McDonald’s job ?

[CTRL]

I work freelance in a career I’ve been in for a few years but only been self employed for the past few months. I enjoy my career but as it’s been so quiet recently (not sure weather it’s to do with Brexit; although a lot of aquaintances have mentioned it is) and as I’ve been struggling financially I decided to apply for a job at McDonald’s.

I have no problem with working there - especially if it’s to feed my family; however after applying and having my interview and now suppose to be going to a welcome meeting and honestly I just keep doubting myself weather I want the job or not.

It’s not that I feel above the job. It’s other problems like the location of the restaurant I will be based in (center of our small town where I will see EVERYONE I know), the pay is now monthly (it was fortnightly up until a few months ago) so I feel like there’s not much of an incentive, the pay is drastically lower than my other job I do which isn’t really an issue for now but sometimes I am booked last Minuit for private jobs and I worry that if it came to a point where I was booked into McDonald’s and booked for private work; I would take the private work as it’s what I want to do and it’s more money. And I worry about how likely it is that I would be able to do so and keep doing so.
Also now it’s starting to pick up with my other work so I feel I will have more work coming in the next few weeks - again meaning I probably wouldn’t be doing much shifts at McDonald’s. So again I feel like it would be silly of me taking the job if I couldn’t commit to the hours.

Am I making any sense ?

What would you do ?

Ride out the quiet period for a few more weeks and then continue doing my usual job freelancing which is great when I have regular work coming in and when it’s during busy periods (spring- summer)

Or

Take up the McDonald’s job that has secure hours every week but means I would take a big pay drop and loose out on private work as I would only be ‘available’ on the days I’m not at McDonald’s.

Ride out the quiet time if you can
Maccy D job will grind you down
Good luck x

Ride out the quiet. Maccys will grind you down. Also, having been a retail manager, whilst I can understand you prioritising the private work, turning down shifts last minute is a pain to cover. They might take a dim view.

Mcdonald's seems like it would be hard work for little reward and it would get to you eventually, I remember people were speaking out about it not too long ago and I can't see them being that flexible. I would look for something else

There was an AMA about McDonald's on here a few months ago which painted it fairly positively. I would ask about the shift rotas and how they are scheduled. It would be silly to give up freelance work that might build up your business, in order to work shifts at McDs.

Can you not do part time at Macs?

McDonald’s will grind you down? No more than any other job! Snobby or what!

I'd temp until things pick up in my main career. Do you have admin experience?

If you need a really flexible alternate job to sub you, you should think about temp work or something in the gig economy that you can take and leave as you wish.

To be self employed you need to be tenacious. There ARE quiet times and you need to build that into your business plan.

For example, I have negotiated monthly retainers with some clients (doesn’t really happen in my industry); I’ve got a list of contacts (who are fast paying) I can reach out to when things are quiet, and I do side hustles like matched betting (google it) and eBay selling.

It’s not that there’s anything wrong with working at McDonald’s. But your time is probably better spent working on your business.

Oh I also have a list of ideas to generate money into my business that I work on every week. It’s things like cutting expenses, chasing invoices, invoicing on time etc

Husband, is that you?

I literally had a remarkably similar conversation with my spouse only yesterday.

He is self-employed and has been for the past three years but these past few months have been a little bit slower than this time last year and the previous year.

He's decided that he will look for a job for steady pay. He was previously a telecoms systems architect when he worked full-time (his business is a photography business) but has told me that he's happy to go find a job at the grocery store or sell cars part-time until work picks up. You could only imagine the look on my face.

No, I do not think working at a grocery store or selling cars is beneath anyone as I used to do both but it truly made absolutely no sense to me why he would do this.

For starters, he would not be doing any favors to himself or the business he decides to work for. He would not be giving his all to his new job and it's unfair to be uncommitted. Let's be honest, once work does pick up, he would drop the job and that is not right at all.

I told the DH that he has to commit himself to his business and instead of putting hours into something else, he should be putting his attention in growing his business. Sure, it may not pay dividends immediately but it will in the future and he's working on making connections, building rapport with future clients for his own business.

OP this applies to you too!

Thank you all for your advice

@orangeballon I applied for part time however with my other job I work different days every week. One week I may be working Monday - Friday, the next week Monday, Thursday and Friday, the next week could change aswell.

It’s ayarting to pick up meaning I probably will be doing about 3 or 4 days a week freelancing which is what I want and during this time I would look at leaving McDonald’s as I would be managing with the freelancing. I more just wanted the McDonald’s job for extra cash to come in to develop my freelance career.

I’m suppose I’m just stuck with what to do.
Since applying for this McDonald’s job I feel like there’s been too many signs that is really making me consider weather the job is for me....mix ups with interviews, technical problems when I need to complete online health and safety, rushing to a welcome meeting earlier in the week and couldn’t complete it because the manager had forgotten to do something. I know it happens but I feel like these are possible signs that it’s not the job for me.

