Weighing the benefits and drawbacks of entry-level jobs?

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Anyone with advice, please weigh in on this:
Truck driver-simple work, solitary work, decent pay
-needs CDL, difficult before age 21, no support out on the road, unhealthy

delivery driver- similar concerns to above

Construction-general labor)- simple, physical work, good pay
injury

Garbage collector- similar concerns to above.
also need a good way to answer questions about occupation.

If it is possible, I'd love to be apprenticed to a farmer when the season starts

police officer, maybe??


I live in Canton, Michigan in the US.
I'd like to start paid work within a month or two, and i'd like to do a few days of school simultaneously.
I'm also a vegetarian and I would try avoiding government work if I can

I'd like to also know requirements for these. Thanks

1. I've always wanted to be a truck driver--since the CB Craze of the mid 1970s. I used to want to go on the CB, and say "Good Buddy," and try to get some chicks.

If you don't feel like you're a good driver, and can drive around tight curves, forget about being a truck driver in the city. I mean....FORGET IT. You'll get into accidents. That's why I didn't go in for truck driving, despite the romance of it. If you confine yourself to the interstates, you should do okay in that circumstance. I am one who enjoys long drives, but not tight drives.

It's better than: 2. delivery driver, though (though there will be a great need for them over the next few years).

3. Construction Worker: Good pay only if you get into a union. Very dangerous at times. Your comrades would not like people who act Aspie; they are bullies, usually. Very conformist culture. Sometimes corrupt.

4. Garbage Collector: Not bad, not healthy. You could get diseases. Wear gloves! Difficult to get in NYC. 100,000 took the test one time for about 500 jobs! You have to have good balance--garbage collectors don't ride in the trucks if they're not driving. Ever see a show called "Roc"? He used to be a garbage collector who used to collect furniture for his house from the garbage.

5. To be a cop, most of the time, you have to have at least two years of college. Very stressful work. You have to toe the line. They don't like Aspie-acting people--both fellow cops and criminals.

6. I don't know too much about farm work--might suck really bad.

I would say a high school diploma/GED is pretty much essential these days.

A construction laborer doesn't have to have any qualifications--but certain facets of construction like masonry and ironwork require at least a certificate and some kind of "journeyman" experience.

A delivery driver probably needs a high school diploma/GED.

As I stated previously, a cop usually has to have at least two years of college, or two years in the military, at the time he/she starts attending the academy.

A truck driver needs, of course, a CDL. A high school diploma/GED is highly desirable. He also, probably, will have to be trained specifically how to drive a truck.

Please don't let any of my impressions deter you. These are only my impressions.

Along with the requirements kraftiekortie mentioned, it is important to note that even though these are entry-level jobs, most are going to want some experience to set you apart from other applicants. Also, to work on a farm, most places are going to want to see a degree in agriculture, unless you've happened to grow up on an established farm that can give you credibility. Unfortunately in this world it is often more who you know than what you know, or a mixture of both. Yes, it's hard to get experience in a job unless you get a job that allows you to gain experience first; that is why most places want you to work for free for a while in internships or similar.

You mention the drawbacks that you are considering when thinking about these jobs; however, until you are able to get your foot in the door of one of these positions it's difficult to really consider that at all. Of course, I don't think you should completely throw away your dignity, but remember these things will become part of your dignity. You will learn to become sick with dignity, to be injured with dignity, to face harsh weather and driving conditions with dignity. Sorry to get all Dickensian on you, but there are definitely labor workers and the more office-type positions. (I'm not at all saying that one is more important than the other or that one doesn't require hard work. But there are definite differences.)

As kraftiekortie said, don't let any of what I say deter you at all. I've always firmly believed that where there's a will, there's a way. That will require a lot of hard work and tough days and often having to start all over from the beginning, but anything is possible. Hope this is helpful. Let me know if there is anything else I can do to help. I've helped with multiple resumes.