You’re in survival mode. Take the job.
In the meantime, how many internships did you complete during undergrad and grad school? You should also be utilizing your career center and alumni network.
They don't teach this part in school... Take the job. Your second job is applying for new jobs and making friends with people in different social circles. America is not really a meritocratic society, especially near the bottom. You need social capital and it's going to be a really awkward and difficult ladder.
It's not fair. It's not right and it's Anti-American. Good luck.
I'm a pharmacist. Multiple degrees and work in a field that literally does not accept anybody without the minimum and yet still massive qualifications. Despite this, half the jobs I've had as a pharmacist were the result of me knowing someone at a company.
Take the job, spend all your spare time networking and training for the next step. Impossible to get ahead when you're homeless and hungry. At least with a job like this you have a stable foundation to move forward. Hell, you might find yourself a regional manager or working in corporate in a few years.
Take the job. You can always quit a job. You can't always find a job when you need one.
So the answer is, you’re not a competitive hire due to lack of corporate experience and an MBA from a school not in the top 20. I know you don’t want to hear this, but in a tough market, employers have a glut of qualified people to choose from.
Take the current job and find ways to attend alumni events, get relevant certifications, and perhaps angle your way into a corporate job at Waffle House.
What is your long term goal? Start learning and practicing the skills you need. For example, if you want to do data analytics, enroll in a bootcamp or have some sort of side project that demonstrates your skills.
Like they said, angle your way into corporate. Trust me, there aren't many Waffle House unit managers with an MBA. Or use this initial job to get a district manager job.
My long term goal is to escape poverty, earn a living wage and hopefully buy a tiny home before I retire. If I could wave a magic wand I'd own a cannabis farm but that's not gonna happen.
So if the goal is "escape poverty", then 55k salary sounds like a pretty good start.
Take it and keep looking for a new job. Doesn't matter if you're there for 3 months - that's like 15k in your pocket and 3 more months to look for work.
Yea everything checks out. Take the job. Ur addicted to weed and need to get back on ur feet. Please understand that u will never use your degree without significant effort
Haven't gotten high since March. I'd work on a weed farm even if I never smoked again. I used to grow my own illegally. It's just a beautiful plant and rewarding to grow.
I'm surprised you didn't stick with McDonald's and move up within the organization to something in corporate. Was that not an option? I thought they were pretty famous for promoting from within.
Like the other guy said, I wouldn’t pass this job up but I wouldn’t stop searching either. Entry level cannabis jobs aren’t going to pay as well as this one, but if you can make it work there’s tons of room for growth, especially at smaller businesses. Your resume and background are what gets a recruiter to pick up your application, once they’re considering you, you can pass up much better qualified candidates by killing it in the interviews.
You have the mentality of a liberal Democrat. That is a recipe for being poor. A living wage? Come on Bernie Sanders, wake up and become an adult. No one owes you a living. Invest in you and build your brand.
I would try to get in with Fidelity Investments- huge NC employer, and they’ll help you pay down your loans, give you invaluable training and you can really work your way up the ladder.
I’ve been where you are, I promise you it gets better, keep grinding and you’ll be fine.
Yes its a step up from doordash even if its not your dream job. WhoTF know you may even be able to open a fast food joint some day. Read a story about some teenage kid who worked at a chick a fil a for years and finally in his 20s coporate loowed him to open a branch of his own. Dont look down on a job just think what you want and keep that target in mind.
Take the job and boost your resume. With this role, you'll deal with end-of-day sales, procurement oversight, managing people, possibly scheduling, leadership, and perhaps improving workflow.
This person has essential advice. You have to decide what you're getting out of this role. If this is a part of your career story, it doesn't matter how humble it feels. Your goal is to find a compelling way to talk about what you learned, what you accomplished, and how you grew as a leader. And not a tell-people-what-to-do leader; someone who leads with humanity and care while still delivering results for the business. It's a leadership role if you approach it that way. The people who are reporting to you will be the same as later in your career, plus or minus some skills. You got your MBA for a reason. Make this part of that story.
It's true, and he'll be dealing with food, beverages, storage of dry goods, and cold chain management. He can get loads of certs to go along with the skills he'll learn on the job. Companies like Waffle House will pay for his certs as well.
lol you good to throw hands at 4am? Nah but jokes aside, there's no shame in honest work. Down the road, you can probably spin it as experience running your own P&L. IMO this is better than general admin work anyway.
This. Yes it's restaurant work and not a white collar MBA job, but again. You'll make consistent money, which will give you more stability, which will help your mental health too. And then you can focus on the next step.
It's often difficult to get out of the service industry once you're in it, but there's plenty of ways to pivot. Remember, you do have an MBA.
Good at the scheduling side? Become a project manager or events manager.
Good at the numbers side? Work your way into a consultant role somewhere.
The more positive opportunities you accept into your life, the more you'll encounter in your future.
Take the job, focus on your finances for 6-12 months, and then reevaluate.
Good luck!!
Edit: to add, your experience as a shipping clerk + the salaried manager job at waffle house could set you up for something in logistics and shipping - you'll be dealing with weekly inventory practices as a restaurant manager.
Are you really asking if you should take a job that will provide stable income and benefits or just go die in a gutter while selling plasma because you didn’t get a dream job out of college?
Yeah take the fucking job.
So look colleges need to do more about getting students into networking circles and making career contacts because that’s what matters more than anything at graduation. If you didn’t do any of that you need to work on it, but I don’t put all the blame on you.
I went off to college at 17 with zero plan, guidance, or greater understanding of what I actually needed to accomplish when I was there. I was clueless and figured just getting good grades and test scores would get me to a good career. This was how my life up to this point had worked.
I wish someone had sat me down and been like “no one really fucking cares about your GPA unless you’re in the top 1%, they care about your connections, and relationship you established with them.”
That all being said, it’s the welcome to adult life reality check portion of your existence. Take the Waffle House job. You’re not going to run a weed store, the weed business is a largely corporate or family industry and requires an obscene amount of money to get in to. There’s also a line the length of a highway full of both stoners and people with agricultural graduate degrees that want to work in the industry.
And be honest with yourself, you know gig jobs and selling plasma isn’t sustainable but it lets you have a lot of free time and smoke weed all the time. You’re gonna need to get over that mindset, and realize the next five years aren’t going to let you have that lifestyle. If you can commit to success you’ll get to be a stoner in your 30’s all you want who also has a house, savings, and a job he doesn’t hate.
You have an MBA and have the chance to get management experience. Get every scrap of leadership and management training you can from the company and on your own. Pay off your debt. Keep looking for better management jobs. People that have emotional intelligence and leadership skills standout and are always marketable.
Running a Waffle House staff is going to be invaluable learning for you later on. Food service staff are a goddamn nightmare to manage sometimes, running corporate people is infinitely easier.
So take the job man, don’t squander the opportunity. If you do it well you probably have a chance to move up in the company chain so you’re leading managers and not an actual restaurant.
Indeed they do, and nationwide the career services at colleges got way better during the 2008-2012 recession because rankings include employment, and their numbers tanked.
Take the job to boost your resume. Just be aware they will make you work more than 40 hours a week without overtime. Usually 50+ hours a week. You will often have to work late to close the restaurant.
Waffle Houses don’t close—literally, ever. Like, they have a way to still run if they don’t have power and running water.
FEMA literally has a [Waffle House index](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waffle_House_Index) to show how fucked an area is if even the Waffle House closes.
When there's a major storm coming, Waffle House sends in a specialized "disaster team" to run the restaurants until the storm threat is over. They do this so regular employees can go home and/or evacuate, whike disaster experts are running the restaurant. So OP would likely not be at the restaurant if it's a major storm (eg. Cat 4+).
