take on teaching and, if you're smart enough to FIRE, you're smart enough to at least try out teaching


This one might be a bit iffy because many teaching jobs require a credential. However, private and charter schools do not, so this may be a possible avenue.

I grinned at this because teaching was the career I ERed from.  I might substitute, but I once saw a post from Spartana where she says she'd take a seasonal job and I think I would do that too. 

I am lucky that I live where there is universal health care, so low-paying, part-time work is doable..especially with a paid off house, a roommate, and an apartment I can rent out. 

big_slacker

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #108 on: January 02, 2018, 06:51:30 PM »
About the experience during a recession. I moved to a city right as the dot com crash hit. It was extremely hard to find GOOD paying jobs, but I picked up a warehouse/delivery truck driver spot ($8/hr, woohoo!) after some difficulty and a lot of applications/interviews I was overqualified for. I moved from that to blackjack dealer as a friend got me the hookup on a free dealer school in tahoe with a guaranteed job after.

I always tell people that painful experience was one of my greatest life lessons. It taught me that job security is defined by how valuable and specialized your skillset is. If you're competing to do something nearly everyone can do you're gonna have a tough time, regardless of how special or smart you think you are or actually are. :D

When the next recession rolled around I was very ready, I switched jobs twice in the thick of it actually and doubled my income. Lost my ass in real estate, but that's another life lesson, haha!

I think when it comes to this thread, the application is to either keep an in demand skill(s) up to date if you have one.

CptCool

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #109 on: January 03, 2018, 11:00:23 AM »
retail arbitrage & selling on eBay/Amazon/Craigslist is my fallback plan. Basically find clearance products or combine coupons & sales to get items for a cheap price, then flip it. It's what I did to pay for college & it didn't slow down at all during the 2008 timeframe. It's pretty easy to make just enough to weather a downturn if you combine it with your 4% withdrawal.

Imma

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #110 on: January 04, 2018, 03:18:34 AM »
I was approached with an opportunity for a copywriting gig today. I'm not sure if that's going to work out for me right now, but this is the kind of side hustle that would be ideal in case you need to some extra money while FIRE'd. The pay isn't that great, but you can often work from home and set your own schedule. You get paid for your output and not for your time, so the more skilled and efficient you are, the more money you make.

In case of a general economic downturn, these kind of jobs are of course harder to find and less well paid, but I know a few people who got by as fulltime copywriters during the last recession. You need to be able to write a lot in a short time and build your reputation on that.

Roadrunner53

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #111 on: January 04, 2018, 04:05:02 AM »
I just retired last month from a corporate job.  It was an early retirement, but not so early by MMM standards.  I am thinking about picking up a part-time, local retail gig, because I've never done anything like that and I think it could be fun!  Low pay, but no meetings, no 60-hour work weeks, no killer commute and no crushing responsibilities.  If I don't like it, I certainly don't need to stay for 39 years like I did with my corporate employer.  These jobs are so easy to come by right now, but I agree with others that this will not be the case when there is another economic downturn.
 

Trust me, you might think it is fun, but the caliber of people you will work with will be an eye opener. My friend works for Walmart (WM) and she tells me stories you wouldn't believe of some of her coworkers. She formerly worked in banking for 20 years and in HR for around 10 years but during the recession lost her job and couldn't find a decent job. Now she is close to retirement.

One woman who worked at my friends WM was killed by her boyfriend. Another one is divorced with two kids and broke but sending money to some guy in Africa who she thinks is in love with her. Others my friend has had to train that can't be trained. They just don't have the skills to learn. She has done everything but stand on her head to help these people learn but they just don't get it! Then there is the local grocery store that has bottle returns and the machines are always full or malfunctioning. They always send the new guy out to remedy the situation. Gathering up the shopping carts out in the snow or rain. Then the hours usually are horrible. They won't give you enough hours to get benefits. You will work weekends or second or third shift. Don't forget all the holidays. Most stores don't shut down for any holidays. If the store opens on Black Friday at 1 am, you will be scheduled to come in to work the hellish night shift and deal with these customers rampaging thru the store. People do disgusting things in the bathrooms and you might be told to clean it up. They are not very tolerant of absences no matter what the excuse. Don't think you will get overtime. They schedule very tightly and expect you to be there on time and leave on time. To go from a corporate type job to a retail gig is really not easy to swallow. But, good luck if you try this!

Pigeon

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #112 on: January 04, 2018, 07:42:05 AM »
A few people have mentioned working in a library. 

Professional librarian jobs will require an MLS.  Many non-librarian clerical jobs are civil service.  The library job market is pretty competitive, and many clerical positions end up being filled with people who have an MLS.  Academic libraries and larger public library systems hire some non-MLS people with strong technical skills, but even for these positions, there is usually a preference for people with some library experience.

FIRE Artist

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #113 on: January 04, 2018, 08:11:27 AM »
A few jobs that I would like to do, and would consider doing even without a FIRE failure due to the perks include ushering or selling tickets at the local playhouse, selling tickets at the museum, art gallery, or even working in the gift shop.

