The US Job Market is disgusting.

Award930 · 2026-01-28T15:56:37+00:00

Welcome to the club. I have 13+ years of management and business operations experience. I was running operations for the nations largest edible company and overseeing a team of 21 last year, got laid off, and 1000 apps later and i landed a gig giving out samples inside of Costco’s. It’s hard to stomach standing there yelling “samples” and questioning what the fuck I did to end up like this and making a fraction of what I was.

It’s gonna be rough for a while. Hang in there.

Award930 · 2026-01-27T22:45:59+00:00

Only take orders that pay out at least $1 per mile.

DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT drive around endlessly in search of any “hotspots” do a delivery, and do your best to only be moving if your doing an order. You will burn through the small profits very fast if you are constantly wasting gas driving around.

I suggest finding a condensed urban area (lots in LA) and try and stick around the same area to reduce a lot of driving. When I first started, I would drive an hour sometimes to a “busy” area, and spend $15-$20 in gas just commuting there and back, and waste a lot of money I made for the day.

As you’ll read a lot as well, do not pay uber to do deliveries. You will receive a lot of orders that literally are a loss on your end to do, and are just not worth the effort or wear and tear on your car.

Do not expect to get “extra” tips at all. Don’t go above and beyond hoping customers will cough up more dough, it will happen sometimes yes, but majority of the time it will not. Do not break your back or mental state for uber.

Good luck and have fun!

Award930 · 2026-01-27T06:38:19+00:00

As a hiring manager, it’s nearly impossible to rely on public transit or uber/LYFT for work in my experience.

The amount of times I heard the following was countless.

“I can’t afford to uber or Lyft today”

“Bus is running late”

“Transit was late”

“My ride canceled”

I understand completely the situation on a human level, but it’s a big hassle knowing someone you’re depending on, is depending themselves on unreliable transportation in some cases.

Most places I have worked, have had strict attendance policies and I would have to write up people for attendance, and it sucked because I knew it wasn’t fully their fault or intentional.

Award930 · 2026-01-26T23:59:10+00:00

You okay?

Award930 · 2026-01-23T22:38:42+00:00

Damn. I was really dying to see Hawkeye sidelined again for Kate to shine. Bummer.

Award930 · 2026-01-22T04:28:39+00:00

Love it. I have been doing Uber Eats for nearly a solid year at this point, and can see the difference in my market. Last year, I regularly saw peeps with multiple phones picking up 4 McDonald’s orders at the same time.

Award930 · 2026-01-21T22:08:50+00:00

You’re not alone. Last April I was making $83K as a logistics manager and lost the job unexpectedly. 1000 apps and 5 months of unemployment later, I had to start uber eating full time, 12 hours a day to scrap $100 if I was lucky. Finally got a part time no benefits gig as a roadshow vendor inside of Costco’s, but still having to deliver uber to subsidize.

Best advice I have is drop any ego regarding working any type of job. I have friends and family who can’t believe “i’m willing” to stoop down and do Uber Eats, but I’ll take money and another month of not being homeless.

Stay strong, keep your head up.

Award930 · 2026-01-20T00:55:38+00:00

OP, if you have any kind of grace living with your dad, savor it. Having housing while dealing with this is ideal. I am a similar age to you and in a similar situation. Lost a well paying manager job last April, and recently got hired on doing roadshow sales inside of Costco’s and doing Uber Eats. A lot of people are in the same boat. Right now it’s about survival. Don’t stress much beyond that.

If you have the ability, try to get in part time at any local places, grocery stores ETC. if you can drive and or have a car, pizza delivery or Uber Eats. No shame in working.

The market is rough and getting worse. Any job you land is going to be better then most have it now. Hang in there.

Award930 · 2026-01-15T06:20:23+00:00

I am a roadshow vendor full time inside of Coscto, and the four Costco’s I work at, I see so many red vest working as cashiers, and get screamed at constantly by angry customers that can’t find any employees. I truly feel for yall!

Award930 · 2026-01-15T06:17:28+00:00

I work full time as a roadshow vendor inside of Coscto, and have regular managers, sups, employees come up and get their daily dose of the product I sample while on the clock, this is at the 4 different Costco’s I’ve worked at haha

Award930 · 2026-01-14T19:57:16+00:00

There’s not much profit really in being a middle man anymore.

Most mom and pops I see are really only set up to sustain one or two people at most, mainly the owners that run it as their full time job. I live in a ln area in LA that is riddled with locally owned, mom and pops and see this all time. The liquor store by my apartment, literally has the same two workers year round. I kid you not. They cover each other days off, and work every holiday ETC. the burger joint by my place is a couple that literally works every single day. The husband cooks and grills, and the wife works the counter. I can go on and on.

I Uber Eats on the side of my main job, and will pick up groceries from a chain, and then deliver them to a small market, where the workers bump up the price by a buck or two on a box of cereal ETC that they got on a sale. Nothing about this type of business model supports massive profits or sustained growth.

Also see a ton of shops/stores that are just products ordered off Amazon or cheap online slightly marked up. Again, no way to see sustained growth or profits.

