Hired on at a Fortune 500 Company at age 18

So, Basically some of you may not beleive me some of you might its of little difference to me.


Basically, I recently turned 18(a month ago) & decided to apply for my first job irl.

I heard about a opening at Kodak a fortune 500 company in the US and decided to apply, 24 hours later I got a call asking me to interview, 24 hours after that I was informed I'd been hired.


Now this is kind of unbelievable, I mean like I hear people bitching "theres no good jobs" here I am at 18 years old the VERY FIRST JOB I'VE EVER APPLIED for & I got hired.


What I'm getting at age 18:

-KODAK HAS A PENSION PLAN!!! ONE OF THE LAST COMPANYS TO HAVE ONE, THEY HAVE A FUCKING 7% PENSION AT AGE 18 THIS IS BY FAR THE MOST UNBELIEVABLE BENEFIT.
-Full Dental
-Full Medical
-Full Vision
-401k(matched %)
-Automatic retirement plan(takes 5% of my check and puts it in a fund, this is HUGE DEAL, because this money is NOT TAXED meaning I dont pay any tax on 5% of my checks)
-$12.50/hr starting out can get up to $15/hr later on(at this job if I get promoted can get up to $20-$25/hr), $18.75/hr overtime.
-Free access to on-site gym,cafeteria etc.
-Will help with college


I legit am sitting here stunned, I mean I havent even gone to college yet lmfao, I graduated highschool 6 months ago and now Im employed at a fortune 500 company with these insanely great benefits & pay.


For those wondering I am actually making more money doing my sites online than I am at this job.


Also, I LITERALLY got this job with a High school diploma, no other education, no past work experience, nothing!


Does anyone have any advice? my first day on the job is Nov 16th.

 

My only piece of real advice is to watch your back - if it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is. Don't get too comfortable until you've been there long enough that they can't just throw you away, 90 days i believe.

I'm 23, been looking for a job since I was 17. I've had ONE job. A factory with no union, 0 benefits, $13.00/hour and threw me away after exactly 4 weeks on the EXACT minute they had me start - because they'd hired a new batch of workers to do the same thing to. It's a way for companies to get out of paying benefits. Yours claims to have benefits, but you won't get them until your 90 days are up (I would have some of those benefits, but not all of them after 90 days, but they only hire people on a 30 day basis unless they are unable to fill the position with new people to fuck over), so just don't get ahead of yourself until after 90 days.


EDIT: I'm not saying they ARE doing the same thing to you as Orcheln's did to me... But it's a possibility.

 

I'd say just be you and do your best. Other than that it depends on what you're doing. A buddy of mine works at a distribution warehouse for a major beer company and gets health, dental, 401k, and makes more money than his parents combined. Thing is, he is working in the private sector where his parents work in the public sector. I'm not sure if that helps a whole lot, but again, just do your best

 

Focus and listen to what they have to say. Listen to your managers and try to stay out of the drama. For whatever reason no matter where you seem to go (you being general public) there seems to be drama. I can't stress enough to stay out of work drama just go there keep your head down and your nose clean. Because even the people you believe to be your "friends" aren't really your friends. Are you looking to go to college eventually or any plans in the near future?

 

Damn, really glad things turned out great for you. Best of luck on your job!

 

Definitely be wary. Just because you were hired to a job that seems amazing, don't let it slide. Be sure you're actively participating in school and work, and be sure you can effectively balance both. Budget your time wisely, don't just waste it.

 

If I stay long term with Kodak I dont even need to go to school.


I get 3 weeks of paid vacation & 10 federal holidays.


Pay can get upwards of $15-$20+ an hour.


That's what people dont seem to get lmao, I just came out of highschool and if I like this job it could EASILY support me for the rest of my life.

The pay alone is between $33,000-$48,000 a year, thats not even touching my retirement plan,401k or 7% pension, it reality my first year here I will probaly do around $35,000 a year, after that I'd be looking upwards of an extra $1-$3k every year after.


(Kodak offers a 1-3% increase in ur hourly pay aswell as promotions every year).

Theres 4 managers who make $20.00 an hour watching over a team of 9.


Here's my break down:


year 1:
$12.50x40=$500/week

$500x52=
$26,000

Matched 5% 401k I'm just going to say is $1000

I dont pay Taxes on 5% of this income


7% pension
$1900

Means My first year is around $30,000, thats not including:

-Other Benefits
-College aid
-Bonuses
-Promotions
-Overtime


After my school aid & all that other crap ur def talking $35k-$40k a year fully insured .


