Is Being A Janitor Bad?

Is being a janitor bad? Well I'll put it this way, from bathrooms, to windows, to floors, janitors are employed by nearly every business out there. Janitors could be considered one of those recession proof professions. Why? Because people are always dirtying up bathrooms, cafeterias, windows, floors etc..

When cleaning, janitors have to make sure everything is perfectly clean in every business, office, and organization. With so many different surfaces to clean and sanitize, the suppliers that are available to janitors have to have every single item that could possibly be needed. Janitorial suppliers carry both trash bags,individual can liners,mops, vacuums, brooms, microfiber cloths and rags, vacuum accessories, and cleaner chemicals that leave your establishment smelling all bleachy. Janitorial suppliers are responsible for giving janitors the tools needed to keep our lives running smoothly and, of course, cleanly.

So think about this, how many of you are unemployed? How many are unemployed janitors? Not many, if none at all. A displaced worker survey showed that most executive positions downsized in the past year have taken survival jobs such as janitorial positions to support their families. The New York Times article, From Executive to Janitor , calls it "skill-related underemployment — when workers take jobs that they are technically overqualified for, given their experience and training."

For the most part, highly skilled individuals can usually trade down to a job they’re too qualified for, but lower skilled individuals can’t because lets face it, a qualified janitor won't be able to negotiate a merger between two corporations. This means that a highly skilled individual will probably have an easier time finding a new job if they’re laid off than a lower skilled individual.

So the next time you think about looking down on a janitorial position as "beneath you," think about being laid off your current high skilled position. You just may have to take that offer as a janitor to pay some bills, because it'll be the only position now hiring.