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Joining the Slowlane at McDonald's

Topics related to Slowlane, Scripted mainstream dogma
D

Deleted2BB3x9

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Hi everybody,

I haven't written here in a while because I've been busy with college and stuff. But after attending college for a year, I received my certificate to be an engineer at the lowest level. They're are still jobs for this career, even at my level but it is hard to find a good job in this market.

So I decided to apply for McDonald's. I will be a janitor. Even though, I have my engineering certificate I believe this will be a great learning experience. I plan on saving the money I make from my McDonald's slowlane job to fund my food product business.

Use the slowlane as a stepping stone but don't get trapped.

P.S. College certificates or diplomas do not guarantee a job.
 
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struka

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I am not sure what you mean by "I received my certificate to be an engineer at the lowest level". Does that mean you have a degree in engineering? Not sure how Canada is structured for engineering but in the USA you graduate with Bachelors in Science: Engineering which is a 4-year degree (that's what I have). Is that what you have?

I feel like if you graduated with engineering you should be able to get a job much quicker and better than McDonald's that can provide you with better tools than learning to clean (janitor).

When I graduated with an electrical engineering degree I applied to many jobs and 90% of regular (non-engineering) jobs I was overqualified. That was my biggest issue and this was also when the market was down in 2009.

You have many options within an engineering job such as technical and even sales.

Move down to Nashville, TN and I can get you an engineering job within weeks especially if you graduated with an electrical or mechanical degree.
 

James Klymus

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That's fine, but do you have any skills that you could use to freelance for people?

I think it's good that everyone has a "bad job" like mcdonalds or retail at least once in life, but you're here amongst thousands of entrepreneurs like your self. There are good articles here that talk about how to make a livable income by doing service based things for clients.

CHECKLIST: How to Start a Digital Marketing Agency & Hit $5K in Less than 90 Days

I know there is also some good content about starting a web design business around here on the forum, I just dont have the post bookmarked.

If you've never worked a job before then maybe it's a good idea you work there for a while and see how a crappy job feels, but dont forget to actually take action and build your business along the way
 
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D

Deleted2BB3x9

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I am not sure what you mean by "I received my certificate to be an engineer at the lowest level". Does that mean you have a degree in engineering? Not sure how Canada is structured for engineering but in the USA you graduate with Bachelors in Science: Engineering which is a 4-year degree (that's what I have). Is that what you have?

I feel like if you graduated with engineering you should be able to get a job much quicker and better than McDonald's that can provide you with better tools than learning to clean (janitor).

When I graduated with an electrical engineering degree I applied to many jobs and 90% of regular (non-engineering) jobs I was overqualified. That was my biggest issue and this was also when the market was down in 2009.

You have many options within an engineering job such as technical and even sales.

Move down to Nashville, TN and I can get you an engineering job within weeks especially if you graduated with an electrical or mechanical degree.

Thanks for your input.

I would need to go to college another year to get my next level of certification of engineering. I only attended one year. There are 4 levels and the last one you have to pass yourself without college, only the books. It's a specialized type of engineering and a government regulated occupation. There are not many jobs for the first level. But the rest there are a ton. Anyway, McDonald's is a good start for me. I wouldn't have taken the job if i didn't think i would learn something. I plan on returning to college to get my next level of certification after I've saved up some money and perhaps even started a business.

But maybe I'm just wasting my time dreaming of starting another business. In that case, the McDonald's job would just be a stepping stone to a better job. The end goal is financial freedom.
 

struka

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I see. Your engineering degree is structured very differently than ours so that is interesting to see.

I worked in McDonald's as a cook so I understand the job. After working there for a few months I told myself I will never work in that industry unless I have to.

Now, don't quote me on this as I am not in the Fastlane but if I had to do it all over again I would choose a job that would deal with people and sales, for example working in a store as a salesman.

What do you think you will learn from working at McDonald's as a janitor?
 

ZCP

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work while going to school (find most money for least hours) or find intern jobs in your career (find ones where you learn the most regardless of pay).

if you are building a janitor business or a fastfood business, cool idea. If not, see my first words.....

engineering is a great study path. whether you work in the field or not, the line of thinking will help you in everything you do.
 
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D

Deleted2BB3x9

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What do you think you will learn from working at McDonald's as a janitor?

Mainly discipline, and time-management. Honestly, the job is easy so it will give me time to focus on other things while earning money.
 

Sprocket

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Hi everybody,

I haven't written here in a while because I've been busy with college and stuff. But after attending college for a year, I received my certificate to be an engineer at the lowest level. They're are still jobs for this career, even at my level but it is hard to find a good job in this market.