If I get a 1-3% raise each year aswell as any promotions I'm going to be banking lmao.

You figure if next year I get moved to $16/hr(guy 1 year ahead of me has this) with overtime of $22.50.

16x40=$640 week

640x52=$33,280


5% match say $1500

7% pension

$2350



Comes out to $37,130 after just being there a year and again not including anything.


This job could easilyyyyyyyyyyy support me for the rest of my life, after all the benefits & college aid I'd be getting I'd really be netting like $40-$50k after my first year here.

 

Kind of depends where you live. In my area, you'll be hard pressed to get by at that rate. But even after, how is job security? You have no idea you'll be guaranteed this job 5, or even 2 years from now.

 

Dw I only have 4 websites & 3 rsps to fall back on if things go sour babe :3.

 

What work are you even doing?

I was under the impression kodak was a completely failed and obsolete company

 

Production assembler.


& no lol, Kodak just came out of bankruptcy.


The location in dayton ohio(where I am) has 190 people on the day shift, 50 on the 2nd shift & 20 on the 3rd.


& this is like 1 of 50 locations and isnt even a corporate location.


Kodak is booming lol, they just hired on like 250 new people across the country.

 

I guess I fell on my feet in a similar way too, I landed a job as a welding inspector and had all my courses paid for by the company.. Since 18 I've been earning over £60,000/year and work very short shifts for my wage. Which in the long run has helped me setup my own business.

I guess luck/opportunity fall side-by-side with some people, this doesn't mean I haven't worked hard to get where I am, but nevertheless.. Fortunate.

I'd suggest making a good impression and work hard if you want them higher pay checks.

 

Mate honestly i'd keep your head down, do your work to the best of your ability and you'll be fine. Also i'd think about getting a degree or some sort of skill for the long run.

 

Yeah but is this really what you want to do for the rest of your life? You don't want to pursue a career that you genuinely enjoy for reasons other than stability? Go to school while working. You never know what a company's future holds, even if you are full time.

 

your description of this is generally not how these things work. most of these things are either:
-pay taxes now, retirement grows, pay no taxes upon withdrawal
-pay no taxes now, retirement growths, pay taxes upon withdrawal
and there are hybrids etc

your choice between the plans offered (if you have a choice) should depend on your expected tax rate now and in the future, as well as other factors. google can tell you more, as can the website of the company offering the plan. also make sure you know how this money is invested. being "invested" doesn't mean it's invested well, logically, or in a way that makes YOU money in the end. take an hour, learn what's up, and save yourself time, money, and frustration later on

but either way, congrats. good jobs are great

 

Go to college.

Not many people think "When I grow up, I want to work at a factory"

RS isn't going to be around forever, so don't rely on that for income forever.

Go pursue something you love, while using Kodak to fund your interests.

Good luck

 

Lol. Don't get too carried away 30k/year is minimum. If you want to get more at that age, try an IT company and be a developer. If you're really good at it they'll hire you even if you haven't finished school. At 18 working at an IT company being a developer, could net you at least 50k/year upwards to 100k/year.

 

I mean, it's ok. I guess in terms of the US this quite alright, here in NZ or Australia it's kind of pathetic and what the lower-income/decile workers might do. I say that because it is mandatory for businesses to offer superannuation, holiday pay, sick pay and so on at nil cost to the employee. I'd recommend going to university and studying something you truly desire to do for the rest of your life.

Kodak was recently bankrupt but they rebranded their whole company and now focus, instead of cameras, on printers? I learnt this through one of my courses, correct me if I'm wrong!

 

What you learned is right, Kodak is now into printers & recently came out of bankruptcy.

 

There's a difference between working for a F500 company and doing work with one. Comcast is a Fortune 500 company. If you were to land a job there as a man who sets up satellite dishes it's basically the same thing. Nothing too impressive about this. And I'm not saying that to bring you down, I'm basically telling you that this is literally what a lower class high school graduate makes on average and it's nothing to strive for. Now I can understand while you're young and optimistic this might seem favorable, but do you understand what being a factory worker for the rest of your life means for the rest of your life?

Go to college for 4 more years and make a killing. Here at my university, average salary for a first year out biology major with just a bachelors in undergraduate (meaning only four years of study) is $80,000 and mid-career salary is approximately $125-$135,000 a year. These all come with the same benefits.

Since it's already mid year I'm assuming you didn't go to college this year. It's a terrible mistake, my man. Your post just oozes naïveté and miscalculations. Don't settle for the first because you're settling for the worst.