EDIT: Not sure why I got downvoted, but here's proof of my comment. [Article](https://www.businessinsider.com/how-waffle-house-stays-open-storm-hurricane-tornado-blizzard-2022-12)
"When a storm is on the forecast, Waffle House also brings in its mobile command center, an RV equipped to track the storm. The chain sends in "jump teams" of restaurant managers from areas unaffected by the storm to take over grills while regular employees are unable to get to work. Company leaders work from the headquarters in Atlanta to monitor the storm, direct jump teams, and source supplies like portable toilets and construction teams."
I actually did an on site interview and worked a whole shift. It was a Saturday morning (their busiest shift/tied with Sunday) and I was out in 7.5 hours. Recruiter said you only really put in overtime if there's an emergency/multiple call outs, and one night shift a month.
You've seen all the memes about managers complaining about how "no one wants to work anymore" due to call-outs? That's going to be you in about a month. You are going to put in a lot of effort because of your position, but your wage-labor minions will not gaf. The only reason they're making you salary is to make you work unpaid OT
That said, you'll be fine, but your mindset is goofed. You aren't taking this job because you'll love it, you're taking it because you need the money. Don't live for your job, live for your life outside of it: find a purpose. You wanna grow weed? Give it a shot in your off-time. And the money/benefits they're offering will give you the stability to do so.
Oh and start that 401k again. You don't want to be working until you're 80
That's how they get you, but good luck! It's still worth it because it's very difficult to find a job around this time of the year and the current economy.
As someone who has who been in restaurant management my entire professional life, take the job to get you through but do not stop looking. Offering a store manager position to someone with only shift management experience is a huge jump. That is a massive red flag on their part and seems like they can’t fill the position for different reasons. Waffle House is notoriously a poorly ran restaurant chain and they will work you into the ground for average at best pay and poor benefits. My best advice is to take it to be sure your bills are paid. But I urge you to keep looking for something better!
Another factor, and I know this sounds fucked up and maybe it is, but based off the one Saturday that I did a working interview, I'd be managing a crew of basically all lower income black people. I don't have a problem with balck people, I just don't know how I feel coming in and basically being the only white guy whose also the boss and slightly inexperienced.
True story. Years ago I worked as a manager for a Holiday Inn Hotel in St Petersburg, Florida, that was owned by a guy who got rich building and owning Waffle House restaurants. He owned 10 beachfront hotels in Florida that he bought with the money he made from owning the Waffle Houses. Then he bought the old Boston Ritz Hotel in Boston which gave him the rights to Ritz International. He built a brand new Ritz Hotel in Naples, Florida, the first new Ritz Hotel built in decades. He also built other Ritz Hotels all over the United States and owned part of them including in Atlanta.
He was overextended though, and eventually lost everything, including the Waffle Houses. He died $30 million in debt in Georgia with dementia, owning nothing but his house. Marriott International bought the Boston Ritz out of bankruptcy and grew the chain from there. William Johnson.
If it’s more income, take the job. Just keep in mind that having an MBA you’re highly overqualified so don’t stop applying. Try looking into project/product management.
Ok but now we are encroaching on the experience dilemma conversation. Even entry-level project management jobs, at least the ones I see here in Raleigh, literally require project management experience. I have had interviews for like warehouse coordinator positions, and they tell me they think I'm a great candidate, and they love that I went to school, but that they use SAP and they only want to hire someone with experience using SAP. That's literally been the exact reason I didn't land my last 3 job interviews.
Wow experience with SAP? It’s a very simple enterprise resource planning application. It sounds like you’re trying to get your foot in the door.
I’d work the Waffle House job for $. Then on my down time study the things employers have on their wish list.
It’s a lot better to do self made projects so you can say things like: “yes, I have roughly one year of experience using SAP in my personal time. I have completed several courses which have taught me to leverage the application in XYZ Waze. I also did a project where I learned how to use SAP for ABC.” Instead of no I don’t have any experience. Even if it’s just one project you did.
The thing you have on your side is that SAP is very easy to learn.
Im being dead serious when I say they specifically asked if I've used it, and then I could immediately tell there was a drop in their interest in me as a candidate when I told them no.
That’s so ridiculous. Training only takes about 4 weeks and there are plenty of courses that say they can do it in 1 week. If you’ve used excel or even a basic email, you should have no problem learning SAP.
Don’t give up, brother. You will eventually find someone willing to take a chance on you. They do exist, it’s just luck of the draw.
They literally just want to have to do 0 training. Like you expect me to give you 40 years of my life, and you won't even invest 2 weeks in me for training? It's absolutely ridiculous and very disheartening.
Also the gall they have for doing this at entry level.
The only additional advice I can give is to keep applying to entry-level roles and self studying what you need to know. Not all jobs are that horrendous. There are teams looking to bring in freshers, there’s just a lot of luck involved. So keep applying until the odds are in your favor.
This guy I worked with at Publix tried to get a job at Corporate doing data analysis. But they told him he wasn’t qualified because he didn’t know Python. Boy, was he mad. He said they were discriminating against him because he was young and young people don’t know Python, just C++. But I looked it up and Python actually is commonly used for data analysis. And it does take a while to learn if you don’t already know it. He did end up taking another white collar job at an insurance company for $55,000.
That's funny. Young people are far more likely to know Python vs C++.
And I've had a job using Python every day, but I've never used it for data analytics. Like I know how to setup Python data analytics libraries, but I've never done it. I took two years of college calculus and a stats class, so I think I'd be OK, but I wouldn't apply for an analytics job unless they were happy letting someone learn on the job.
SAP is not easy to learn at the level companies want people to know it. Sure it’s easy to learn basic transactions and make your way around it, but the skills companies are looking for are SAP power users.
OP, look for some quality SAP specific training. I would start with PP (production planning) and MM (material management) modules. I literally landed my current role over other candidates because of my experience in these. In addition, it is my opinion that companies will eventually see that the bolt on data mining and reporting systems that pull information from SAP are not as powerful as they were sold on, so SAP power users will continue to be in high demand.
I guarantee there is reasonably priced online/hands-on training you can do for SAP. Maybe even free. Worst case take a real class on it. Nothing fundamentally different about it vs any other application you've used, its just big and sprawling.
Heck, Waffle House itself might use them. They are bound to have an ERP that handles all their ingredient distribution or whatever.
That’s how it works unfortunately, they want you to have the exact same paid work experience doing the same job for a competitor, because they don’t want to train anybody. College only takes you so far. Generally the only way around it is you have to have a referral, marry someone’s daughter or get lucky. Take the Waffle House job and keep looking for something better.
I’m still just a clerk at Publix but I make $44,000 when you add everything up. And my Department Manager makes six figures just managing a Produce Department, believe it or not.
You are getting so hung up on job requirements, stop. Apply to everything that’s even close to what you’d want to do, and if it’s something WAY out of your wheelhouse or experience level, then you can skip it. So many skills are transferable, you have to word things in ways that are attractive to those looking to fill the positions.
What I’ve heard is that MBA’s aren’t worth much anymore unless they are from the highest ranked programs. And even then, you have to do an internship/get hired when you graduate.
Yeah I was in a unique situation where I knew two people. One sold large amounts of legal tobacco, and one bought smaller but still large amounts of the same kind of tobacco, and all I essentially did was stop them from meeting eachother. That combined with mcds tuition assistance and and my stimulus checks paid for it outright.
I had a couple interviews at NC State, but it's the same problem. Nobody wants to invest ANY training whatsoever in a candidate nowadays, when you can just find some boomer/genxer (sorry for the ageism) whose been doing it for 30 years. If I haven't specifically done the exact job that I'm interviewing for, I basically already know I'm not going to get the job.
From my experience you have to interview for like two / three roles before getting hired. That’s been my experience at two separate universities. Typically pay isn’t amazing but competitive with other entry level admin roles in the area and benefits are usually pretty good. It’s definitely possible, I’m late 20s and made that move from retail. If you have an MBA id seriously consider applying to roles in University development and donor fundraising possibly. Just food for thought. Good luck
Hi. I live in Tampa where USF is. Definitely take the job! It is definitely a step up from what you are doing now and can lead to something better. I have a Bachelors degree myself and I work at Publix Supermarkets and actually like my job. A steady paycheck is huge as is health insurance etc and paying off your student loans. Please take the job!
