I just want to say thank you to the waiter from the diner I ate at last Monday. He was one of the few people that I get to interact with in so called “service sector” jobs who genuinely seemed to take pride in his work. I am sure he was not paid great. But he was enthusiastic about telling us about his favorites from the menu, and he seemed genuinely interested in us and why we chose that place to eat. And I am sure all of us have done work for low wages.
And is it really so awful for me to expect that people ought to take pride in the work they do? Even in my most hated job ever, the actual work I was doing had meaning to me and that was motivation enough to not drag the rest of the world down with me. I’m not perfect of course, and I have still worn dissatisfaction on my sleeve, but that is not precisely the same thing I am talking about.
If the waiter seemed interested, he was doing his job well. He may have been genuinely interested (up to a point), as after all, people and their food is the work he chose. Hopefully, you tipped him well. Whether he is “paid great” depends on those tips; and if he impressed you, he probably is paid well. He does not earn the $100,000 a year that you do, but even $30,000/year ($100 per day) is still a living wage for one person. (The ARRA, TARP, etc., money is still washing through the channels of commerce, raising prices for those not in line for the largess.)
You call his work “service sector.” That is your sector, as well, professor, as you do not actually produce anything. At least that is how economists view it. Myself, I disagree. Both you and the waiter reduce market inefficiencies – which is what an assembly line worker does, as well, of course – which is to say that you produce market efficiencies. We all do. It is an error of academic economics to separate goods and services. In theory, one person can make what another can. Thus, all paid work is service; all purchases are the sale of cash for services.
(You might quibble about your pay. I understand university wages. I point to the package. Completing a master’s last year, I had two professors who had had hips replaced courtesy of the university healthcare benefits.)
I have worked in automotive production, trucking, and, most recently, private security. My general experience is that people at the bottom of the pay scale actually do like their jobs. It is the people at the top who find their work unsatisfying and drop out to find themselves.
298358 429370Merely wanna input on few common points, The site design is perfect, the subject material is rattling superb : D. 869513
978674 238035just couldnt leave your internet website before suggesting that I actually loved the standard data a person provide for your visitors? Is gonna be once again ceaselessly to check up on new posts 690932
91329 45892Hi there. Very cool website!! Guy .. Beautiful .. Fantastic .. I will bookmark your internet site and take the feeds additionallyI am glad to locate so much helpful info correct here within the article. Thanks for sharing 542353
465721 634902Its essential to have having access towards the understanding posted here 964575
592308 35555Quite best individuals messages are meant to charm allow honor toward groom and bride. Newbie speakers in front of excessive locations should usually our own gold colored dominate in presenting and public speaking, which is to be personal interests home. very best man speach 109890
38484 500450This is a superb blog, would you be involved in doing an interview about just how you designed it? If so e-mail me! 51117
39733 713474Im having a small issue. Im unable to subscribe to your rss feed for some reason. Im making use of google reader by the way. 701974
228060 102435An extremely intriguing read, I could possibly not agree completely, but you do make some really valid points. 112751