I would get to hang out in spaces I love, free entry, have backstage access (this is especially attractive to me for the museum), all while doing a relatively low demand job requiring not a lot more than being pleasant and helpful.  I have an acquaintance who did the ushering part time thing, got to see all the shows for free, so if you are in to the theatre, this can be a huge perk in saved ticket costs. 

Someone who likes to travel could also look into being a gate agent for an airline.  I hear that pay sucks, but if you were to get flight perks that you will actually use, it might be worth it.  The commute to the airport, and dealing with stressed travellers would put me off this one though.

Again, I think you would have to get yourself established in one of these jobs before any kind of market downturn.


Villanelle

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #114 on: January 04, 2018, 11:10:33 AM »
A few people have mentioned working in a library. 

Professional librarian jobs will require an MLS.  Many non-librarian clerical jobs are civil service.  The library job market is pretty competitive, and many clerical positions end up being filled with people who have an MLS.  Academic libraries and larger public library systems hire some non-MLS people with strong technical skills, but even for these positions, there is usually a preference for people with some library experience.

I'm one of those who mentioned libraries.  I have half an MLIS completed and may or may not finish it at some point before (or during) retirement.

But mostly I'm responding to bring up another point, which is that FIRE activities can help set you up better for these what-ifs.  I've got a lot of time volunteering in libraries, and plan to do that in retirement as well.  The volunteer time will look good on a resume, if it ever comes to job searching, and if it is a local library that is eventually hiring, the person they know and trust to be reliable, sane, and competent is going to get more consideration than a person who is a complete unknown.  Of course, this only works if you are also otherwise qualified, but I've seen this in action.  A library where I volunteer actually asked me and another regular volunteer to apply for positions when they came open.  I wasn't interested, but the other volunteer was and she easily got one of the jobs. 

So another way to hedge against these possibilities is to be thoughtful with retirement activities, especially volunteering. 

Also, I think that if and when the time comes, it is going to be most important to be flexible.  This thread is great for ideas, but anyone who says, "I'll get a job doing X", if probably a bit naive.  Since this is likely to occur during an economic downturn, the key is going to be applying for anything and everything, in most cases.  Yes, having a skill set and connections to tap will give you a leg up, but I would be foolish to only look for library jobs, for example.  I'd take a walmart or secretarial or babysitting job if that's what came along.  I'd probably keep looking for a more skilled (and more interesting to me) job, and one which would likely pay more, but it would be foolish to limit myself if there was a true need.  And while it might suck, working 8 or 10 months at Walmart wouldn't be unbearable since it would be fairly short term, and likely part time.

Roadrunner53

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Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #115 on: January 04, 2018, 11:30:17 AM »
Just be aware that Walmart only closes one day a year and that is Christmas day. Unless you get lucky you most likely will be scheduled for holidays. The only good thing is that they have 401k and they match up to a certain amount.

okits

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #116 on: January 04, 2018, 01:47:18 PM »
(And Yet Another side note:  Recessions end.  If a FIRE'ee couldn't get a job due to such a recession, there is no reason they can't do any of the aforementioned jobs a few years later when the economy recovers.  Yes they lose some to compounding and pulling out equities for living expenses at the worst time, but they also have the financial flexibility to survive and work in better years, albeit just slightly longer...)

I particularly appreciate this point.  During a recession, you don't have to fight it out with the unemployed who need a job to survive.  You can wait until the job market is less competitive and pick up something then.  Your urgency is less and you can use the time during the recession to gain training or skills that will make it easier to get the PT job you want.

BPA

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #117 on: January 04, 2018, 04:34:21 PM »
(And Yet Another side note:  Recessions end.  If a FIRE'ee couldn't get a job due to such a recession, there is no reason they can't do any of the aforementioned jobs a few years later when the economy recovers.  Yes they lose some to compounding and pulling out equities for living expenses at the worst time, but they also have the financial flexibility to survive and work in better years, albeit just slightly longer...)

I particularly appreciate this point.  During a recession, you don't have to fight it out with the unemployed who need a job to survive.  You can wait until the job market is less competitive and pick up something then.  Your urgency is less and you can use the time during the recession to gain training or skills that will make it easier to get the PT job you want.

I was thinking about this point today and also think it's an excellent one.  I decided to move to three years of living expenses into cash thinking about it.  (Had a year and a half in cash before that.) 

SEAK

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #118 on: January 04, 2018, 04:53:52 PM »
From late spring to early fall over 1 million cruise ship passengers visit our town. There are lots of hiking/biking guide businesses that are always struggling to find enough workers especially around the shoulder seasons. Figure I could always get some sort of job with them if needed.

Just Joe

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #119 on: January 05, 2018, 07:37:34 AM »
Talking to a friend who retired from the NPS - he says that a college degree is pretty much required and a Master's to be competitive for certain jobs or places. I figured it would come down to being able to use a chainsaw. Guess I was wrong.

CptCool

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #120 on: January 05, 2018, 08:48:09 AM »
Does anybody know what's involved in getting a job like ski instructor, ski patrol, park ranger, guide, or other outdoors related jobs?

Can only comment on ski patrol - but that is a very hard to get job in popular ski resorts. In smaller ones (meaning ones no one would ever go on a ski vacation to) it is much easier, but is often done on a volunteer basis only

Cranky

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #121 on: January 05, 2018, 10:11:56 AM »
Does anybody know what's involved in getting a job like ski instructor, ski patrol, park ranger, guide, or other outdoors related jobs?

My co-worker’s son got a job as a ski instructor in Colorado the winter after he graduated from high school. He enjoyed the free skiing, but he lived in his van as housing was way expensive.

TexasRunner

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #122 on: January 05, 2018, 10:35:46 AM »
(And Yet Another side note:  Recessions end.  If a FIRE'ee couldn't get a job due to such a recession, there is no reason they can't do any of the aforementioned jobs a few years later when the economy recovers.  Yes they lose some to compounding and pulling out equities for living expenses at the worst time, but they also have the financial flexibility to survive and work in better years, albeit just slightly longer...)

I particularly appreciate this point.  During a recession, you don't have to fight it out with the unemployed who need a job to survive.  You can wait until the job market is less competitive and pick up something then.  Your urgency is less and you can use the time during the recession to gain training or skills that will make it easier to get the PT job you want.

I was thinking about this point today and also think it's an excellent one.  I decided to move to three years of living expenses into cash thinking about it.  (Had a year and a half in cash before that.)

As long as your investments (excluding cash buffer) still maintain your optimum safe withdraw rate AND you are fine with the drag from the additional 1.5 years money out of the market, then this makes perfect sense.  I also may adjust my end-game a bit due to this, but I'm still a ways away.

Glad I could make a good point.  :)

Lmoot

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #123 on: January 05, 2018, 12:31:22 PM »
Does anybody know what's involved in getting a job like ski instructor, ski patrol, park ranger, guide, or other outdoors related jobs?

All of my 4 brothers have easily found outdoor jobs in various ski towns with no qualifications or skills.
They just hit the hills often, made friends with staff, got jobs.

Sometimes “smoked pot a bunch with lift operator” is the only qualification you need.

Jobs tend to be hard to come by when you desperately need them, but post-FIRE people aren’t likely to suddenly be under a crunch to find work. If you don’t need a job NOW to cover a mortgage, then it’s not hard to build your network and find something interesting.

Retired people are in the ideal position to network, they have time and valuable skills.

If I needed a retirement job, I would do the exact same thing I have always done for jobs: I would work my network. I would meet people for lunches, get involved in volunteer activities, participate in my community, be highly helpful and productive and eventually someone would offer to pay me.

Even in recessions, companies are ALWAYS on the lookout for useful people with skills and a great attitude.

My mom has been retired since the early 2000s and she was practically bullied into taking on contacts after the cash in 2008 because companies couldn’t afford to maintain staff so they hired contractors for specific projects. She had kept up her professional network by mentoring people and when those contracts came up, they demanded that she do them. She turned down so much work and made so much money. It was insane.

People who are desperate for work don’t have the time to dedicate to networking and being useful for free, that’s why it’s so hard for them to get ahead. However, the more free time you have, the easier it is to make opportunities happen. Before I became a dentist, I had a previous career that I basically fashioned out of nothing by taking an interest in successful people, identifying their problems and trying to help fix them.

I really don’t think anyone who has reached FIRE really needs to stress about it.
Yes, you will likely have to work in retirement if you have saved a lean FIRE, but that’s not a bad thing, nor is it something to be afraid of.

There are no guarantees in life, and not with FIRE either, but you can be damn sure that if you’ve reached FIRE and there’s a major recession, that you will be in a much better position than most and ideally equipped to actually find some of the incredible opportunities that exist in recesssions.

FIRE doesn’t mean you don’t have to fight the battle, it just means that you have the best armour.

 This is the most reasonable response yet. Also, you don’t necessarily have to work when jobs are hard to find. It’s not like you would be hurting for cash right away. If you can’t find work immediately due to a down economy, wait until things start to settle down and jobs become more available; then make a commitment to work long enough to replenish the coffers.

eliza

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #124 on: January 05, 2018, 06:21:27 PM »
Does anybody know what's involved in getting a job like ski instructor, ski patrol, park ranger, guide, or other outdoors related jobs?

Can only comment on ski patrol - but that is a very hard to get job in popular ski resorts. In smaller ones (meaning ones no one would ever go on a ski vacation to) it is much easier, but is often done on a volunteer basis only

Agreed.  The ski patrol at my local ski resort growing up (not a place anyone would vacation to, but still a decent hill) were volunteers - they got free season passes and I believe some other perks (free/discounted food, first choice of equipment left behind after the season, etc.).  Instructors were paid, but there was a much more rigorous selection process and little turnover year to year so hard to break into.

