Fighting the Stereotype — Get Schooled
Shedding light on the myths and misconceptions surrounding Repairmen and Labour-workers.
“So, what do you do for a living?”.
It’s one of the first questions we ask each other as human beings meeting each other for the first time. For better or worse, this immediately forms an opinion and some form of judgement about the person in your mind.
Let’s start off by getting right down to the honest truth, when the words labor-worker, handymen or repairmen get thrown around, a conception starts to form and for most, these won’t exactly be positive.
The wolf-whistling and catcalling man ogling women passing by is one of the oldest stereotypes in the history books and whilst this image is still used today in various cartoons, memes and other media, the modern blue-collared worker is now seen incorrectly as beneath those working in offices or “white-collared workers”, earning and educated less.
This misconception I found more prominently in Asian countries. Handymen or Repairmen are often seen as poor, uneducated or somebody who got unlucky and hit a rough patch. Yet, when something goes wrong around the house, they are the people relied upon to fix problems that homeowners themselves cannot do.
Yes, I understand that there are still a few rotten apples perpetuating the stereotype; catcalling, rude and producing shoddy work, however, no matter what trade or line of business, unfortunately there will always be one or two bad examples but that’s an extremely small minority of the overall trade.
I grew up in Australia in the early 90’s. Let me tell you something, for manual-labourers and handymen, from then till today, business is good. Business is booming. In fact, there is an urgent call going out to fill the gap of wanted professions in construction, trade and other labour intensive work as there is just too much work to keep up with!
Myth: Blue-Collar workers are poor
A simple google search proves otherwise. According to MarketWatch, workers in traditionally blue-collar jobs can end up making over $USD100,000 a year. While most of the jobs with potential six-figure salaries require some type of special training, getting those necessary skills will cost you less than a bachelor’s degree from a traditional college or university.
As I’ve mentioned before, there is no shortage of jobs available.
Myth: Manual labour jobs are unfulfilling
Do you remember when you built or assembled anything, whether it was a small home DIY project or a anything broken around the house? Do you remember the sense of fulfillment and accomplishment you felt?
Imagine experiencing this everyday for those in need.
Learning how to weld, how to run electric, or how to install a toilet — these skills can and often do lead to fulfilling careers, balanced lives, and better than average pay.
Fact: Excellent Work/ Life Balance
Blue-collared workers are project/contract based. Depending on which line of trade and position you are in, you can choose which projects or jobs you want to undertake and even set your own time and schedule.
If you ever wanted to run your own company or be your own boss then blue-collared work is an excellent example of the type of industry you would want to be in.
How i-fix helps
i-fix is a mobile app available now in Kuching, Sarawak, that connects Customers to Repairmen. As an i-fix repairman, you will be able to see all jobs posted in the city and start bidding. Once you have been accepted, complete the task and get paid. It’s that simple.
This essentially brings your customers to you, expanding your trade and market and enabling you to run your business through the phone in your pocket.
Join the Revolution! Hit us up on Facebook or visit our website for more information at i-fix.io
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