Time to get me McJob

allllec said:
As i posted it seems this is a contradiction in terms (in my case). I've been applying for jobs none stop since October and its just not happening. Inexperience is of course the main reason.


I get where your coming from, but unfortuntly I'm not in a position to be picky! :o

Anyway, I'm happy to give McD's a go, a lot of people say it's been good for them. Cant hurt to try surly?
Click to expand...

Get some experience in the field which you want to work in! If it were me I'd rather do some work (voluntary if necessary) in a field I wanted to work in than wasting my time in a dead end job. Even if I were going to work in retail, I would not work for McD's. Fair play to you for wanting a job, but McD's really is the lowest (not necessarily my opinion, more of societies in general).

There is no shame in being on the dole whilst training/volunteering/gaining experience for a job which you actually want to do. Delayed gratification and all that.

[edit] Naff off cbs! Why didn't I read your post before replying? Look a right idiot now as I've said the same thing.
 
Last edited:
I worked for McD's for about 5 years whilst I went through college and then uni. I'm now an accountant, so it certainly won't stop you from getting on in life. I found the job to be pretty dull and mind numbingly repetitive, but then the people I worked with were great so that more than made up for it. Everything is standardised, so going wrong isn't really possible, but it will teach you great work ethics (as in, when it gets busy, you work damn hard) and can teach discipline for those going into the job as their first proper emplyment.
I definitely feel I left with some great experience and I don't hesitate to use my experience there in my CV and for examples when in interviews.
Good on you for getting out there and finding work, many don't.
 
fus said:
Get some experience in the field which you want to work in! If it were me I'd rather do some work (voluntary if necessary) in a field I wanted to work in than wasting my time in a dead end job. Even if I were going to work in retail, I would not work for McD's. Fair play to you for wanting a job, but McD's really is the lowest (not necessarily my opinion, more of societies in general).

There is no shame in being on the dole whilst training/volunteering/gaining experience for a job which you actually want to do. Delayed gratification and all that.

[edit] Naff off cbs! Why didn't I read your post before replying? Look a right idiot now as I've said the same thing.
Click to expand...

:D No, you've made us both look cool :D
 
Good for you sir, I worked at McDonalds from the age of 16-18 whilst at college. Thoroughly enjoyed it, full of young student types working there and made friends that I still speak to today. Also its handy that they are very flexible with working times and theres always overtime available if you need some more money. Dont get too caught up with the stereotypes.

Lets just hope a couple of the lazy gits on the dole read this who are waiting for their 'dream job' or just plain lazy. Actually they are both the same thing. :)
 
cleanbluesky said:
It is probably as easy to get a retail job in Debenhams as it is in McDonalds, although something like Debenhams would be better on your CV. Remember, whilst many people here are making it seem like working in McDs is something to be proud of, when you are applying for a decent job they might not see it the same.
Some people on this board are probably trying to justify the fact that they spent years idling in McDs because it took that long to get the self-esteem to make a concerted effort and change it.
Click to expand...


I interview people here at the largest engineering consultancy in Europe. Somewhere like Debenhams does not look better than a resonable time at McD's in my book. Selling home furnishings or designer gear really doesnt give you any insight to teamworking, nor any exposure to pressure or suboridination under people who may not be as capable as you are academically but you have the discipline not to be an arrogant idiot and too good for that type of work.
 
Jonnycoupe said:
I interview people here at the largest engineering consultancy in Europe. Somewhere like Debenhams does not look better than a resonable time at McD's in my book. Selling home furnishings or designer gear really doesnt give you any insight to teamworking, nor any exposure to pressure or suboridination under people who may not be as capable as you are academically but you have the discipline not to be an arrogant idiot and too good for that type of work.
Click to expand...

Indeed, but let's try not to burst some people's bubble that the dole looks better than McD's on a CV...
 
My experience of McDs helped no end in my interview for my placement year. This placement year then helped me with my interview for my first job after uni. In turn the experience of this job then allowed me to join BP on their Graduate scheme.

So yes, working for McDonalds helped me no end. Especially if your trusted enough to run areas. For example I could be on shift with only one manager, he would give me the responsibility of the store whilst he did management tasks. May not sound that great, but helps no end with future employers.

You also get exposure to some of the idiots there are in the world. I still remember when I ran out of £5 notes and £1 coins and have to give some guy about £6.40 in change made up of 6 x £1 coins. He flipped out and threw all the money back at me, shouting 'I don't want all these ****ing 50ps, before wheelspinning off in a rage of fury!

Awesome :D
 
cleanbluesky said:
Stay on the dole and do voluntary work then. Do voluntary work in an area you would like to go into, show enthusiasm, gain experience etc...

Also, you're assuming that a lack of experience has stopped you getting jobs. It is probably as easy to get a retail job in Debenhams as it is in McDonalds, although something like Debenhams would be better on your CV. Remember, whilst many people here are making it seem like working in McDs is something to be proud of, when you are applying for a decent job they might not see it the same.
Some people on this board are probably trying to justify the fact that they spent years idling in McDs because it took that long to get the self-esteem to make a concerted effort and change it.

I've had old friends who think - I'll just go for this low-quality job, and then end up stuck in it, if only because they've convinced themselves that there are no other jobs out there and that they're supposed to be grateful for a crap job.