MrsPete

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #125 on: January 06, 2018, 05:04:11 PM »
Trust me, you might think it is fun, but the caliber of people you will work with will be an eye opener. My friend works for Walmart (WM) and she tells me stories you wouldn't believe of some of her coworkers. She formerly worked in banking for 20 years and in HR for around 10 years but during the recession lost her job and couldn't find a decent job. Now she is close to retirement.

One woman who worked at my friends WM was killed by her boyfriend. Another one is divorced with two kids and broke but sending money to some guy in Africa who she thinks is in love with her. Others my friend has had to train that can't be trained. They just don't have the skills to learn. She has done everything but stand on her head to help these people learn but they just don't get it! Then there is the local grocery store that has bottle returns and the machines are always full or malfunctioning. They always send the new guy out to remedy the situation. Gathering up the shopping carts out in the snow or rain. Then the hours usually are horrible. They won't give you enough hours to get benefits. You will work weekends or second or third shift. Don't forget all the holidays. Most stores don't shut down for any holidays. If the store opens on Black Friday at 1 am, you will be scheduled to come in to work the hellish night shift and deal with these customers rampaging thru the store. People do disgusting things in the bathrooms and you might be told to clean it up. They are not very tolerant of absences no matter what the excuse. Don't think you will get overtime. They schedule very tightly and expect you to be there on time and leave on time. To go from a corporate type job to a retail gig is really not easy to swallow. But, good luck if you try this!
My youngest child is still in college, so I've heard from them -- and from my high school seniors -- what goes on in retail jobs these days.  Some of it's hard to believe.  Some people make make, um, "messes" not only in bathrooms ... some people take their kids into a dressing room and allow them to pee /poop in to a bottle or onto a pair of the store's jeans.  Customers are rude to retail workers about prices /available merchandise -- as if the minimum wage cashier does the ordering.  I've seen it with my children, and I've heard it from my students:  Retails workers aren't treated very well; in fact, they're treated like they're disposable.  I think it's because it's a low-skill job, and the workers are very easy to replace -- still, people shouldn't be treated like they're disposable. 

Things you should expect if you're going to work in retail: 
- Awful hours; for example, my daughter worked 'til 2am on Black Friday, and she'll work until 2am again for inventory.  She works 'til 11pm on a regular basis.  And holidays -- people shop on holidays. 
- In some clothing stores, you're required to wear not only the store's clothing, but the current season's clothing.  I think I've heard this (from my students) about American Eagle and Abercrombie.  For a minimum wage worker, that's a tall order. 
- Lack of parking.  Yes, seriously!  This has been a big problem for my daughter, who works at a busy mall.  During the Christmas season, we drove her to work /picked her up (fortunately it's only a 10 minute drive) when she worked 'til closing because in the evening hours you literally can't find a parking space.  This is the type of thing you'd never think is a real problem ... 'til you're driving around looking for a place to park. 

I'd be willing to work retail on a seasonal basis ... if it were going to be short-term and especially if it'd allow me to get a discount on something I want to buy.

I'm not surprised to hear you say that some workers just aren't trainable.  They come through my high school classes:  People so dumb they literally can't run a cash register or hold three instructions in their mind at once.  These people are small in number, but I really don't know how they make it in the world.  Most of my students who do poorly are just lazy, but a few genuinely "cannot do". 

Of course, I've also seen a couple students who were genuinely dumb, but they found their way into the right job for them; for example, one of my kids worked at a restaurant for a short time, and one of my old students -- a genuinely bottom-of-the-barrel-student -- was the head waitress.  She was an excellent waitress.  It was "her thing", and I'm glad she found something she could do.

A few jobs that I would like to do, and would consider doing even without a FIRE failure due to the perks include ushering or selling tickets at the local playhouse, selling tickets at the museum, art gallery, or even working in the gift shop.
One of my retirement possibilities:  A playhouse near us takes volunteers as ushers.  The majority seem to be senior citizens.  It'd be a great way to see concerts and plays ... for free.  The negatives, in my case, are that the place is an hour's drive from my house, parking is difficult downtown, and I don't know that I'd enjoy seeing the same thing multiple times. 

Does anybody know what's involved in getting a job like ski instructor, ski patrol, park ranger, guide, or other outdoors related jobs?
Years ago we went on a tour at a state park out west -- really great tour; a splurge, but we still talk about it a decade later.  It was the first tour of the day, and our family was alone on the tour, so we talked a great deal to the old guy who served as driver /guide.  He told us that he lives in Texas, but he can't take the summer heat, so he goes to South Dakota and works as a guide -- he was a really good guide -- full of stories and fun to talk to.  As we drove around, he showed us the workers' campground.  My husband and I talked about it later and said we'd enjoy doing that as seasonal work. 

