The Reddit sub r/GirlDinnerDiaries has become a safe space for women to share their personal struggles while getting support from other women. One woman started a thread about how the current job market is making her take a job she thinks may be below her training at a fast food joint.
The Reddit post about leaving pastry for McDonald's resonated with many readers
“I have very mixed feelings about it. I’ve spent the past 5 years working my ASS off to get to where I am. constantly had to prove myself in a restaurant where the majority of my coworkers were a decade or more older than me. I trained extensively under a Star Chef in chocolatiering and french lamination. not to sound cocky, but I am very proud of my abilities and how quickly I advanced in my field at such a young age. I was a helluva pastry chef. I haven’t made less than $20 an hour in YEARS and I just accepted 15/hr at a fast food restaurant,” the original poster wrote.
She continued to share how she has mixed feelings about the situation. “On the other hand, I am SOOOO INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL I got this job!!! It’s easy to bitch about it because it does feel like a huge step back in my career, but I have been job hunting for months now. For context, I left pastry in January of ‘25 when my daughter was born (I worked full-time until the week before my water broke lol). my husband and I decided it made the most sense for me to stay home with the baby for developmental and financial reasons.”
Taking this job was out of necessity for herself and her family. Her husband took a significant pay cut for a new job, and she needed something part-time and flexible so they could trade off caring for their family. A strict schedule wasn’t going to work for her, and this job at McDonald's worked best.
She impressed the manager and instantly landed the job. “At my interview today, I was hired in minutes. The manager didn’t bat an eye at my limited availability hours. I start on the 4th. Furthermore, we are in a very small town outside of the city. $15 an hour is INSANE for being 15 minutes from home,” She wrote. “Part of me is ashamed to tell friends and family because of the whole ‘the prophecy has been fulfilled’ thing, but that aside, I’m so grateful and excited to start.”
The comments were supportive. Most of the women told her she should never be embarrassed to have a job, even if you think it’s below the level you should be at. They not only congratulated her, but also validated her mixed feelings. It’s okay to feel a bit unsure about a new job, but they reassured her that she should be proud of herself, no matter what the job is.
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the claims made in the Reddit post, which is based solely on the original poster's account shared on r/GirlDinnerDiaries.
