+1
I read about folks who have the "whatever it takes" mindset. Work full time while go to school, walk to work, work two jobs, start at the bottom. I once heard it said this way: "don't ask for more money, become more valuable".
Supply and demand does NOT say otherwise. Paying more money for slackers or unskilled only raises the cost of living for everyone since the skilled will demand more.
My company has no experience, entry level positions that pay 40-50% more than the going entry level job. We have an attendance points system that is really liberal and easy to keep. On a regular basis we have people who quit or get let go because they won't arrive on time and work their scheduled shift every week. Really?
I read where a fellow who was middle age and middle class couldn't find work in his field so he went to work part-time at Mickey D's. The manager noticed his work ethic and he became a shift manager. The owner saw his ethic and made him a manager of a store. Later, the owner offered to partner with him to finance him getting a store of his own. He now owns 30-40 (IIRC) stores outright.
My company hired a guy who served one of our supervisors at the drive thru window each morning because of his upbeat attitude. He started at the bottom and is rising up the ranks because of his work ethic and attitude.
Also (and this is big), paying bad employees is flushing money down the drain because they won't be profitable to the company. They can't show up 5 days a week (and always have an excuse), they have no pride in their workmanship, they have no work ethic. There is no dedication to being worth what you want to make. Also, those who have this kind of attitude will work until they get upset about some minor issue and quit (one person quit because the person she sat next to in the office wouldn't be her bff). They have a dry erase board work resume.
We have 1 or 2 generations of people raised on everyone gets an award mentality. They come out of universities with degrees because they showed up and did minimal participation. They don't want to wait for anything. Why save money to buy new furniture debt free? Just put yourself in massive debt and get it now. Why defer going on vacation to have savings? Spend every last penny and we'll hope nothing bad happens...
I would hire this guy in a New York second:
Student takes long walk to work -- ends up owning boss' car | Fox News
He will go far in this world.