One last thought:  I was talking to an older guy who was running the cash register at the grocery store, and -- I don't remember how this came up -- he told me it's a great part-time job for a retired person.  He's retired from the corporate world, and he told me he enjoyed working with the teenagers who mostly staff the store.  I asked him if he gets a discount on groceries, and he said no -- but he says he gets first crack at the reduced-for-quick-sale items, and that's worthwhile. 
« Last Edit: January 06, 2018, 06:05:45 PM by MrsPete »

teacherwithamustache

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #126 on: January 06, 2018, 07:52:10 PM »
Those of you that are suggesting teaching are absolutely crazy!  I think after I retire I will go and learn to become a computer programmer. ... It has nothing to do with kids or teaching.  The bureaucracy will kill you.

On a serious note.  If you need money, like kids, and can still move a bit go and become a referee for whatever your favorite sport is.  You work from 5-9 PM, Pick your schedule, and can make $80-$150 an evening.  Draw backs... Can not drink, Can not be a lard ass, Will get sunburned.  You can make 2K a month by officiating youth sports.

Tuskalusa

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #127 on: January 06, 2018, 08:17:31 PM »
I took my first FIRE job a year ago, doing some basic accounting for a nonprofit. What I’ve found is that while it’s a good gig, my natural desire to rock a professional job has sucked the fun out of this gig. I think my next FIRE gig will be further away from my original profession...like personal trainer or sub.

Posting to follow. Would love to hear about other people’s post FIRE experiences.

eliza

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #128 on: January 06, 2018, 08:23:13 PM »
One last thought:  I was talking to an older guy who was running the cash register at the grocery store, and -- I don't remember how this came up -- he told me it's a great part-time job for a retired person.  He's retired from the corporate world, and he told me he enjoyed working with the teenagers who mostly staff the store.  I asked him if he gets a discount on groceries, and he said no -- but he says he gets first crack at the reduced-for-quick-sale items, and that's worthwhile.

My dad took a job full-time as an assistant manager at a grocery store.  He's 60 and took the job mainly for healthcare benefits (which are awesome, surprisingly) and to bridge the gap until Social Security. 

He loves it.  Originally, he was planning on working only until Medicare eligibility, but he likes it so much, I think he's planning to keep working there part-time even once he doesn't need the steady income/health benefits.

Monkey Uncle

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #129 on: January 07, 2018, 05:11:27 AM »
I just retired last month from a corporate job.  It was an early retirement, but not so early by MMM standards.  I am thinking about picking up a part-time, local retail gig, because I've never done anything like that and I think it could be fun!  Low pay, but no meetings, no 60-hour work weeks, no killer commute and no crushing responsibilities.  If I don't like it, I certainly don't need to stay for 39 years like I did with my corporate employer.  These jobs are so easy to come by right now, but I agree with others that this will not be the case when there is another economic downturn.
 

Trust me, you might think it is fun, but the caliber of people you will work with will be an eye opener. My friend works for Walmart (WM) and she tells me stories you wouldn't believe of some of her coworkers. She formerly worked in banking for 20 years and in HR for around 10 years but during the recession lost her job and couldn't find a decent job. Now she is close to retirement.

One woman who worked at my friends WM was killed by her boyfriend. Another one is divorced with two kids and broke but sending money to some guy in Africa who she thinks is in love with her. Others my friend has had to train that can't be trained. They just don't have the skills to learn. She has done everything but stand on her head to help these people learn but they just don't get it! Then there is the local grocery store that has bottle returns and the machines are always full or malfunctioning. They always send the new guy out to remedy the situation. Gathering up the shopping carts out in the snow or rain. Then the hours usually are horrible. They won't give you enough hours to get benefits. You will work weekends or second or third shift. Don't forget all the holidays. Most stores don't shut down for any holidays. If the store opens on Black Friday at 1 am, you will be scheduled to come in to work the hellish night shift and deal with these customers rampaging thru the store. People do disgusting things in the bathrooms and you might be told to clean it up. They are not very tolerant of absences no matter what the excuse. Don't think you will get overtime. They schedule very tightly and expect you to be there on time and leave on time. To go from a corporate type job to a retail gig is really not easy to swallow. But, good luck if you try this!

Yeah, I worked a retail job when I was in high school and college, and I don't ever want to do that again.  I guess I would do it if I absolutely had to, but it would truly be my option of last resort.

Imma

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #130 on: January 07, 2018, 05:34:39 AM »
I think it really depends on the store. Between my s/o and I we have worked in a range of retail positions and some of them were really good. Discount chain stores are awful. There's a reason why everything's so cheap. The biggest grocery chain in our country was ok-ish. The way managers in those stores treat shelf stackers and cashiers isn't how a finance professional like me is treated in an office setting, but it isn't as bad as the discount stores. You get discounted groceries and a small bonus and health care benefits. In more specialist stores, where you need to have a certain product knowledge, you are treated much better because you aren't as replaceable. Chain stores often offer more benefits, but working in an independent store is generally much more enjoyable. I wouldn't mind working part time in retail in retirement, it just really depends on the place.

gerardc

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #131 on: January 07, 2018, 10:09:35 AM »
In summary:
- Prefer reducing expenses in a recession (needs a buffer in budget).
- Keep a foot in the door and skills sharp in good times (from your old career).
- Keep building network and exploring opportunities in FIRE.