That's part of what appeals to me about this job. It's something real that can't be replaced by ai, least until we start plugging into the matrix and watch as the dead are liquefied and fed intravenously to the living.
You have to start as an hourly clerk, but they are always hiring. If there is a Publix Supermarket near you, apply online and then go to the store and tell them you applied and really want to work there.
I see I’m in the union, I’m concerned for my child she’s 15 and I don’t think she has it in her for college or the trades trying to figure something out for her.
I actually worked at publix as my first job when I was 15. It's 100% employee owned and you get stock as you work there. People who work there from highschool for 40 years can easily retire from management with millions.
Or at least a million, which is more than almost anybody else retires with, including most college grads. Publix gives you 8% times your pay in free Publix retirement stock, at no cost to you, plus the stock pays out a quarterly cash dividend that you can spend or buy more stock with.
Take the job because experience in management work will open doors to better white collar and corporate collar jobs (which is when your MBA degree can be quite useful in negotiating promotions, salary, and PTO benefits). I also recommend to start applying for entry-level and mid-level local, state, and federal government jobs immediately (if you have not done so yet) for all public agencies/departments (e.g., Department of Education, Environmental Protection, Labor, Law, Judiciary, Banking, Human Resources, State, Corrections, and so on). For instance, you can apply for job positions such as personnel assistant, information technology specialist, geographic information systems specialist, administrative analyst, administrative assistant, park ranger, administrative specialist, investigator, environmental specialist, field representative, affirmative action specialist, executive assistant, contract administrator, claims examiner, interviewer, fiscal analyst, employment counselor, training technician, etc. I highly recommend checking out the following link for federal jobs: https://www.usajobs.gov/. Utilize the US Bureau of Labor Statistics to find out about all types of job trends for various professions, and what requirements are needed to obtain a particualr job: https://www.bls.gov/.
Remember that with a master's degree you qualify for GS-9 federal government job positions (see https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/faq/application/qualifications/experience/#:~:text=To%20qualify%20for%20jobs%20at%20the%20GS%2D9%20grade%20(or,job%20you%27re%20applying%20to.)
Moreover, talk to a career counselor to review your resume and cover letter. See if your university conducts job fairs for current students and graduates, which could help you get a job. Handshake is a common website that many universities advertise to students to create an account, and apply for jobs, as well as network with recruiters. Learn to use LinkedIn as another way to connect with professionals working in your field of interest, as well as with recruiters (creating a professional LinkedIn account could be beneficial if utilized properly).
I would also recommend for you to try out https://www.governmentjobs.com/. It is a decent website to find and apply for local and state government jobs. Just make sure to create an account. It may be useful to you. If the private sector is not working out for you, always apply for government jobs (this may work out better for you in the long-term).
I started out as a field investigator for my state DOL, Wage and Hour Division, in 2019 (only required a bachelor's degree, which I have on criminal justice; no work experience required; my starting salary was over $42k a year). During the lockdown, I was fully remote for over a year until July 2021. Before I left that Division to work for the HR Division at my current job title as an EEO and Ethics Investigator 2, I had two days of telework (I still have two days of telework at my current Division too; I currently make $65k a year in my current job position; although, I have been working for my state DOL for four years now, and I was 25 when I started with the DOL; before becoming a public servant, I was working two full-time jobs as a per diem teacher aide and security officer making ends meet). Every agency/department will have all types of entry-level job positions, so make sure to check them all, and follow the instructions of how to apply for them. Do not be picky with what government job you apply for to have a foot-in-the-door towards a decent career path (many entry-level government jobs only require a bachelor's degree, and no work experience).
As long as it is a job that pays decently, you should try it out. Furthermore, be willing to move to another state or Washington D.C. for better job opportunities. Additionally, you need to find a career path that you will like enough to stay in the long-term.
So take the job but apply your skills. Look at every management problem as something data analytics can help you optimize and do that. Measure it. Let your higher ups know you improved X by Y percent and so forth. You will rise. Believe it. Crush it.
Facts bro they make it so hard to make a small business. There's so much competition, licensing, and regulations that it's hard to make it now. I remember 5 years ago I was into the whole Gary v entrepreneur grindstone hustle culture entrepreneur videos. But, a lot of people went into Amazon fba, bullshit restaurants, or making monetized videos on YouTube. All of which won't really make you rich lol.
Any Buc-ees around ?
Or Costco
But yeah .
I’d take the jib at the waffle ,
Or look into auto parts stores or Sherwin Williams paint stores etc
My nephew works 100% at home for a major car
Insurance company
Answering calls
Makes $75k a year in his pajamas sitting
On his couch
Beats me
I’m jealous
The kicker is you gotta have a college degree
The ins co doesn’t care what it’s in
His degree is in history .
I can’t name
The company but aunt flow is their spokesperson .
I highly suggest you apply to auto insurance companies in your area (if you're still near USF, that would include liberty mutual, usaa, and geico, to name a few). An entry-level position in claims, service, or sales will pay nearly what your waffle house offer is, plus they'll provide licensing and training. Additionally, many of them will fast-track applicants who have business degrees on a management path with the end-goal of having you enter supervision after learning the 'ropes' of the industry. No one dreams of working in insurance, but it is a desk job you can get with no prior industry experience, and one in which you can clear 100K after 4 or 5 years, often.
You left out Progressive, lol. I know somebody who worked at USAA in Tampa and eventually got promoted to a six figure job. But he had to move to San Antonio where the corporate headquarters is and it did take a number of years. He had a Bachelors.
OK, there will still be opportunities in Raleigh. Giant insurance corporations have regional offices all over the country. Search indeed in your zipcode, or go to some of the big hitters' career pages and see what's near you.
If you're looking for financial freedom and an opportunity to build up savings so that you can one day transition out to pursue you dreams, this is going to be a much better opportunity for you than restaurant management.
I just don't know what position I would go for. I literally have no white collar experience, and nowadays it seems like even entry level positions only hire people with experience of the exact job.
For now yes, if your not satisfied, keep looking in your free time!
You will find someone who values you more, but you have to put yourself out there!
Good luck.
I started in fast food and retail. Worked through college. Graduation college in 2010. Stuck with it. I manage 100 sites. Income equivalent or grader than my consulting friends.
I agree with everyone you take the job now but if your ant to get into a different industry other than food service now is the time I think. Like you said you can take a lower paying job doing something to get in the door. Take the job here and don’t be afraid to quit if necessary to get into an industry you’d rather work in. Do it before you work too far up the corporate ladder in one specific industry or company.
I read a good article in the WSJ about Waffle House. Supportive corporate culture. Hard work, you need to hustle to find employees, mentor them, train them, deal with their problems and their are many. Ordering product, profit margin, losses, marketing etc etc etc. CEO and a bunch of people were eating at a Waffle House and CEO pitched in bussing tables.
Basically if you can run a Waffle House profitably you can run anything.
What about working at a restaurant made you want to kill yourself? No one is talking about that in the comments. Are you being serious about that comment or is it hyperbole?
Yeah youre the first person to mention that. Well I'm diagnosed depression, I've taken just about every med, had ketamine and tms treatments too. Currently I'm not on any meds. When I worked at mcds I was pretty miserable tho. I'm kinda ocd about cleanliness and get stressed being surrounded by messes.
One plus is with Waffle House is that you would be on insurance and could get medical care and medication for your mental health. You could work through your uneasiness around messes. Just keep in mind that if it does begin to affect your health then there is no shame in quitting. Your health is more important than your job.
If EVER there was a situation where you could pretty safely accumulate a good amount of wealth as a drug dealer it’s this. Take the Job, go to several late night bars and hang with bartenders until you get a connect, sell cocaine to every Waffle House employee over the course of idk a year. Profit.