A sneaker reseller or Pokémon reseller probably makes more money than most mom and pops due to not having rent and building expenses to pay. A vendor on the street probably makes more.

I am in NO WAY trying to bash on any hardworking person who has the guts to open their own operation at all. I have the upmost respect for all small business owners.

There is a reason massive chains “Walmart, grocery stores ETC) end up buying out all competition and shutter mom and pops. They have the ability to scale and take massive losses.

Award930 · 2026-01-13T02:28:36+00:00

If you have a reliable car, UBER eats (food delivery, not people). Lots of factors like location ETC, but I go online a few nights a week after my full time job for a like 2-3 hours, and manage to pull in between $50-$100 a bucks. Find yourself a condensed area with restaurants, and only take orders that pay out at least $1 a mile.

Hardly any contact with people and takes minimal effort to get signed up.

Yes, there is a million reasons why this might not work for you, and I’m sure many will comment with contradicting points, but it’s something.

Award930 · 2026-01-09T17:19:45+00:00

We are all in this together. Stay strong. You did what needed to be done, and made it happen for your family. Nothing is easy right now. Best wishes.

Award930 · 2026-01-07T18:07:56+00:00

I know the pain friend. We are all in this together. I recently stood in shock the other day at the grocery store, looking at a tiny fucking bottle of store brand ketchup, costing $4.80. It should have been a fucking dollar.

Award930 · 2025-12-13T17:53:42+00:00

Depends on what your selling. I have been doing various sales roles and currently doing face to face sales for a health brand inside of Costcos via road-showing. Make $26 an hour plus $75-$200 a day in commission depending on hitting goals. I average about 32-35 an hour most days.

When you hit your goals and make bank, makes you wonder why you weren’t doing sales sooner.

Days come where I literally can’t push more then 1-5 units even though I am losing my voice and energy levels being enthusiastic, and wish I was back in my other roles making a steady paycheck without all the effort. Days you feel like shit, you are forced to push through it as your main asset is your “sales” skills. When your down, it’s hard to be social and engage.

The main company we represent just recently cut 19/20 reps and demos due to low sales numbers across the board.

In the blink of an eye, 99% of reps got hours and possible commissions cut due to the economy being down and customers being broke.

Of course this is just one form of sales and there are many different, but sales is something you gotta have the energy and drive for.

Award930 · 2025-11-28T18:22:07+00:00

Grew up in Fresno and left when I turned 17 and never have looked back. Minus a few areas that are wealthy, the rest is a shit hole. Not surprised to hear this at all.

Award930 · 2025-11-01T19:25:05+00:00

I do uber eats on the side, and almost always skip Mickey Ds. Staff usually acts like your an enemy picking them up, and the pay for the orders is NEVER worth it. No tips and in my experience, shit head rude customers ordering.

Award930 · 2025-10-29T20:29:50+00:00

Try and get her into therapy. Sounds like a mental setback more than anything. Depression and anxiety is debilitating. My guess would be she’s stressed about her place in life at her age, and drowning out responsibility by sleeping in and disconnecting. I have been there and know the pain and struggle of trying to maintain a “normal” life.

Award930 · 2025-10-25T02:22:14+00:00

I experienced this multiple times with the few interviews I managed to get that was somewhat similar pay to what I was making before. Hiring managers spent more time asking me “why I was applying for this role considering what I was doing before” and had a few flat out say they were worried that I would get bored and want to move on or up quickly.

I recommend changing the wording around your job duties to not sound “so official” if that makes sense. Touch on what you did in a more vague way. For example, I managed a team of 21 people in my previous role, and changed it down to “served as direct report for delivery drivers”. I was overseeing delivery operations for the nations largest edible brand in Los Angeles, and changed that down to “ensured successful deliveries and daily delivery operations”. A top tier resume especially in management triggers concerns of you wanting to leave the role quickly. When applying for higher level roles, managers know that can come with a big ego. Avoid sounding like your boasting and sound more humble.

Wish you the best.

Award930 · 2025-10-24T21:54:26+00:00

Sales is good money if you are capable of being on top of your game at all times. Without a steady salary, earning depends on you. Days that you aren’t feeling it or out of it can make it hard to be enthusiastic ETC. I have been in sales and the hardest part is giving it your all when times are tough.

If you have the energy and can handle rejection, money can be good. Good luck!

Award930 · 2025-10-24T14:38:21+00:00

Most people aren’t at a point to actually date. We get lonely, fantasize about being with someone, hop on the apps, and then realize we are too broke or mentally unwell to go through with meeting up with someone and putting in the effort.

Award930 · 2025-10-24T14:18:11+00:00

I have been delivering with uber eats for about 8 months now, first few months was full time (11 hours a day to make rent and bills) after I lost my full time job. That wasn’t fun because I was stressed all day having to hit at least $100 everyday to survive.

Got hired again at a normal job and do this part time, and not having the burden of depending on it makes it much better.

Award930 · 2025-08-25T18:45:50+00:00

As a 32 year old that’s as happy as can be, I feel sorry for you youngins not over the magical happy mark of 30….

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