Retire-Canada

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #132 on: January 07, 2018, 10:18:11 AM »
In more specialist stores, where you need to have a certain product knowledge, you are treated much better because you aren't as replaceable. Chain stores often offer more benefits, but working in an independent store is generally much more enjoyable. I wouldn't mind working part time in retail in retirement, it just really depends on the place.

Yes. I had a break between contract gigs and worked at an outdoor's store for 6 months. It was a lot of fun, all the walking was good exercise and when I went to quit they begged me to stay because having a mature, reliable employee with lots of equipment and activity related experience was such a huge asset. The pro-deals and discounts were nice although you have to be careful you don't spend your whole paycheque! Outdoor retail would be my goto gig in FIRE if I needed to earn a few bucks. I also think that when I am old enough that really strenuous outdoor activities are beyond me I will look for a outdoor retail job a couple days a week to get out of the house and stay connected to that community.

Roadrunner53

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Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #133 on: January 07, 2018, 10:34:23 AM »
Some people are geared to work in retail and like working with people, coworkers and customers. I worked for 35 years in jobs that didn't require any interaction with customers. Then I got laid off from a very excellent job and I couldn't find anything like it. So I eventually found a job in a hospital which required checking in patients for one day surgery. This hospital checked in over 100 patients on a normal day. I despised this job so much and despised most of my coworkers. It was such a different world from which I had been in all those years. I thought I was getting into a professional atmosphere similar to where I came from. The nurses treated us clerical workers terribly and would shout and demand. They acted like we were hiding the patients from them. Patients were supposed to have an appointed time but people don't always pay attention and don't come on time. It was a dog eat dog world. Pay was low, OT was an unheard of word. One time on my day off they called me and asked me to come in due to being short handed. Stupid me answered the phone and agreed to go in. When I got there I asked if I would get 'call in time' from time they called me to when I arrived. My boss lady looked at me like I was utterly nuts! Hahaha, she had to check with the head nurse and SURE ENOUGH, I got paid! I have to say, I never knew that working with people (patients) was totally foreign to me and would hate it. So, retail would be the last job on earth I would take if I had to work during retirement. Each of us have our strong points and weak points when it comes to jobs and I am NOT a people person! Working with my coworkers was never a problem in my lifetime, but working with demanding customers/patients is just not for me! I am an introverted person. That job lasted one year and I practically ran out the door screaming on my last day! One of the happiest days of my life!

EngineeringFI

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #134 on: January 07, 2018, 10:38:02 AM »
One job I thought of to add to the list here is lifeguarding. I worked as a lifeguard all of high school and my first summer in college and overall it's a pretty easy job that I enjoyed. Some points:

  • Lifeguarding typically pays more than minimum wage. At least it did when I was one.
  • The skillset required is useful outside of work. Being proficient in CPR, first aid, water rescue techniques, etc are all excellent skills to have. Plus in high school I thought it was super cool to get to use medical equipment like AEDs and high-flow oxygen.
  • Non-terrible hours. The pool I worked at opened at 5 am and closed at 10 pm. So no overnight walmart shifts. The first shift was the most popular because people were done with work by 1 pm.
  • Potentially free access to a gym. The pools I worked at were attached to a community recreation center that we were allowed to use for free. Our yearly bonus was free admission to a class taught at the rec center, I took tennis, kayak, and rock climbing classes.
  • Very flexible scheduling and hours. My coworkers were all ages, some worked part time, some full time, and the schedule got filled however was necessary

At the time I was lifeguarding, I would get frustrated with the little annoyances of the job: entitled parents, janitorial-type duties, monthly audits to ensure safety. But looking back on it, I could totally be a lifeguard again in a financial pinch! I sat outside all summer at the pool (where my friends were anyway) and I got PAID for it!

It would have to be a serious pinch though for me to NEED to find a job. My FIRE plan involves making and selling art and other products online as a creative outlet and Airbnb-ing part of my property as a way to meet new people, so those endeavors will provide a modest income as well.


Roe

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #135 on: January 07, 2018, 11:00:00 AM »
I would love to work retail in FIRE.

Somewhere really nasty, horrible conditions, abusive boss. That kind of place. It would give me perverted amounts of joy knowing I could quit at any time.


tthree

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #136 on: January 07, 2018, 11:01:51 AM »
On a serious note.  If you need money, like kids, and can still move a bit go and become a referee for whatever your favorite sport is.  You work from 5-9 PM, Pick your schedule, and can make $80-$150 an evening.
You don't necessarily have to move.  I officiate a sport where I just sit on my (not fat) ass, and make $35/hr doing it.

big_slacker

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #137 on: January 07, 2018, 11:21:27 AM »
I'm from a ski town/former snowboard bum. You can just about always be a liftie, rental counter or other low paid ski resort worker. Likely minimum wage but you'll get a pass or discounted pass. When the season is over you claim unemployment (you decide if this violates your morals or not) and then pick up a similar job in off season if there is a downhill mountain bike park, shuttle driver, hotel, whatever.