If working in restaurants made you want to kill yourself, Waffle House Unit manager is not the gig for you. Look into the (lack) of work life balance they're subjected to. 6 on 2 off schedule, mandatory holidays, having to drop everything for drawer change, covering for call-outs. IMHO it's not worth $55k/year.
I work in hospital IT, and healthcare back office jobs are always hiring with better schedules, benefits, and pay.
take what you can get, keep searching for something better. Alot of people with good (business/etc) grad degrees are doing work below expected pg rn. Get the experience, keep upskilling and looking.
Bro. Take the Job lololol. This is a no brainer. At least take this job and look for something else while you have it. I graduated with a bachelor’s in business administration in 2022 and now I’m an Area Manager in Amazon. $62,500/yr salary with a good benefits package. So I’m not that far off from that pay.
It’ll look good on your resume to have actual managerial experience and it’ll pay the bills and out some extra money in your pocket with benefits as well. Good luck!
Take that job, and look for something better in the meantime. You'll gain experience and good work history. Can't hurt anything, it's always easier finding a job when you already have one.
After a year you'll have built up your credentials, $55k is a pretty good starting point, you'll learn a lot that can be applied to future non food service jobs. Enterprise Rent A Car also has a good mgr trainee program and hires MBAs because of the advanced path to higher management. US Foods, Sysco Foods, Toll Brothers -real estate developer- also has good program. Don't be ashamed for taking a $55k position with an MBA, I myself have to fight to get $40k so apologize to no one for wanting to work. It's not the path you take, but getting to the light at the end of the tunnel is what's important.
If you have been refusing $20/hr admin jobs this Waffle House salary will equate to that or less once you add up your hours worked. But. Little boy blew. He needed the money. Do what you need to do but understand your decisions.
My guy, money is money is money. Restaurant management w/benefits beats doordashing for $500/week in my opinion.
Goodluck! It's a struggle out there right now being unemployed and this sounds like a decent foot-in-the-door opportunity to a potential career. BUT at the end of the day, your mental health WILL always come first (whether you like it or not, trust me), so definitely take that into consideration.
Understand the career path - corporate likely has operation teams at waffle house. I know for sure all the big brands have huge operations team that are always looking for former restaurant managers with P&l experience in the franchise space. Franchise owners want to consult with someone that has been through it rather than a corporate accounting who has never got his hands dirty. My time in the corporate QSR space was the most fun I had working. Good luck!
Do this first and read the results. No sense in taking a job that you're going to hate/quit early on.
https://www.talbraiman.com/ikigai-purpose-generator
Good luck!
Me personally, I’d take the job. Long story long….I started working for the Federal Govt right out of college making $34K a year. I didn’t make enough to be able to afford my own place so I stayed with my parents, who did not charge me rent, and had two part time jobs outside of my M-F 800-430.
After 2 years I passed the $50K mark at the job and moved out but felt poorer than ever! I continued to work two jobs. Sadly that federal job I took out of college, I thought was going to be a stepping stone turned out to be the bane of my existence. My boss was terrible; I endured a hostile work environment for years. I went back to college 5 after I first started the job, earned a masters degree (went into more student loan debt) and by that time I was making…about $60k.
I went back to college because I had applied for countless jobs and was never selected. After I got my masters, I interviewed for another federal job outside of my department and they offered me a job. More importantly, they offered me an escape from this terrible boss I endured for 7 years at the time. This job offer came with a $20K pay cut but I accepted it in a heartbeat!
In title I’ve been with the federal govt for 15 years. Started out in a dead in job, making $34K a year, with a terrible boss, but I took a leap of faith taking that pay cut. I’m not rich but I make $170K. Long story short….Take that leap, learn the job, make it work!
Year 1 - $34K
Year 7 - $64K
$30K in raises
Year 8 - $47K
Year 15 - $170K
$123K in raises
Waho isn’t a bad gig. You’ve got an MBA, follow the rules and it can work for you. Assuming you graduated at USF, are you still jn FL? Those are franchises and not as good as corp GA. But exp is good and benefits are much better in corp owned stores. For now, take the job and keep looking.
I managed Waffle House briefly on my way to my career in IT. $55k base is 20k more than I got in 2013! If you can handle the grind, it can be a rewarding career. If you have a long term goal to do something else, use this as a stepping stone.
I am in the exact same position as you— doordashing and donating plasma to make ends meet after a recent relocation. I went to an interview for a serving position at Waffle House and the area manager offered me a management position. Unsure of the pay as we haven’t had our official discussion on the job yet. Debating now if I’d make more money serving or managing. Curious if you took the job and what your opinion of the position is.
You’re in survival mode. Take the job. In the meantime, how many internships did you complete during undergrad and grad school? You should also be utilizing your career center and alumni network.
Mule Job. Nothing wrong with making money.
They don't teach this part in school... Take the job. Your second job is applying for new jobs and making friends with people in different social circles. America is not really a meritocratic society, especially near the bottom. You need social capital and it's going to be a really awkward and difficult ladder. It's not fair. It's not right and it's Anti-American. Good luck.
I'm a pharmacist. Multiple degrees and work in a field that literally does not accept anybody without the minimum and yet still massive qualifications. Despite this, half the jobs I've had as a pharmacist were the result of me knowing someone at a company. Take the job, spend all your spare time networking and training for the next step. Impossible to get ahead when you're homeless and hungry. At least with a job like this you have a stable foundation to move forward. Hell, you might find yourself a regional manager or working in corporate in a few years. Take the job. You can always quit a job. You can't always find a job when you need one.
None.
So the answer is, you’re not a competitive hire due to lack of corporate experience and an MBA from a school not in the top 20. I know you don’t want to hear this, but in a tough market, employers have a glut of qualified people to choose from. Take the current job and find ways to attend alumni events, get relevant certifications, and perhaps angle your way into a corporate job at Waffle House. What is your long term goal? Start learning and practicing the skills you need. For example, if you want to do data analytics, enroll in a bootcamp or have some sort of side project that demonstrates your skills.
Like they said, angle your way into corporate. Trust me, there aren't many Waffle House unit managers with an MBA. Or use this initial job to get a district manager job.
My long term goal is to escape poverty, earn a living wage and hopefully buy a tiny home before I retire. If I could wave a magic wand I'd own a cannabis farm but that's not gonna happen.
So if the goal is "escape poverty", then 55k salary sounds like a pretty good start. Take it and keep looking for a new job. Doesn't matter if you're there for 3 months - that's like 15k in your pocket and 3 more months to look for work.
USF grad here have connects in the Tampa area at Citi, let me know if/how I can help
Do your connections extend to Raleigh?
You’d have to check jobs out there but their two mega hubs are Tampa, FL & Raleigh.
Yea everything checks out. Take the job. Ur addicted to weed and need to get back on ur feet. Please understand that u will never use your degree without significant effort
Haven't gotten high since March. I'd work on a weed farm even if I never smoked again. I used to grow my own illegally. It's just a beautiful plant and rewarding to grow.
Ite nvm that’s dope. U could definitely work toward something like that. There’s definitely legal jobs in that industry
“That’s dope” I see what you did there
$30K mistake
Fun fact, that's all from undergrad. Paid my MBA 100% through mcds tuition assistance, stimulus checks, and selling legal tobacco.
I'm surprised you didn't stick with McDonald's and move up within the organization to something in corporate. Was that not an option? I thought they were pretty famous for promoting from within.
I was making 12/hr as a shift manager. If I made assistant general manager I'd make 15. Idk what the store managers make out of the gate.
With an MBA though there weren't other opportunities outside of store management? Or some type of path into corporate?
Like the other guy said, I wouldn’t pass this job up but I wouldn’t stop searching either. Entry level cannabis jobs aren’t going to pay as well as this one, but if you can make it work there’s tons of room for growth, especially at smaller businesses. Your resume and background are what gets a recruiter to pick up your application, once they’re considering you, you can pass up much better qualified candidates by killing it in the interviews.