So I decided to apply for McDonald's. I will be a janitor. Even though, I have my engineering certificate I believe this will be a great learning experience. I plan on saving the money I make from my McDonald's slowlane job to fund my food product business.

Use the slowlane as a stepping stone but don't get trapped.

P.S. College certificates or diplomas do not guarantee a job.

Hey! I think learning how a fast food business works would be an interesting experience. Engineering qualification is excellent, go you. Best of luck with your plans!

I’m working in the food industry if you ever want to chat :)
 
D

Deleted2BB3x9

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work while going to school (find most money for least hours) or find intern jobs in your career (find ones where you learn the most regardless of pay).

if you are building a janitor business or a fastfood business, cool idea. If not, see my first words.....

engineering is a great study path. whether you work in the field or not, the line of thinking will help you in everything you do.

This is why McDonald's is good. If I want to return to college, I can ask for a transfer for the job and work in a different city. I had an engineering intern job during the summer.
 
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ZCP

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ExaltedLife

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They've got the most successful business model in any fast food chain so you might pick something up.

If you have cash and a vehicle though it's more profitable to rent some tools and do freelance labor. Painting, roofing, landscaping, etc. These trades are easy to start, have a very short learning curve and make way more cash than most people realize.

Edit: plus they require you to learn how to sell, and you work on your own schedule.
 

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Is your job part time or full time? If it's part time because you want more time to work on things, then I understand that.

If it's full time then I don't understand your reasoning. If you spend 33+ hours there, why not just spend those 33+ hours in a job, which you're obviously smart enough to do, where you can earn more money to invest into a future business.
 
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struka

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work while going to school (find most money for least hours) or find intern jobs in your career (find ones where you learn the most regardless of pay).

I had really great success working during the week on a college campus as a radio host (we didn't talk just play music) because it paid well (paid by the school) and you had plenty of time to do your school work or other things.
During the weekends I would valet parking cars. You could get really good money but it is a union style so seniority trumps everything (who closes and who gets the good spots).
Finally, my engineering department pushed us to do co-ops for a minimum of 6 months or a year (which I did). This is where you get your job experience.

I worked at McDonald's and you really don't have the time to sit around in the office in hopes of learning the business aspect. If you got time to lean, you got time to clean.
 
D

Deleted2BB3x9

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I talked with my dad and he suggested I go out West, he said he can get me a job in the Oil sands.

He said to get some experience first though.

I'll be making around 70,000$ to 80,000$ a year after one year of college if i go out there. There is another college over there, which is very specialized and trains you specifically for a job in the oil sands. He said to jump straight into 2nd year over there instead of returning to college here. In the meantime, I'll be working at McDonald's.
 
D

Deleted2BB3x9

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The McDonald's work experience will also help because there is a lot of cleaning and maintenance in my field, especially at the lower levels. A job is never a waste.
 
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D

Deleted2BB3x9

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Yes, I got offers from 3 different McDonald's locations.
 

Frank H.

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It is not a slow lane job because you are learning new skills and earning/saving money. Also, it is good that you do not fear other people's body language or thoughts regarding your job. I had a job like that in the past, however, I would get eye rolls and other facial expressions that signaled disapproval.
 
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biophase

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Thanks for your input.

I would need to go to college another year to get my next level of certification of engineering. I only attended one year. There are 4 levels and the last one you have to pass yourself without college, only the books. It's a specialized type of engineering and a government regulated occupation. There are not many jobs for the first level. But the rest there are a ton. Anyway, McDonald's is a good start for me. I wouldn't have taken the job if i didn't think i would learn something. I plan on returning to college to get my next level of certification after I've saved up some money and perhaps even started a business.

But maybe I'm just wasting my time dreaming of starting another business. In that case, the McDonald's job would just be a stepping stone to a better job. The end goal is financial freedom.

I also am curious about your engineering certificate. How many years of college did you go to for engineering so far?

Are you talking about being an EIT, engineer in training? And the last level being a PE?

Do you end up with a bachelors of science degree?

For some reason, your certain don’t sound right.
 
D

Deleted2BB3x9

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I also am curious about your engineering certificate. How many years of college did you go to for engineering so far?

Are you talking about being an EIT, engineer in training? And the last level being a PE?

Do you end up with a bachelors of science degree?

For some reason, your certain don’t sound right.

I went for one year of college and got a 4th class certificate in Power Engineering.
 
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Logan Powell

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I talked with my dad and he suggested I go out West, he said he can get me a job in the Oil sands.

He said to get some experience first though.