Seasonal work rocks if you need just enough to avoid failing ER.

Does anybody know what's involved in getting a job like ski instructor, ski patrol, park ranger, guide, or other outdoors related jobs?

Can only comment on ski patrol - but that is a very hard to get job in popular ski resorts. In smaller ones (meaning ones no one would ever go on a ski vacation to) it is much easier, but is often done on a volunteer basis only

Agreed.  The ski patrol at my local ski resort growing up (not a place anyone would vacation to, but still a decent hill) were volunteers - they got free season passes and I believe some other perks (free/discounted food, first choice of equipment left behind after the season, etc.).  Instructors were paid, but there was a much more rigorous selection process and little turnover year to year so hard to break into.

eddie

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #138 on: January 07, 2018, 02:52:45 PM »
I read about the first 30-40 comments and no one mentioned a bunch of home service jobs that typically pay way more than minimum wage.

Mowing lawns, house cleaning, dog walking, leaf removal, stringing Christmas lights, handyman work, painting.  These all require a fair amount of physical labor and a little time to build up a client base, but they can easily pay in the $15-30/hr range.  These would be a great to supplement an early retirement income.  My brother does house painting and handyman work as a side gig and makes $1,000+ extra a month.

Real estate agent would be another job with a relatively low barrier to entry.  Maybe a couple thousand dollars in startup expenses to get a license and then the time fill your pipeline, but it has great $ per hour potential.  It just won't put money in your pocket for a few months.

BeanCounter

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #139 on: January 08, 2018, 05:09:52 AM »
I read about the first 30-40 comments and no one mentioned a bunch of home service jobs that typically pay way more than minimum wage.

Mowing lawns, house cleaning, dog walking, leaf removal, stringing Christmas lights, handyman work, painting.  These all require a fair amount of physical labor and a little time to build up a client base, but they can easily pay in the $15-30/hr range.  These would be a great to supplement an early retirement income.  My brother does house painting and handyman work as a side gig and makes $1,000+ extra a month.

Real estate agent would be another job with a relatively low barrier to entry.  Maybe a couple thousand dollars in startup expenses to get a license and then the time fill your pipeline, but it has great $ per hour potential.  It just won't put money in your pocket for a few months.
Good point. Also home health aid. Just offered a local lady $15 an hour under the table to do laundry, dishes, meal prep and errands for my mom. Seems like an easy job if you get a nice older person and family to work for. It's certainly in demand!

chasesfish

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #140 on: January 08, 2018, 05:52:14 AM »
  Pretty much all drivers that I know of just have regular insurance, and our restaurant has its own insurance (for having drivers) as well.  I do know that if I was in an accident while delivering I wouldn't bring up what I was doing (we don't have any signs identifying us, or uniforms), just as I wouldn't ask whoever I got involved in an accident with what they were doing or what job they had.  In  the one fender bender I had while delivering many years ago what I was doing (and what the other driver was doing as well) didn't come up.

Have you looked at the economics of this under Uber Eats?  I met with one of my restaurant clients last week, I think they'll end up outsourcing all of the delivery drivers over time.

runbikerun

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #141 on: January 08, 2018, 06:31:49 AM »
Has anyone looked at continuing to work as a non-executive director in a reasonably sized company? It involves a relatively small amount of very high-level work, and I'd have thought the requirements (intelligence, strong educational background, good knowledge of broader market trends) would be a good fit for a certain type of Mustachian. I understand it's something that may require connections, but a financially independent high achiever with plenty of free time and an interest in the market would be a very strong candidate.

MrThatsDifferent

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #142 on: January 08, 2018, 06:43:24 AM »
Has anyone looked at continuing to work as a non-executive director in a reasonably sized company? It involves a relatively small amount of very high-level work, and I'd have thought the requirements (intelligence, strong educational background, good knowledge of broader market trends) would be a good fit for a certain type of Mustachian. I understand it's something that may require connections, but a financially independent high achiever with plenty of free time and an interest in the market would be a very strong candidate.

Similarly, if you’re a woman with executive experience, try to get on a board of anything.

Imma

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #143 on: January 08, 2018, 10:55:53 AM »
Has anyone looked at continuing to work as a non-executive director in a reasonably sized company? It involves a relatively small amount of very high-level work, and I'd have thought the requirements (intelligence, strong educational background, good knowledge of broader market trends) would be a good fit for a certain type of Mustachian. I understand it's something that may require connections, but a financially independent high achiever with plenty of free time and an interest in the market would be a very strong candidate.

Similarly, if you’re a woman with executive experience, try to get on a board of anything.

I don't have that type of connections, but this is a really brilliant idea. You'd be doing very high-level work, you're generally very well paid for relatively little work + that work is really interesting and making a difference in the world.

lemonlyman

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #144 on: January 08, 2018, 11:31:42 AM »
Seasonal tax accountant is my plan. I like getting in the zone and working 12 hours a day or so sometimes. Just not all the time. 4 months on, 8 months off sounds perfect to me.

