I had a great job that I really enjoyed. It was pretty low pay, but it was literally 50 applicants per position. I got in as a college internship. I got paid like $600 a month, but I got free housing, and per diem for days worked my first year. It was what it was. I was young and didn’t have many expenses.
Then I was hired on as a seasonal employee for the next 5 seasons, (basically April through September). I started at $13.49 and made my way up to $15. It was a grind, but I loved the work, and I got really good at it. There were permanent positions, but they were very limited, and you either had to wait until somebody retired, or move to a completely different location.
My 5th year there, 6th if you include my college internship ( I received a bachelors degree in the subject of my job after my internship) there was a permanent job opening. So I applied, but so did 50-70 other people. My boss said he would hire me if it was up to him. But my boss doesn’t have a say in it; the higher ups make the decision. So I get to spend my 5th year training in the person for the job I wanted, and was over qualified for.
I ended up finding a new job the year after that. I was pretty bitter, and just needed a change of scenery. Then another person retired and a permanent job opened up. My old boss called me and said I should apply again. He said he would hire me a heartbeat if he could. I went through the whole process again, a 10+ page resume detailing all my experience, and I made it to the final 5 before I was passed over again by the higher ups. And once again, the hire was based on quotas and not education or experience.
I changed careers, and am now a stay at home dad, and the pay still sucks, but I love it.