I worked in the distribution warehouse for an international shipping company (not the smiley face one). I was bottom of the ladder and just doing back-breaking labor. I have a degree and am studying computer science and cybersecurity and web development. I also speak three languages fluently and such. It was pretty rough going from a job that got decimated by the pandemic to having to go back to labor. Any attempt I made to advance in the company was black-barred by management since I “was such an efficient employee” and “we cannot afford to lose your metrics”. I got to watch their friends come in, slack off, and then get promoted away from the labor positions within a few months of being there.
I busted my ass there all day and then studied all night for my BS and industry certifications (compsci) in addition to all that. Just to be beaten down and even berated by managers for leaving trailers to drink water or using the bathroom. I was pretty sick of it. Unfortunately, the field I am trying to start a career in is really rough to get into now and entry-level jobs want you to have years of experience in addition to all of your degrees and certs. I was pretty hopeless. Then, I found this sub.
I had heard of it before but was always told it's only about how to use and abuse government assistance and be a societal leech, which I now know is untrue. I see it is a community focused on airing grievances and educating on workers' rights. I read a lot of the stories on here of people in similar situations to me and it weirdly gave me hope that I wasn't the only one experiencing these unfair workplace situations. I also took the advice from the comments and applied those tactics to my workplace and job hunting.
I ended up finding an entry-level gig with a local tech company. I struggled through all the nonsense-type interviews we all know and hate so much and stuck to my guns and my value as a worker and didn't settle. This job is definitely going to be tough since it has long hours, but I met the owners and upper management and they still behave like humans and seem to actually value their employees, their current skills, and also seem to want to invest in them to keep them around. Of course, this place is a stepping stone, but it's a start.
Just wanna say thanks to the people here who give real and applicable advice and want everyone who is in the shit to keep walking and keep the chin up and don't get buried by it. We can't let those fucks exploiting us win.