There is a dangerous mentality surrounding poorly paid jobs, some kind of glamour that the hard work proves your character. Unless you are after a crap job, then don't look for crap jobs.
Click to expand...

Dude - I don't usually go off on people over the net, but are you on crack?! You want your tax money to pay someone who does volunteer work? There are few things more noble than working and earning a living. Having other people support you because you're "above" working certain types of jobs is about the lowest thing a person can do. Obviously McD's isn't his dream job, nor should it be ANYONE's dream job (unless you think really poorly of yourself,) but at least he is working instead of sponging off the system. I want to punch people in the mouth that don't work when they are physically able to. I'm struggling in the middle class because between myself and my wife we pay about £1500 a month is taxes.

Kick the people off the dole so that my taxes drop and my quality of life will improve, after all, I've bloody well earned it!
 
Munky1080 said:
Dude - I don't usually go off on people over the net, but are you on crack?! You want your tax money to pay someone who does volunteer work? There are few things more noble than working and earning a living. Having other people support you because you're "above" working certain types of jobs is about the lowest thing a person can do. Obviously McD's isn't his dream job, nor should it be ANYONE's dream job (unless you think really poorly of yourself,) but at least he is working instead of sponging off the system. I want to punch people in the mouth that don't work when they are physically able to. I'm struggling in the middle class because between myself and my wife we pay about £1500 a month is taxes.

Kick the people off the dole so that my taxes drop and my quality of life will improve, after all, I've bloody well earned it!
Click to expand...

It wouldn't surprise me if we are paying for him to do just that...
 
tbh its not as bad as people on the outside think, its obviously not a great job and you stink after work and have to putup with a lot of crap, aswell as morons you work with, but its money. If you can be bothered you'll also move up the hierarchy pretty fast due to high staff turnarounds(that the right word, a lot of people join and leave etc?)
The employee card i had when i worked there rocked, got us into cinema 2 for £4 (it was £5 for normal tickets)... and obv you can get free food when you're not on shift etc if you get friendly with ppl, so I used to be able to go cinema with people for cheaper than orange wednesdays(any day of week, when it was empty.. YES!!) then go get some cheap supper, great as a 16-18 year old really. Then i got a call centre job and didnt need the freebees cos i was loaded :D

Only advice I can really give you is LISTEN to people, theres a fair bit of procedure to learn, or atleast there was when we were expected to be jack of all trades there. Make sure you're assertive though, so people dont assume you're happy to get bossed about, you want to be a swinging ****, you'll hit payrises faster as you'll be seen as a leader etc.
 
CBS is exactly the sort of person who goes into McDonalds and assumes that everyone who works there is stupid.
 
The problem isn't just with McDonalds though, we get people treating £16k a year jobs as if they are McJobs all the time... (remember this is in an area where the average wage is £12k) Strangely never those who have previously worked in McD's, or indeed seem to understand much about life...
 
Telescopi said:
Are they being snobs or just don't like the idea of a macdonalds job?

I'd personaly have said try a supermarket first - I imagien the pay is the same and your not rushed and stressed all day, every time I've been in a Macdonalds the staff look rushed off their feet in a cramped hot environment.

I guess some bar work is similar - it just looks overworked and understaffed.

Supermarkets can be hectic at christmas but I was never under that amount of pressure.
Click to expand...

Agree with all that.

I currently work on checkouts at Morrisons and it's not as bad as I first imagined, I actually quite enjoy it sometimes.

It's still only a make-do while I'm job searching though.
 
Munky1080 said:
Dude - I don't usually go off on people over the net, but are you on crack?! You want your tax money to pay someone who does volunteer work? There are few things more noble than working and earning a living. Having other people support you because you're "above" working certain types of jobs is about the lowest thing a person can do. Obviously McD's isn't his dream job, nor should it be ANYONE's dream job (unless you think really poorly of yourself,) but at least he is working instead of sponging off the system. I want to punch people in the mouth that don't work when they are physically able to. I'm struggling in the middle class because between myself and my wife we pay about £1500 a month is taxes.

Kick the people off the dole so that my taxes drop and my quality of life will improve, after all, I've bloody well earned it!
Click to expand...

Hypothetically if he were to volunteering/training for, say, 6 months, and then went into a job which put him into the 40% tax bracket (unlikely, I know), then the tax he would pay back would surely cancel out the money he 'sponged off the system'? Then his tax contributions would be more, in say, a further 6 months than perhaps 2 years at McDonalds.

P.S. To the OP, have you tried an agency? Maybe get, say, 20 hours per week in a job (to appease the people who class you as a scrounger even though you're trying to better yourself) and with the other time do a course or something which could help you get a position you do want.

Too many McD's managers ITT.
 
Last edited:
theoretically the bennefit spongers could win the lottery and end up paying everything they have sponged back in tax on purchases. Whats your point?
 
peetee said:
theoretically the bennefit spongers could win the lottery and end up paying everything they have sponged back in tax on purchases. Whats your point?
Click to expand...

That if the intention is to get a better job, why not use a system that is in place to help people instead of listening to the people who say you shouldn't because it raises 'their' taxes. If you don't use it, someone else will.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom