New Yorker Applies to Become a Restaurant Server After Losing Corporate Job; Here's Why

A TikToker (@sean2blondie) posted a video talking about the challenges of getting a job after being laid off. Sean lost his corporate sector job and was trying to enter the food industry. In the viral video, he raises concerns about why being interviewed at restaurants is tough and embarrassing. Sean shares that he was recently fired from a white-collar job so he thought of getting a restaurant job as for him 'a job is a job'. But Sean was shocked at how the restaurant owners made him dig into his past and enquired why he didn’t sign up for a corporate job as he graduated from a really good college. Sean further shares in the video that the guy was shocked to learn about his work experience in the corporate sector and wondered why anyone would want to work in a restaurant after such an amazing experience. 

Sean in his video further shares, “I wasn’t embarrassed. And I’m going to do whatever I need to do to get money. I always have and I always will". Some people might think that working in a restaurant doesn't pay well, but that's not true. As per the data published by The Bureau of Labor Statistics, servers on average make around $29,120 annually. And there are tips that they often don't report in their tax filings. It is estimated that they make about $100 in tips per shift and working five shifts a week they make an additional $500 a week which is $24,000 a year. Although tech jobs can be a lucrative option—as per the numbers of ZipRecruiter the average salary of a tech worker is $43,680 yearly—but is still less than how much a server makes with tips.

Viewers shared similar experiences on how they were shut down by the restaurant owners for having too much experience. @N8 commented, "My server/bartender friends make more money than my corporate friends". @Ryan commented, "Serving is also fun sometimes like it’s so nice to meet people and make human connections". @J.J. commented, "I literally got laid off from my corporate marketing position last week and applying anywhere. We need money". @flylikethebird commented, "I had two interviews for restaurants recently. They were quite rough to get through for this exact reason". @camicampb commented, "And then they don’t want to hire you because they don’t think you’ll stay". @Hutch commented, "I’m always jealous of bartenders and servers but I’m an extreme introvert and I would be so over it in 30 mins".

@Skyfall commented, "Remove that stuff from your resume so you can avoid it. This is a common practice when overqualified or having distracting items in your resume". @Charis Posie commented, "I’ve stopped telling people at my restaurant job that I have a degree coz it’s embarrassing. If they ask, I just say I took a few classes at community". @lauren_sbv commented, "Yup, had to do the same when going to work at Trader Joe’s after being laid off in corporate, I know the feeling lol". @caitlynpasta commented, "Being told that I’m overqualified for the positions is the most heartbreaking thing, because why won’t anybody hire me????"

Even if you think that layoffs will never happen to you, it’s good to believe that. But building up a good cushion in case of unexpected job changes is a smart strategy. A robust emergency fund or secondary source of income can ensure you've got a little breathing room if the worst ever happens.

You can follow Sean (@seanie2blondie) for more such content.