My skill set these days is mostly of the blue collar/trade variety. As such, I’ve been pretty brainwashed into thinking I don’t deserve more than $20 an hour.
I’ve been aggressively looking for work for 2 weeks; Anything involving warehouses or metal shops…ideally fabrication. But, one of the many job search apps I have suggested I’d be a “great fit” for a local position as a production manager.
Figuring I had nothing to lose, I applied. It never occurred to me that I could make that kind of money, or that my oddly eclectic skill set would ever be worth that much. Hell, the worst that would come from this half hearted “why not?” would be not getting a job I’d never expected to get in the first place.
But here we are: My resume has been viewed three times by this company. I still don’t expect to get the job, but the fact that I was even worth looking at once, twice, three times kind of opened my eyes to the permeating bullshit about how people who get dirty at work aren’t deserving of a living wage. It also gave me a bit of confidence in my otherwise Imposter Syndrome riddled existence.
It pains me that people don’t realize that, aside from public facing essential workers, people who work in the trades are more or less over looked.
Who do they think builds and maintains roads, buildings in general, plumbing, electricity….the shit that civilization depends on to function?
Why is Blue Collar such a dirty term? Why are the trades (unions aside) so underpaid? Why have I spent the last five years selling myself short during salary negotiations?
Because, for whatever reason, it’s more socially appealing to be stuck in a cubicle for 40 years, I guess.
I mean, I hope I get the job…but Jesus Christ with this shit-ass stigma.