My son said no to the DMV

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DMV
There’s assholes at Carrabba’s too. But at least you get tips.

Last week my son Ethan, who works as a Carrabba’s waiter (and makes great money in tips) had a job interview with the DMV in Tampa, Florida. He thought he was awkward during the interview and didn’t think he’d get the job, especially because almost a week passed and he heard nothing back from them.

A few days ago, he started having second thoughts about working for the DMV. My son is an artist–an urban dancer and aspiring filmmaker–and could not see himself fitting into the sterile, corporate environment of working for a government agency like the DMV. I agreed but said nothing. This was his call, not mine.

Yesterday he got a call from the DMV saying he got the job. But Ethan refused their offer, knowing he’s turning down a good salary and full health coverage and other benefits government employees get. He had a few regrets after the fact, but says he knows it was the right decision.

I say good for him. He kept his integrity and had the foresight to realize how soul-sucking a job like that could have been for someone like my son, who is an HSP (like me), somewhat eccentric in his interests, and also gay. He’s what you would probably consider a “hipster.” Ethan’s a kind person and he probably would have been too “nice” to last long at the DMV. He enjoys his waiter’s job well enough, and has no problem with sticking with that until he finds something more in line with his true interests in filmmaking or something related.

But I think the fact the DMV wanted to hire Ethan was a much needed boost to his self esteem. It proved to him that he can get other types of jobs besides those in the service industry. He was starting to have doubts (I’ve told him again and again it’s not him, but the entire Millennial generation that’s having problems finding decent jobs).

For more about the soullessness of the corporate/government environment today and how it’s being taken over by narcissism, please read this insightful article by Fivehundredpoundpeep.

14 thoughts on “My son said no to the DMV”

  3. Life is too short to work in a place that you don’t feel passionate about. Salary and benefits are important things, yes – but they do not need to be the overriding factor that determines the course of your professional life.

    Good for him. Most people learn this lesson when it is far too late.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. I have to admit, I hope this was not a mistake. Don’t take this wrong Lucky Otter, :0 but I have been the starving artist for too long. We have been so opportunity challenged around here, the tears have flowed far too long. Maybe he wouldn’t have lasted there anyway, they probably do not like creative thinkers. I can see Aspie me being booted out if I was healthy enough for a job like that. However as my life is being crushed under poverty and I fear the streets awaiting. I wish my husband could have a job like that. He applied for dozens of jobs even government he did not get. I understand being concerned about the narcs too, but our life would have been so much better with a secure job attached to at least one of us. Job opportunities don’t come often. At the DMV he wouldn’t be helping advance war or do anything against ethics, but just taking license photos. But then I wanted to be an art teacher when young and the young have their dreams.

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    • I’m not taking this wrong, because I thought about this too. I thought about the fact I’d turned down opportunities that maybe weren’t my cup of tea but may have secured my future.
      I worry about this. But at the same time, my son , unlike me, has the drive and ambition to be successful. He also has more confidence in himself than I did at his age. He’s also not Aspie (thank God for that!) so is better at making the connections he needs to make. Not being able to “network” was always a huge problem for me. I think he’d be better at that. In the meantime, he’s making pretty decent money as a waiter.

      Liked by 1 person

      • I never turned anything down in my case, but then being a fat Aspie, life was far harder. If you are fat you cannot get jobs like other people. It does sound like your son does have drive and determination. I agree about the “networking” thing. Aspies can suffer career wise very badly for that one.

        Liked by 1 person

        • You have that right. We’re very bad at networking. I always dreaded and hated office politics. It’s a game I just couldn’t ever comprehend. But you need to know how to play it to get ahead.

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  6. I work for a state agency, when it came to the Y in the road, 18 years ago, it was taking the state job or being a stripper, I was THAT BROKE, there were several times over the years, I have said I should of been a stripper, because my state job is a nightmare. I do have retirement, stable income, cadillac medical benefits, but at what cost, on the other hand, he could of tried it out and maybe loved it? You see I LOVE MY JOB, its the people I work with I could have done with out. They made my job miserable. @peep, you are right though, DMV will always need people! Dreams are for the young! Lol!

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    • The benefits of a state job are nice, but sometimes those things aren’t as important as who you have to deal with on a daily basis. I never worked for the government but I know people who have, and almost everyone describes it the same way you do.

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