So.....I need a new job.....

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

we do not use voice activated gear here...we thought about it, but there's too much power equipment traffic around where we'd use it that we figured it would cause too much interference...we use scanners and RF watches for picking.

 

Do you mean power equipment as in fork trucks and stuff? We put up a bunch of arlens to bounce the signals to the pickers. Sounds kind of like the RF watches (never seen those), only they're stationary, and probably cheaper. We run all kinds of lifts out here and they don't monkey with the voice gear.

 

Don't know what company you guys were looking at, but here's what I get to maintain 5 (usually 6) nights per week:

 

Vocollect

 

The biggest problems we have are wrecked cords that the pickers snag on racks and their runners. They have wireless options now, but my place is too cheap to get that cool with it. Ditto the T5s. I had the chance to play with them when their company rep came in to familiarize us with the T2's we bought. They're a little bigger than a pack of smokes.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I'm a butcher. While physically demanding it's stress free, a job that is in constant demand, is easy to learn and because there is comparison to other fields much less 'new blood' there is great job security.

 

How did you get into the butcher game? I'm planning on quitting my job tomorrow, so I'm curious.

 

Aren't you teaching?

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

He didn't say he was interested in butchering beef or poultry.

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

I'm a butcher. While physically demanding it's stress free, a job that is in constant demand, is easy to learn and because there is comparison to other fields much less 'new blood' there is great job security.

 

How did you get into the butcher game? I'm planning on quitting my job tomorrow, so I'm curious.

 

Aren't you teaching?

 

Yeah, but I absolutely hate it.

[Hawk 34 0]

I'm a butcher. While physically demanding it's stress free, a job that is in constant demand, is easy to learn and because there is comparison to other fields much less 'new blood' there is great job security.

 

How did you get into the butcher game? I'm planning on quitting my job tomorrow, so I'm curious.

 

Aren't you teaching?

 

Yeah, but I absolutely hate it.

 

Didn't you realize you hated it when you did student-teaching?

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

Yes, but I have a financial obligation.

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

That is, if I don't teach for two years (social studies/history/government in grades 7-12) then I'll have to pay back over $20K (plus interest).

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

And it's stupid that you don't student teach until your very last semester. By then I was already in over my head with the financial obligation.

[Mecca 0]

I'm a butcher. While physically demanding it's stress free, a job that is in constant demand, is easy to learn and because there is comparison to other fields much less 'new blood' there is great job security.

 

How do you get into something like this? I could be interested.

[Mecca 0]

I actually got lucky. I had gotten fired from my previous job so I just started throwing out resumes anywhere and when I went to the plant I work at now I thought "Well if I want to be a chef learning something about meat for the time being can't be a bad thing". At first I didn't get the job because I had no experience but the guy they hired instead of me didn't last a day so they took a chance with me.

 

I started out at the fucking bottom. My unofficial job title was "Burger Bitch". I was the guy who took the trim (meat taken off the bone and trimmed up so that it meats leaness requirements) and put it through the grinder then the packaged it. I did that for over a year. It sucked.

 

While I was doing that though, I was learning how to trim, knife care, and occasionally if we were really sow how to cut and tie roasts. Eventually I got promoted to being a trimmer where I got damn good at that and learned more about cutting as well as a few other things such as curing hams and bacons, and mixing and tying sausage.

 

Eventually again I got transfered to the kill floor. I like it more but I wouldn't say it was a promotion as I work my ass off but it's by far the best job in the plant.

 

Honestly, though I got fucking lucky. If you get lucky you could get in with no skills on the ground floor like I did but your best bet is to go to school. I was looking into it until my boss told me it was worthless since I was learning everything a class would teach me and I was getting paid for it. Here in Canada it's a 6 month course and it would have run me about $6000. If you want try a packing plant near your house or check out grocery stores.

 

It is something you pay for though physically. Everyone I work with who's been cutting for more than 2 years already has some problems with their hands, wrists and elbows. The owner is 30 and some mornings he has to have his wife massage his hands before he can move them the arthritis is so bad.

 

What's the pay scale........it would be worth it to me if the pay is good.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

I guarantee you that, whatever it is, it pays better than radio.

 

Pay scale is important, but remember, wherever you're going you're going with minimal experience and starting right at the bottom. No matter how good or talented you are, it'll be a while before your pay is commensurate with your ability, and that goes for any job. I work for a firm in DC and I'm not getting paid enough at my job, but I've only been here four months. I'll get my chance to get more cash when they review me before the end of the year. Just approach whatever you do with that perspective and you'll be fine.