Sunday, February 7, 2016

Preparing to Take the Day Labor Plunge -- Again

The first time I worked day labor, I was in my 20's, looking to make a few bucks to get through. It didn't last more than a few shifts.

The next time I worked day labor, I was in my 30's, finding no employment, with no skills to speak of. I worked it for a few weeks until we moved out of the area.

This time I am 45, with a college degree and a professional level resume. I can't get local work, so I will take what comes along. And I'm considering the possibility of doing this for a longer tenure, as it is a great adventure and opportunity to bring awareness to a group of workers most people don't consider.

So I went looking at the places available in Amarillo. There are 2 day labor places; I am going to try my luck with one and see how that pans out before I head on to the other. If it's anything like the old day labor jobs I used to do, there are 2 rules: 1, bring steel toed shoes; 2, get there early, preferably when they open.

The thing that's interesting about the current system is that you can sign up online, and check in online. I'm planning on going in person tomorrow, though, but will try the online sign in later. It's important to note, though, that this is an option a lot of workers can't consider, as a smart phone is a luxury many don't have.

I'm hoping to find contract jobs this week, but will take what I can get. I am not sure how consistent my updates will be, though, as that will depend on my access to electricity and wifi. And THAT will depend on how much money I can scrape together.

I am looking forward to this latest round and the lessons I can learn from it!

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