I know a person who works in sales... always has. This guy has no college degree yet has consistently made annual income of six figures. Even if economically bad times, this person has ALWAYS done very well.
In his current place, he works with several other (younger) sales people who do not/cannot approach the kind of income he makes, in the same place with the same inventory. Go figure.
He says, there are consecutive months when these young people have NO income and actually OWE the owner... because they took a draw on supposed sales which do not materialize.
Did I say, do not ‘materialize’. I meant to say these youngsters CANNOT arrive on time one day in five. WILL NOT work through lunch, DO NOT stay the entire 8 hours. They routinely take unscheduled time away from work and do not make up their hours.
Under NO circumstances will any of them work on a weekend.
I ask you, how does a sales person earn a penny if he/she will not BE in the place and hardly works at selling when he/she IS in the place?
My friend says these kids always whine about being broke yet do noting necessary to insure that they get and close sales.
He was made manager and set down some simple and sure fire rules for getting them on the premises and being effective while there. Everything was ignored and he was the target of everyone’s animosity.
He gave up the managerial position and NOW concentrates ONLY on his OWN activities and earns his OWN money...
He is no longer available for THEIR questions (8 hours a day), no longer fixes their screw ups, etc. He's doing great without worrying about them and THEY still are foundering. That is the work ethic out there, with young people.
Not hunger in terms of lack of food but in terms of wanting to establish financial independence and security. There just isn't that kind of hunger out there anymore. Young people are content to live with their parents into middle age and accept a lower standard of living - so long as they have their electronic toys and a little cash to hit the nightclubs on the weekends.
When I came of age in the late 1970s, it was a badge of honor to have your own "pad" and establish yourself in the adult world. To get there, you had to work a lot of hours doing a lot of scut work.
I joined the Marine Corps right out of high school and upon my discharge, worked two jobs at once so that I could afford an apartment and start saving up for a downpayment on a house - which I bought when I was 26. Then I got married and had kids and so forth. Last time I borrowed a nickel from my parents was during the Carter Administration.