Tomorrow morning I’m booked in for another meeting (as first meeting I travelled an hour to get down there and I couldn’t complete due to managers error) and as I have nobody to watch my children it’s either I bring them with me and I have a feeling that won’t be allowed and I won’t be allowed in or I don’t go to the meeting.
I’ve explained I would need to attend the following meeting on Tuesday once the kids are back to school but it’s a case of I have to go in tomorrow or I don’t get the job. And honestly I’m not sure weather I want it anymore.

I’m also booked in for private work from the 29th onwards and could be booked up the following weeks after that so again I don’t know why I would do if I get the job with McDonald’s. Tell them I want the job but can’t start until I’m not sure when ?

Because honestly if i was to say I could start in May and I get private work booked in; I feel obliged to take the private work as it’s financially better for me. And also it’s what I want to do.

Thank you all.

The main aspect of the freelancing is temping. I work temporarily in establishments in town. It’s within the career I’ve worked in for the past 10+ years and I am now looking at going into teaching within the industry I’ve been working in.

To do the teaching qualification I need quick money. Which is why I do the temping and my own private work along side (when it comes in).

The temping is good and the money is great which is why I do it so I can save to get the money for the teaching job.

Hence why I’m questioning why I should go to McDonald’s. As I feel the pay would be drastically lower so I wouldn’t be saving much and I wouldn’t be happy. It would just tie me over until my other job gets busy again - which it seems to be doing now. So again. I feel like McDonald’s isn’t what I need right now.

Can't you do virtual assistant jobs?
There is a website called fivver where you can rent out your services
Also what about call centres?

If your clients are likely to see you in McDonald's then I wouldn't do it. Sadly perception is everything and there's no reason to destroy your career over a mc-job

Good luck

I wouldnt work there.

I'd wait for literally ANY other opportunity.

It's not a nice place to work and honestly? I'd be embarrassed if everyone I knew saw me there - personally it wouldn't be good for my self-esteem (but this is to do with my own insecurity rather than the job itself).

If you’re going to look for a job on the side it sounds like you need to look for one with night/evening shifts in order to keep your days free to be available for any of your main work that comes in - so I’d look at bar work / supermarket stocking or similar.

I agree with PP though that really you should focus on expanding your business - is there not something a bit more related to your field that you could do?

See if you can sign on for a bank staff post at your local NHS Trust. You can choose your day/hours as you like and they always need clerical staff, I think the pay is quite reasonable too. We have three ladies doing this in our office right now.

My ds has worked in Macd all through college and while the work was tedious he found it fine. Far better than his friends who never got regular hours had cancelled shifts etc. You get what you signed up to so no surprising and everything clear.
They had a Facebook page where they could swap shifts if necessary or someone do your shift if they needed extra money.
As he was a student he often took on extra shifts as appreciated the extra cash.
Also as a student they accepted him only working weekends so that might work for you.
That may not happen at all the places.
I wouldn't write it off totally.

Thank you all

I really appreciate the advice.
I’ve decided the job isn’t for me so won’t be continuing my application.

The job is great for students and yes I could see how it would be helpful in that sense.

But honestly I don’t see myself working there, I can’t see myself being happy if I was to be there especially with my clients/ previous employers and colleagues/ ex partners and friends all seeing me working there. There’s nothing wrong with it but life’s been abit difficult in the past few years and I feel like working there would just make my fall from grace too public. And honestly I don’t think my self esteem could handle it.

I will be checking again for NHS bank staff jobs temping office admin jobs and hopefully something will come up. I have been looking at that type of work before but so far no luck with interviews.

Thank you guys for the clarity though and suggestions as I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

I’m a manager at McDonalds and I absolutely love it.

Do whatever you want, but McDonalds isn’t a job you can drop in and out of whenever you please and you can’t just not turn up with little to no notice.

It’s hard work, but I find it very rewarding. Great colleagues, one of the best training management programmes in the country, exceptional training overall, fantastic promotional opportunities as a result and an amazing company to work for.

I'm a hairdresser but also worked at McDonalds for the last 3 years aswell for extra income. It's not as bad as I thought it would be tbh and I've made a lot of friends out of it :)

I found myself out of a job a while ago and took a bar and waitressing job in the interim to pay the bills. I loved it and it actually gave me quite a good quality of life fitting around the DC and socially.
I work full time elsewhere now but sometimes you just have to do what you have to do to pay bills and there's no shame in working anywhere - a job does not make one person better than another.

I know where the OP is coming from. You want clients to see that your business is busy. For them to see you doing a part time job anywhere they may assume your business is not going too well.

So I think it's wise to tey and get a job that isn't so 'public'.

*try

I think the MacDonalds job is just too big a step from what you've been doing. Not in a bad way exactly, just very different. I don't think you'll enjoy it. My sister got a few evening shifts at a pub, when her business recently went through a quiet spell. It was also reasonably flexible, as the staff could swap shifts for each other, using the WhatsApp group they had.
Might this be a better idea?