NoraLenderbee

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #145 on: January 08, 2018, 12:17:47 PM »
Doesn't seem too realistic to expect to get a job as a lifeguard or ski patrol when you are 40 or 50 years old.

chasesfish

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EngineeringFI

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #147 on: January 08, 2018, 05:29:13 PM »
Doesn't seem too realistic to expect to get a job as a lifeguard or ski patrol when you are 40 or 50 years old.

I've worked with plenty of lifeguards over the age of 40 and several over the age of 50. Of course, they were excellent swimmers, but that's a requirement regardless of age.

JLee

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #148 on: January 08, 2018, 06:25:01 PM »
I just retired last month from a corporate job.  It was an early retirement, but not so early by MMM standards.  I am thinking about picking up a part-time, local retail gig, because I've never done anything like that and I think it could be fun!  Low pay, but no meetings, no 60-hour work weeks, no killer commute and no crushing responsibilities.  If I don't like it, I certainly don't need to stay for 39 years like I did with my corporate employer.  These jobs are so easy to come by right now, but I agree with others that this will not be the case when there is another economic downturn.
 

Trust me, you might think it is fun, but the caliber of people you will work with will be an eye opener. My friend works for Walmart (WM) and she tells me stories you wouldn't believe of some of her coworkers. She formerly worked in banking for 20 years and in HR for around 10 years but during the recession lost her job and couldn't find a decent job. Now she is close to retirement.

One woman who worked at my friends WM was killed by her boyfriend. Another one is divorced with two kids and broke but sending money to some guy in Africa who she thinks is in love with her. Others my friend has had to train that can't be trained. They just don't have the skills to learn. She has done everything but stand on her head to help these people learn but they just don't get it! Then there is the local grocery store that has bottle returns and the machines are always full or malfunctioning. They always send the new guy out to remedy the situation. Gathering up the shopping carts out in the snow or rain. Then the hours usually are horrible. They won't give you enough hours to get benefits. You will work weekends or second or third shift. Don't forget all the holidays. Most stores don't shut down for any holidays. If the store opens on Black Friday at 1 am, you will be scheduled to come in to work the hellish night shift and deal with these customers rampaging thru the store. People do disgusting things in the bathrooms and you might be told to clean it up. They are not very tolerant of absences no matter what the excuse. Don't think you will get overtime. They schedule very tightly and expect you to be there on time and leave on time. To go from a corporate type job to a retail gig is really not easy to swallow. But, good luck if you try this!

You’re also citing one of the most notorious cases of a company that is known for not exactly being great to its staff.

Retail doesn’t necessarily mean Walmart.
I worked in retail for several years and had some great chill jobs working in little mom and pop shops and then in menswear in a mall in my early 20s where I actually met my husband when he came in to buy a shirt. I enjoyed my time in retail, I like chatting with people, and I’m a neat freak so I found folding clothes all day to be meditative.

My parents both own(ed) stores and employ only middle aged people looking for a bit of extra income, either stay at home moms, artists, or retired people. They work reasonable hours and no holidays. Mom and pop shops usually close on holidays because the sales volume can’t offset the increased wages on those days.

My dad worked his own retail store until his early 70s and he would have kept at it except that his wife didn’t want to continue and wanted to move (they lived upstairs). He loved it, he loved being part of the community and chatting with locals all day. He misses it now and has gotten really involved in local politics to compensate for the missing connection to the community.

Retail is an enormous category of jobs, I wouldn’t cite a single person’s experience working for Walmart as representative of the entire retail job experience overall.

Yep.

http://fortune.com/2017/11/07/best-workplaces-in-retail/

I worked for Publix for years when I was much younger.  It wasn't bad at all.
« Last Edit: January 08, 2018, 06:28:59 PM by JLee »

MicroRN

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Re: Jobs you can realistically get in a FIRE failure situation
« Reply #149 on: January 08, 2018, 07:17:27 PM »
My husband jokes about going to work at Home Depot after he retires from the military. 

Healthcare has a lot of possibilities.  Hospitals and nursing homes employ massive numbers of people, and most of the jobs require no training or experience.  Of course many are physically demanding and not exactly prestigious.  Janitorial, cafeteria, materials management, transporters, security, administrative assistants, unit clerks, schedulers... Some healthcare jobs require a little training but are in demand - home health aids, phlebotomists, CNAs.  Monitor surveillance techs here have a 3 month course, but make around $30K.  The nice thing is that healthcare jobs often have great flexibility if you need to work per diem, or opposite shifts from your partner, or weekends only.     

As an RN, I plan to keep up my license, certification, and at least enough ongoing work to keep me employable.  The consensus seems to be that about 2 years out of work is when you start having trouble getting hired.  The nice thing is I can work per diem, just a few shifts/month to stay current.  When I'm ready to step out of FT work, I'll probably do Hospice home health.