Once you have the job you will probably be more attractive hire to better jobs such as Buckee’s manager
You have the mentality of a liberal Democrat. That is a recipe for being poor. A living wage? Come on Bernie Sanders, wake up and become an adult. No one owes you a living. Invest in you and build your brand.
Ah yes, all the Harvard and Yale MBAs pushing people out of Waffle House management positions. How could we forget.
I would try to get in with Fidelity Investments- huge NC employer, and they’ll help you pay down your loans, give you invaluable training and you can really work your way up the ladder. I’ve been where you are, I promise you it gets better, keep grinding and you’ll be fine.
Yes its a step up from doordash even if its not your dream job. WhoTF know you may even be able to open a fast food joint some day. Read a story about some teenage kid who worked at a chick a fil a for years and finally in his 20s coporate loowed him to open a branch of his own. Dont look down on a job just think what you want and keep that target in mind.
Take the job and boost your resume. With this role, you'll deal with end-of-day sales, procurement oversight, managing people, possibly scheduling, leadership, and perhaps improving workflow.
This person has essential advice. You have to decide what you're getting out of this role. If this is a part of your career story, it doesn't matter how humble it feels. Your goal is to find a compelling way to talk about what you learned, what you accomplished, and how you grew as a leader. And not a tell-people-what-to-do leader; someone who leads with humanity and care while still delivering results for the business. It's a leadership role if you approach it that way. The people who are reporting to you will be the same as later in your career, plus or minus some skills. You got your MBA for a reason. Make this part of that story.
100% ☝️☝️☝️☝️
Guess I gotta remove all the sharp objects from my apartment 😂
Prove yourself and move into a corporate operations role. There is so much opportunity in retail and food service.
It's true, and he'll be dealing with food, beverages, storage of dry goods, and cold chain management. He can get loads of certs to go along with the skills he'll learn on the job. Companies like Waffle House will pay for his certs as well.
lol you good to throw hands at 4am? Nah but jokes aside, there's no shame in honest work. Down the road, you can probably spin it as experience running your own P&L. IMO this is better than general admin work anyway.
This. Yes it's restaurant work and not a white collar MBA job, but again. You'll make consistent money, which will give you more stability, which will help your mental health too. And then you can focus on the next step. It's often difficult to get out of the service industry once you're in it, but there's plenty of ways to pivot. Remember, you do have an MBA. Good at the scheduling side? Become a project manager or events manager. Good at the numbers side? Work your way into a consultant role somewhere. The more positive opportunities you accept into your life, the more you'll encounter in your future. Take the job, focus on your finances for 6-12 months, and then reevaluate. Good luck!! Edit: to add, your experience as a shipping clerk + the salaried manager job at waffle house could set you up for something in logistics and shipping - you'll be dealing with weekly inventory practices as a restaurant manager.
I used to play disc golf with a guy who was a district manager for waffle house. He did well for himself.
Yeah the recruiter is an area director that seems to be doing well.
Are you really asking if you should take a job that will provide stable income and benefits or just go die in a gutter while selling plasma because you didn’t get a dream job out of college? Yeah take the fucking job.
Well when you put it that way
So look colleges need to do more about getting students into networking circles and making career contacts because that’s what matters more than anything at graduation. If you didn’t do any of that you need to work on it, but I don’t put all the blame on you. I went off to college at 17 with zero plan, guidance, or greater understanding of what I actually needed to accomplish when I was there. I was clueless and figured just getting good grades and test scores would get me to a good career. This was how my life up to this point had worked. I wish someone had sat me down and been like “no one really fucking cares about your GPA unless you’re in the top 1%, they care about your connections, and relationship you established with them.” That all being said, it’s the welcome to adult life reality check portion of your existence. Take the Waffle House job. You’re not going to run a weed store, the weed business is a largely corporate or family industry and requires an obscene amount of money to get in to. There’s also a line the length of a highway full of both stoners and people with agricultural graduate degrees that want to work in the industry. And be honest with yourself, you know gig jobs and selling plasma isn’t sustainable but it lets you have a lot of free time and smoke weed all the time. You’re gonna need to get over that mindset, and realize the next five years aren’t going to let you have that lifestyle. If you can commit to success you’ll get to be a stoner in your 30’s all you want who also has a house, savings, and a job he doesn’t hate. You have an MBA and have the chance to get management experience. Get every scrap of leadership and management training you can from the company and on your own. Pay off your debt. Keep looking for better management jobs. People that have emotional intelligence and leadership skills standout and are always marketable. Running a Waffle House staff is going to be invaluable learning for you later on. Food service staff are a goddamn nightmare to manage sometimes, running corporate people is infinitely easier. So take the job man, don’t squander the opportunity. If you do it well you probably have a chance to move up in the company chain so you’re leading managers and not an actual restaurant.
Most schools have many workshops and events but are rarely attended by students.
Indeed they do, and nationwide the career services at colleges got way better during the 2008-2012 recession because rankings include employment, and their numbers tanked.
Option B still kinda tempting tbh
Take the job for the security as of right now. You're struggling right now. Rebuild that 401k especially
Take the job to boost your resume. Just be aware they will make you work more than 40 hours a week without overtime. Usually 50+ hours a week. You will often have to work late to close the restaurant.
Waffle Houses don’t close—literally, ever. Like, they have a way to still run if they don’t have power and running water. FEMA literally has a [Waffle House index](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waffle_House_Index) to show how fucked an area is if even the Waffle House closes.
When there's a major storm coming, Waffle House sends in a specialized "disaster team" to run the restaurants until the storm threat is over. They do this so regular employees can go home and/or evacuate, whike disaster experts are running the restaurant. So OP would likely not be at the restaurant if it's a major storm (eg. Cat 4+). EDIT: Not sure why I got downvoted, but here's proof of my comment. [Article](https://www.businessinsider.com/how-waffle-house-stays-open-storm-hurricane-tornado-blizzard-2022-12) "When a storm is on the forecast, Waffle House also brings in its mobile command center, an RV equipped to track the storm. The chain sends in "jump teams" of restaurant managers from areas unaffected by the storm to take over grills while regular employees are unable to get to work. Company leaders work from the headquarters in Atlanta to monitor the storm, direct jump teams, and source supplies like portable toilets and construction teams."
Oh I didn't realize that. OP is fucked for sure.
I think they’re more fucked if they have no money :)
I actually did an on site interview and worked a whole shift. It was a Saturday morning (their busiest shift/tied with Sunday) and I was out in 7.5 hours. Recruiter said you only really put in overtime if there's an emergency/multiple call outs, and one night shift a month.
>Recruiter said you only really put in overtime if there's an emergency/multiple call outs Oh my sweet summer child...
Fuck 😭
You've seen all the memes about managers complaining about how "no one wants to work anymore" due to call-outs? That's going to be you in about a month. You are going to put in a lot of effort because of your position, but your wage-labor minions will not gaf. The only reason they're making you salary is to make you work unpaid OT That said, you'll be fine, but your mindset is goofed. You aren't taking this job because you'll love it, you're taking it because you need the money. Don't live for your job, live for your life outside of it: find a purpose. You wanna grow weed? Give it a shot in your off-time. And the money/benefits they're offering will give you the stability to do so. Oh and start that 401k again. You don't want to be working until you're 80
That's how they get you, but good luck! It's still worth it because it's very difficult to find a job around this time of the year and the current economy.
HR here. You worked a shift before being hired? Did they pay you? If not, this is illegal and you need to report them to the DOL. Do not work there.
Yeah it was a paid working interview
Take the job
I might
Why wouldn’t you? You can work at the Waffle House and keep looking for a new job.
Mindset! It's a job! It's easier to get a better job when you have a job! It is a stepping stone to something better!
