To an extent, a low-paying job is part of American culture, imo. It's part of "paying your dues" and "working up the ladder". Most people I've met generally dislike the notion that someone can go to college, graduate, and immediately get a high paying job without any real experience outside of a short internship or something like that. People like that are pretty rare, however, and their lack of real-world experience eventually catches up with them because their work ethic is terrible and the incoming reality check they eventually experience cripples them.
There is also a character-building aspect to it as well; working for 8 bucks an hour as a dishwasher during high school teaches you the value of hard work, earning money, and investing/saving it for something you want. Hauling Christmas trees from the lot to people's cars also made me feel strong, capable, and independent when I was 14.
Low-paying jobs generally teach you a lot as well, which is invaluable to a certain degree. You don't want to be stuck in those jobs, don't turn them into careers, but yeah...I'd argue a low-paying job in the early years of your life (from 15 years old to mid-20s) is a pretty important thing.
I'd say I averaged about 10 bucks an hour from age 15 to 27, but during that time I:
-Worked as a dishwasher and cook, which taught me a lot about food prep, cooking, cleaning chemicals, and stuff like that. Making food for guest might seem like a daunting task, but entertaining for 20 people is an easy thing for me now. Cleaning up afterwards is always a hassle, but when I look at the dishes I think "Meh, I've had it worse". Later I'd get a more serious cooking job and I worked 80-hour weeks and, while it sucked and I eventually quit with no warning, it taught me what I was made of and pushed me to my limits.
-I worked as a carpenter; not only did I lose a ton of weight and get strong, but I learned how to install drywall, perform demolition, work various tools, and all kinds of other stuff.
-I got my first job as a brewer during this time and, while I was paid a disappointingly low wage (especially for a recent college graduate), it set me on my way to my career as a brewer. It was also the best four years of my 20s (and, thus far, my life), I made many connections, friends, and perfected my craft. I wasn't making it rich, but my life was rich (get it!? nyuk nyuk nyuk) in other ways. Plus all the beer I could drink, and I swear to god most women that like craft beer are chubby chasers because I got some good attention for being such a big guy.
Like I said, those jobs are not something you want to hold on to forever and turn into a career, and I generally scoff at people that bag groceries or work at Wal Mart and go on strike and complain they don't get paid enough. That's bullcrap.
But on the other hand, if you work 40 hours, you deserve a livable wage, so whatever. The world needs greeters and baggers I guess.
With that said, Americans work too many hours, work too many weeks per year, and don't get paid enough. We are generally taken advantage of by employers, get the shaft too often, and have too little power or choice in our careers. I Hadn't even heard of "paternity leave" until my current job, but apparently that is a common thing in most countries.
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