I'll be making around 70,000$ to 80,000$ a year after one year of college if i go out there. There is another college over there, which is very specialized and trains you specifically for a job in the oil sands. He said to jump straight into 2nd year over there instead of returning to college here. In the meantime, I'll be working at McDonald's.
As an Albertan, I would be hesitant on the oil sands. Even though the pay is well, there are a lot of problems that come with the job. Plenty of drugs, alcohol, and mental issues are rampant up north. That is partially why they are paid so well.

I'm guessing you are in a trades school right now. You may have a huge opportunity to start your own firm / practice. You can leverage that into a Fastlane Business in itself!
 

WealthyMarketer

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I actually think you'll benefit from working for McDonald's, as long as it's not your long-term plan.

McDonald's is a multi-billion dollar corporation, and they sell overpriced 'frankenfood' that will kill you if you eat too much of it. They must be doing something right, at least from a business point of view.

I worked at McDonald's for four years, and worked three of those years as a manager. McDonald's spends a lot of time and effort on developing systems. Systems that reduce customer wait times, whether it be in line to order their food or in line to receive their food. They also have a plethora of systems in place to train new employees, and to train employees ready for a promotion on how to properly run a fast-food restaurant.

Most people will see working for McDonald's as a 'crappy minimum wage job'. And it is. But, if you pay attention to what systems 'head office' asks their managers to employ, whether it's their "Station Observation Checklists" or their "Cash Management Procedures", I think you stand to gain a lot of valuable experience by taking a look at what they do from the inside.

Maybe see if you can get experience working in the kitchen and the window areas as well, and try to get promoted to crew trainer or crew chief. That's when you'll start to really get exposed to the systems McDonald's employs.

I remember when I was promoted to Crew Trainer I was sent to McDonald's head office for training, and I had to learn how to use McDonald's systems to reduce customer waiting times, cook food as quickly as possible while reducing food waste, actually calculate the dollar value of the food that was wasted just by looking at the garbage bin, calculate and optimize drive-thru waiting times... there's so much McDonald's puts into development of their systems that you don't realize, and I don't think most people think of.

I remember when I was there (even before I was a manager) having to calculate how much gross income my store brought in vs. how much I spent on labour, and whether or not my manager had to bring in more people, or had to send people home.

Just don't get trapped by the attitudes of the other sidewalkers working there as well.
 
D

Deleted2BB3x9

Guest
I actually think you'll benefit from working for McDonald's, as long as it's not your long-term plan.

McDonald's is a multi-billion dollar corporation, and they sell overpriced 'frankenfood' that will kill you if you eat too much of it. They must be doing something right, at least from a business point of view.

I worked at McDonald's for four years, and worked three of those years as a manager. McDonald's spends a lot of time and effort on developing systems. Systems that reduce customer wait times, whether it be in line to order their food or in line to receive their food. They also have a plethora of systems in place to train new employees, and to train employees ready for a promotion on how to properly run a fast-food restaurant.

Most people will see working for McDonald's as a 'crappy minimum wage job'. And it is. But, if you pay attention to what systems 'head office' asks their managers to employ, whether it's their "Station Observation Checklists" or their "Cash Management Procedures", I think you stand to gain a lot of valuable experience by taking a look at what they do from the inside.

Maybe see if you can get experience working in the kitchen and the window areas as well, and try to get promoted to crew trainer or crew chief. That's when you'll start to really get exposed to the systems McDonald's employs.

I remember when I was promoted to Crew Trainer I was sent to McDonald's head office for training, and I had to learn how to use McDonald's systems to reduce customer waiting times, cook food as quickly as possible while reducing food waste, actually calculate the dollar value of the food that was wasted just by looking at the garbage bin, calculate and optimize drive-thru waiting times... there's so much McDonald's puts into development of their systems that you don't realize, and I don't think most people think of.

I remember when I was there (even before I was a manager) having to calculate how much gross income my store brought in vs. how much I spent on labour, and whether or not my manager had to bring in more people, or had to send people home.

Just don't get trapped by the attitudes of the other sidewalkers working there as well.

Thank you, I had a great first shift. I plan on staying there a year or two.
 
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socaldude

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I have respect for someone who sets their ego aside and does a job most would consider themselves to be "too good" to get. Especially since college and college degrees come with an entitlement mentality.


P.S. College certificates or diplomas do not guarantee a job.

It's actually pretty sad because that's the market basically saying "what you learn in college really isn't that useful to us". And colleges don't give a crap they just raise tuitions and build more useless buildings.
 

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And colleges don't give a crap they just raise tuitions and build more useless buildings.

While the Dean and other top folks working in these colleges are earning big bucks.
 

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