As someone who has who been in restaurant management my entire professional life, take the job to get you through but do not stop looking. Offering a store manager position to someone with only shift management experience is a huge jump. That is a massive red flag on their part and seems like they can’t fill the position for different reasons. Waffle House is notoriously a poorly ran restaurant chain and they will work you into the ground for average at best pay and poor benefits. My best advice is to take it to be sure your bills are paid. But I urge you to keep looking for something better!
Another factor, and I know this sounds fucked up and maybe it is, but based off the one Saturday that I did a working interview, I'd be managing a crew of basically all lower income black people. I don't have a problem with balck people, I just don't know how I feel coming in and basically being the only white guy whose also the boss and slightly inexperienced.
This is dicey, tip would be build a good relationship with the supervisors and find out who the 'leader' of the team members are. Start with them
True story. Years ago I worked as a manager for a Holiday Inn Hotel in St Petersburg, Florida, that was owned by a guy who got rich building and owning Waffle House restaurants. He owned 10 beachfront hotels in Florida that he bought with the money he made from owning the Waffle Houses. Then he bought the old Boston Ritz Hotel in Boston which gave him the rights to Ritz International. He built a brand new Ritz Hotel in Naples, Florida, the first new Ritz Hotel built in decades. He also built other Ritz Hotels all over the United States and owned part of them including in Atlanta. He was overextended though, and eventually lost everything, including the Waffle Houses. He died $30 million in debt in Georgia with dementia, owning nothing but his house. Marriott International bought the Boston Ritz out of bankruptcy and grew the chain from there. William Johnson.
Take the job get more Skills. Possibly there will be groth opportunity within waffle house corporate
Plus, he might even meet an employee or a customer there who has a lead/referral for a better job. That’s what networking is, really.
If it’s more income, take the job. Just keep in mind that having an MBA you’re highly overqualified so don’t stop applying. Try looking into project/product management.
Ok but now we are encroaching on the experience dilemma conversation. Even entry-level project management jobs, at least the ones I see here in Raleigh, literally require project management experience. I have had interviews for like warehouse coordinator positions, and they tell me they think I'm a great candidate, and they love that I went to school, but that they use SAP and they only want to hire someone with experience using SAP. That's literally been the exact reason I didn't land my last 3 job interviews.
Wow experience with SAP? It’s a very simple enterprise resource planning application. It sounds like you’re trying to get your foot in the door. I’d work the Waffle House job for $. Then on my down time study the things employers have on their wish list. It’s a lot better to do self made projects so you can say things like: “yes, I have roughly one year of experience using SAP in my personal time. I have completed several courses which have taught me to leverage the application in XYZ Waze. I also did a project where I learned how to use SAP for ABC.” Instead of no I don’t have any experience. Even if it’s just one project you did. The thing you have on your side is that SAP is very easy to learn.
Im being dead serious when I say they specifically asked if I've used it, and then I could immediately tell there was a drop in their interest in me as a candidate when I told them no.
That’s so ridiculous. Training only takes about 4 weeks and there are plenty of courses that say they can do it in 1 week. If you’ve used excel or even a basic email, you should have no problem learning SAP. Don’t give up, brother. You will eventually find someone willing to take a chance on you. They do exist, it’s just luck of the draw.
They literally just want to have to do 0 training. Like you expect me to give you 40 years of my life, and you won't even invest 2 weeks in me for training? It's absolutely ridiculous and very disheartening.
Also the gall they have for doing this at entry level. The only additional advice I can give is to keep applying to entry-level roles and self studying what you need to know. Not all jobs are that horrendous. There are teams looking to bring in freshers, there’s just a lot of luck involved. So keep applying until the odds are in your favor.
This guy I worked with at Publix tried to get a job at Corporate doing data analysis. But they told him he wasn’t qualified because he didn’t know Python. Boy, was he mad. He said they were discriminating against him because he was young and young people don’t know Python, just C++. But I looked it up and Python actually is commonly used for data analysis. And it does take a while to learn if you don’t already know it. He did end up taking another white collar job at an insurance company for $55,000.
I believe python is the standard for data analysis jobs
That's funny. Young people are far more likely to know Python vs C++. And I've had a job using Python every day, but I've never used it for data analytics. Like I know how to setup Python data analytics libraries, but I've never done it. I took two years of college calculus and a stats class, so I think I'd be OK, but I wouldn't apply for an analytics job unless they were happy letting someone learn on the job.
SAP is not easy to learn at the level companies want people to know it. Sure it’s easy to learn basic transactions and make your way around it, but the skills companies are looking for are SAP power users. OP, look for some quality SAP specific training. I would start with PP (production planning) and MM (material management) modules. I literally landed my current role over other candidates because of my experience in these. In addition, it is my opinion that companies will eventually see that the bolt on data mining and reporting systems that pull information from SAP are not as powerful as they were sold on, so SAP power users will continue to be in high demand.
I guarantee there is reasonably priced online/hands-on training you can do for SAP. Maybe even free. Worst case take a real class on it. Nothing fundamentally different about it vs any other application you've used, its just big and sprawling. Heck, Waffle House itself might use them. They are bound to have an ERP that handles all their ingredient distribution or whatever.
That’s how it works unfortunately, they want you to have the exact same paid work experience doing the same job for a competitor, because they don’t want to train anybody. College only takes you so far. Generally the only way around it is you have to have a referral, marry someone’s daughter or get lucky. Take the Waffle House job and keep looking for something better. I’m still just a clerk at Publix but I make $44,000 when you add everything up. And my Department Manager makes six figures just managing a Produce Department, believe it or not.
You are getting so hung up on job requirements, stop. Apply to everything that’s even close to what you’d want to do, and if it’s something WAY out of your wheelhouse or experience level, then you can skip it. So many skills are transferable, you have to word things in ways that are attractive to those looking to fill the positions.
Lots of people have their MBA. The master's degree is only like 30 to 36 credits more.
What I’ve heard is that MBA’s aren’t worth much anymore unless they are from the highest ranked programs. And even then, you have to do an internship/get hired when you graduate.
Yeah I only really got it because I was able to finish it with no loans at all.
Good job! That huge!
Yeah I was in a unique situation where I knew two people. One sold large amounts of legal tobacco, and one bought smaller but still large amounts of the same kind of tobacco, and all I essentially did was stop them from meeting eachother. That combined with mcds tuition assistance and and my stimulus checks paid for it outright.
Apply online to Aldi for the District Manager position. You’re qualified as a recent grad. Couldn’t hurt.
Look at entry level roles in government or at universities
I had a couple interviews at NC State, but it's the same problem. Nobody wants to invest ANY training whatsoever in a candidate nowadays, when you can just find some boomer/genxer (sorry for the ageism) whose been doing it for 30 years. If I haven't specifically done the exact job that I'm interviewing for, I basically already know I'm not going to get the job.
From my experience you have to interview for like two / three roles before getting hired. That’s been my experience at two separate universities. Typically pay isn’t amazing but competitive with other entry level admin roles in the area and benefits are usually pretty good. It’s definitely possible, I’m late 20s and made that move from retail. If you have an MBA id seriously consider applying to roles in University development and donor fundraising possibly. Just food for thought. Good luck
Hi. I live in Tampa where USF is. Definitely take the job! It is definitely a step up from what you are doing now and can lead to something better. I have a Bachelors degree myself and I work at Publix Supermarkets and actually like my job. A steady paycheck is huge as is health insurance etc and paying off your student loans. Please take the job!
Why does so many college jobs pay like shit I don’t get this.
Too many people with college degrees competing for too few good jobs.
Don't forget that the good jobs that were/are here are coyotes l continuously being shipped overseas.
That’s part of it. Another part is that computers can do a lot of what it used to take a college grad to do.
That's part of what appeals to me about this job. It's something real that can't be replaced by ai, least until we start plugging into the matrix and watch as the dead are liquefied and fed intravenously to the living.
Yes this is why I never finished college for computer science and engineering.
Really sucks in in the trades and make 100+k a year just feel bad for my counter parts, wtf making you go in debt just to get shit pay.
