Parking Attendant: Worst Job in America?

 

By Christopher Polk, CAPP

The 50 worst jobs in America, according to the people who do them (msn.com).

I am sure that most of us, at some point in our careers, have been on the frontlines of an operation. It can be a thankless and unappreciated job, but worst in America? And the line that there is a scant sense of meaning – I struggle with this article. Although I do agree that the median pay needs to be higher, this likely has changed over this year due to companies competing through wage increases. I know that you either love parking or you hate parking, but I am sure that there are worse jobs. How about the guy that empties the porta johns, or the window cleaner hanging off a 30-story building (although I am sure that the view is nice), or maybe even the roadkill removal specialist. Nope, it’s a parking attendant, and I am sure that this article will help tremendously with our current hiring crisis that I often complain about. We didn’t even get above telemarketers. That, to me, would be a scant sense of meaning.

Maybe I am biased, but parking has been very rewarding for me over the years. The opportunities that it provides are truly amazing. So many people that I meet at IPMI conferences have started off their careers as parking attendants, as have I. As leaders, we need to change that mindset in our frontline staff. Every cog in the wheel plays an important role in how we operate, and we should let them know that at every opportunity we get. Let’s work on changing this perspective.

Christopher Polk, CAPP,  General Manager for Parking Concepts Inc. He can be reached at cpolk@municipalparking.com.