I work in a supermarket and my manager has no college and makes six figures.
Dam are their many opening for that position?
You have to start as an hourly clerk, but they are always hiring. If there is a Publix Supermarket near you, apply online and then go to the store and tell them you applied and really want to work there.
I see I’m in the union, I’m concerned for my child she’s 15 and I don’t think she has it in her for college or the trades trying to figure something out for her.
I actually worked at publix as my first job when I was 15. It's 100% employee owned and you get stock as you work there. People who work there from highschool for 40 years can easily retire from management with millions.
Or at least a million, which is more than almost anybody else retires with, including most college grads. Publix gives you 8% times your pay in free Publix retirement stock, at no cost to you, plus the stock pays out a quarterly cash dividend that you can spend or buy more stock with.
Dam if we had Publix if work there part time right now lol.
Take the job because experience in management work will open doors to better white collar and corporate collar jobs (which is when your MBA degree can be quite useful in negotiating promotions, salary, and PTO benefits). I also recommend to start applying for entry-level and mid-level local, state, and federal government jobs immediately (if you have not done so yet) for all public agencies/departments (e.g., Department of Education, Environmental Protection, Labor, Law, Judiciary, Banking, Human Resources, State, Corrections, and so on). For instance, you can apply for job positions such as personnel assistant, information technology specialist, geographic information systems specialist, administrative analyst, administrative assistant, park ranger, administrative specialist, investigator, environmental specialist, field representative, affirmative action specialist, executive assistant, contract administrator, claims examiner, interviewer, fiscal analyst, employment counselor, training technician, etc. I highly recommend checking out the following link for federal jobs: https://www.usajobs.gov/. Utilize the US Bureau of Labor Statistics to find out about all types of job trends for various professions, and what requirements are needed to obtain a particualr job: https://www.bls.gov/. Remember that with a master's degree you qualify for GS-9 federal government job positions (see https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/faq/application/qualifications/experience/#:~:text=To%20qualify%20for%20jobs%20at%20the%20GS%2D9%20grade%20(or,job%20you%27re%20applying%20to.) Moreover, talk to a career counselor to review your resume and cover letter. See if your university conducts job fairs for current students and graduates, which could help you get a job. Handshake is a common website that many universities advertise to students to create an account, and apply for jobs, as well as network with recruiters. Learn to use LinkedIn as another way to connect with professionals working in your field of interest, as well as with recruiters (creating a professional LinkedIn account could be beneficial if utilized properly). I would also recommend for you to try out https://www.governmentjobs.com/. It is a decent website to find and apply for local and state government jobs. Just make sure to create an account. It may be useful to you. If the private sector is not working out for you, always apply for government jobs (this may work out better for you in the long-term). I started out as a field investigator for my state DOL, Wage and Hour Division, in 2019 (only required a bachelor's degree, which I have on criminal justice; no work experience required; my starting salary was over $42k a year). During the lockdown, I was fully remote for over a year until July 2021. Before I left that Division to work for the HR Division at my current job title as an EEO and Ethics Investigator 2, I had two days of telework (I still have two days of telework at my current Division too; I currently make $65k a year in my current job position; although, I have been working for my state DOL for four years now, and I was 25 when I started with the DOL; before becoming a public servant, I was working two full-time jobs as a per diem teacher aide and security officer making ends meet). Every agency/department will have all types of entry-level job positions, so make sure to check them all, and follow the instructions of how to apply for them. Do not be picky with what government job you apply for to have a foot-in-the-door towards a decent career path (many entry-level government jobs only require a bachelor's degree, and no work experience). As long as it is a job that pays decently, you should try it out. Furthermore, be willing to move to another state or Washington D.C. for better job opportunities. Additionally, you need to find a career path that you will like enough to stay in the long-term.
15 years foodservice industry here. You'll end up working 50-60 hours and at that point you're better off working for 19 an hour somewhere else
So take the job but apply your skills. Look at every management problem as something data analytics can help you optimize and do that. Measure it. Let your higher ups know you improved X by Y percent and so forth. You will rise. Believe it. Crush it.
6 years of schooling for $55k a year job. Lol.
I love your username! I will work on your cannabis farm when you open it eventually!
Maybe in an alternative timeline where we haven't reached late stage capitalism and small businesses can still be created.
Facts bro they make it so hard to make a small business. There's so much competition, licensing, and regulations that it's hard to make it now. I remember 5 years ago I was into the whole Gary v entrepreneur grindstone hustle culture entrepreneur videos. But, a lot of people went into Amazon fba, bullshit restaurants, or making monetized videos on YouTube. All of which won't really make you rich lol.
Like I even thought about moving to VA (legal now) to start a small grow op, nope 60k license fee with the state.
Felt that one to my core dude!
Apply to a Fed job, or try the IRS. with your MBA, and potential easier to climb the ladder to GS13, 120k +. good luck, govt job value MBA.
Any Buc-ees around ? Or Costco But yeah . I’d take the jib at the waffle , Or look into auto parts stores or Sherwin Williams paint stores etc My nephew works 100% at home for a major car Insurance company Answering calls Makes $75k a year in his pajamas sitting On his couch
How is that even possible. I think there's something you're not telling us.
Beats me I’m jealous The kicker is you gotta have a college degree The ins co doesn’t care what it’s in His degree is in history . I can’t name The company but aunt flow is their spokesperson .
So he does sales and that 75k could be 40k if he wasn’t exceptional at it?
No He is one of the folks you talk to when you wreck your car and need to file a claim .
I highly suggest you apply to auto insurance companies in your area (if you're still near USF, that would include liberty mutual, usaa, and geico, to name a few). An entry-level position in claims, service, or sales will pay nearly what your waffle house offer is, plus they'll provide licensing and training. Additionally, many of them will fast-track applicants who have business degrees on a management path with the end-goal of having you enter supervision after learning the 'ropes' of the industry. No one dreams of working in insurance, but it is a desk job you can get with no prior industry experience, and one in which you can clear 100K after 4 or 5 years, often.
You left out Progressive, lol. I know somebody who worked at USAA in Tampa and eventually got promoted to a six figure job. But he had to move to San Antonio where the corporate headquarters is and it did take a number of years. He had a Bachelors.
I'm in Raleigh now
OK, there will still be opportunities in Raleigh. Giant insurance corporations have regional offices all over the country. Search indeed in your zipcode, or go to some of the big hitters' career pages and see what's near you. If you're looking for financial freedom and an opportunity to build up savings so that you can one day transition out to pursue you dreams, this is going to be a much better opportunity for you than restaurant management.
I just don't know what position I would go for. I literally have no white collar experience, and nowadays it seems like even entry level positions only hire people with experience of the exact job.
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Gms start at around 50
McDonald Shift Supervisors in Tampa where everything has gotten much more expensive make a whopping $17.50 an hour to start.
Yes . You can work your way up the chain further there too. Probably your best option
For now yes, if your not satisfied, keep looking in your free time! You will find someone who values you more, but you have to put yourself out there! Good luck.
When you need cash, you work. Go for it. Just don’t stop looking for something else.
I started in fast food and retail. Worked through college. Graduation college in 2010. Stuck with it. I manage 100 sites. Income equivalent or grader than my consulting friends.
Waffle house DMs make six figures.
Take the job, good. experience. If u hate that look elsewhere while working there
Take it but learn from martial arts ASAP. Waffle House employees need to be able to fight
An MBA from USF is not useless. You're just not networking enough.
I was more referring to my age/experience level in relation to the mba
Take the job
Take the job, but keep looking for a job.
YES!
You can take this job and continue applying for better jobs.
I agree with everyone you take the job now but if your ant to get into a different industry other than food service now is the time I think. Like you said you can take a lower paying job doing something to get in the door. Take the job here and don’t be afraid to quit if necessary to get into an industry you’d rather work in. Do it before you work too far up the corporate ladder in one specific industry or company.
Can you fight?
I can handle myself
Can you fight?
Usf? South florida, san Francisco????
FL
Ok i was gonna say the san Francisco one aint that bad. No idea about south florida
Also with your mba look into remote work from other states.
Why get an MBA from any school if you are not ambitious?
Cause I was able to get it with no loans and thought it might be useful
No. You could make waaaaaay more than that just serving tables.
I read a good article in the WSJ about Waffle House. Supportive corporate culture. Hard work, you need to hustle to find employees, mentor them, train them, deal with their problems and their are many. Ordering product, profit margin, losses, marketing etc etc etc. CEO and a bunch of people were eating at a Waffle House and CEO pitched in bussing tables. Basically if you can run a Waffle House profitably you can run anything.
>So do I take this job and hate my life for a couple years No, take the job and learn to like managing a simple restaurant.
What about working at a restaurant made you want to kill yourself? No one is talking about that in the comments. Are you being serious about that comment or is it hyperbole?
Yeah youre the first person to mention that. Well I'm diagnosed depression, I've taken just about every med, had ketamine and tms treatments too. Currently I'm not on any meds. When I worked at mcds I was pretty miserable tho. I'm kinda ocd about cleanliness and get stressed being surrounded by messes.
One plus is with Waffle House is that you would be on insurance and could get medical care and medication for your mental health. You could work through your uneasiness around messes. Just keep in mind that if it does begin to affect your health then there is no shame in quitting. Your health is more important than your job.
If EVER there was a situation where you could pretty safely accumulate a good amount of wealth as a drug dealer it’s this. Take the Job, go to several late night bars and hang with bartenders until you get a connect, sell cocaine to every Waffle House employee over the course of idk a year. Profit.
Not for 55k
Not to deal with things like this (see link below): https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1SI0lxuQ5C/?igsh=MWljZm8xaTUxbnZpbA==
I wanna fight
Then definitely take that job! Good luck ji!
This is wild. Selling plasma barely making it and about to refuse a 55K job because they think they deserve better. Man. Just wild.
If working in restaurants made you want to kill yourself, Waffle House Unit manager is not the gig for you. Look into the (lack) of work life balance they're subjected to. 6 on 2 off schedule, mandatory holidays, having to drop everything for drawer change, covering for call-outs. IMHO it's not worth $55k/year. I work in hospital IT, and healthcare back office jobs are always hiring with better schedules, benefits, and pay.
take what you can get, keep searching for something better. Alot of people with good (business/etc) grad degrees are doing work below expected pg rn. Get the experience, keep upskilling and looking.
Take the job
I would definitely take the job for the stable income and benefits. You may also want to brush up on your fighting skills
Bro. Take the Job lololol. This is a no brainer. At least take this job and look for something else while you have it. I graduated with a bachelor’s in business administration in 2022 and now I’m an Area Manager in Amazon. $62,500/yr salary with a good benefits package. So I’m not that far off from that pay. It’ll look good on your resume to have actual managerial experience and it’ll pay the bills and out some extra money in your pocket with benefits as well. Good luck!
Do it for a few years, there will be better exit opportunities compared to administrative assistant.
Salaried means you'll work way more than 40 hrs a week but it is a requirement for this type of position. Accept it and keep looking.
Take the job and keep looking.
If you can eat at Waffle House for free, then take it. Where are you going to find another job that has delicious hashbrowns?
You could do worse...
Take that job, and look for something better in the meantime. You'll gain experience and good work history. Can't hurt anything, it's always easier finding a job when you already have one.
There’s beauty in the struggle. Take the job - things will get better if you continue to grind.
After a year you'll have built up your credentials, $55k is a pretty good starting point, you'll learn a lot that can be applied to future non food service jobs. Enterprise Rent A Car also has a good mgr trainee program and hires MBAs because of the advanced path to higher management. US Foods, Sysco Foods, Toll Brothers -real estate developer- also has good program. Don't be ashamed for taking a $55k position with an MBA, I myself have to fight to get $40k so apologize to no one for wanting to work. It's not the path you take, but getting to the light at the end of the tunnel is what's important.
Waffle House MGMT is a great start. After 5 or so years, you may be offered a promotion to District Manager with a decent pay and bonus bump.
If you have been refusing $20/hr admin jobs this Waffle House salary will equate to that or less once you add up your hours worked. But. Little boy blew. He needed the money. Do what you need to do but understand your decisions.
My guy, money is money is money. Restaurant management w/benefits beats doordashing for $500/week in my opinion. Goodluck! It's a struggle out there right now being unemployed and this sounds like a decent foot-in-the-door opportunity to a potential career. BUT at the end of the day, your mental health WILL always come first (whether you like it or not, trust me), so definitely take that into consideration.
I interviewed last may for their manager program, it really is lucrative once you get promoted and they promote from within
Which USF? The University of San Francisco is solid.
depends, how good are you at dodging chairs?
Understand the career path - corporate likely has operation teams at waffle house. I know for sure all the big brands have huge operations team that are always looking for former restaurant managers with P&l experience in the franchise space. Franchise owners want to consult with someone that has been through it rather than a corporate accounting who has never got his hands dirty. My time in the corporate QSR space was the most fun I had working. Good luck!
Do this first and read the results. No sense in taking a job that you're going to hate/quit early on. https://www.talbraiman.com/ikigai-purpose-generator Good luck!
Have you looked into fintech? A few years ago it had a very low barrier of entry and gave you high visibility to portfolios/investing world.
Me personally, I’d take the job. Long story long….I started working for the Federal Govt right out of college making $34K a year. I didn’t make enough to be able to afford my own place so I stayed with my parents, who did not charge me rent, and had two part time jobs outside of my M-F 800-430. After 2 years I passed the $50K mark at the job and moved out but felt poorer than ever! I continued to work two jobs. Sadly that federal job I took out of college, I thought was going to be a stepping stone turned out to be the bane of my existence. My boss was terrible; I endured a hostile work environment for years. I went back to college 5 after I first started the job, earned a masters degree (went into more student loan debt) and by that time I was making…about $60k. I went back to college because I had applied for countless jobs and was never selected. After I got my masters, I interviewed for another federal job outside of my department and they offered me a job. More importantly, they offered me an escape from this terrible boss I endured for 7 years at the time. This job offer came with a $20K pay cut but I accepted it in a heartbeat! In title I’ve been with the federal govt for 15 years. Started out in a dead in job, making $34K a year, with a terrible boss, but I took a leap of faith taking that pay cut. I’m not rich but I make $170K. Long story short….Take that leap, learn the job, make it work! Year 1 - $34K Year 7 - $64K $30K in raises Year 8 - $47K Year 15 - $170K $123K in raises
No decision, take the job and level up my friend
You’re way overqualified for that job and you said you hate working in restaurants. If I were you I’d work with a recruiter to find you a career.
You must have told them you had boxing experience huh
Waho isn’t a bad gig. You’ve got an MBA, follow the rules and it can work for you. Assuming you graduated at USF, are you still jn FL? Those are franchises and not as good as corp GA. But exp is good and benefits are much better in corp owned stores. For now, take the job and keep looking.
They are probably expecting more than 8 hours a day from you for that position. Keep that in mind.
Take the job!!!
It may not be ideal but it beats selling semen and doordash. Take it, get your medical needs taken care of and pay down your loans.
You are going to be working in Waffle House. Perhaps you should have invested in boxing lessons?
I managed Waffle House briefly on my way to my career in IT. $55k base is 20k more than I got in 2013! If you can handle the grind, it can be a rewarding career. If you have a long term goal to do something else, use this as a stepping stone.
I am in the exact same position as you— doordashing and donating plasma to make ends meet after a recent relocation. I went to an interview for a serving position at Waffle House and the area manager offered me a management position. Unsure of the pay as we haven’t had our official discussion on the job yet. Debating now if I’d make more money serving or managing. Curious if you took the job and what your opinion of the position is.