“Work Study” - Las Vegas Style

Posted on March 11, 2008
Filed Under Diversity, Education, Gen Y, Companies That "Get It", War for Talent |

We always hear about the stories of teachers moving to Las Vegas and becoming cocktail waitresses or strippers. As much as we do not want to acknowledge this fact, it is true. I know several teachers who still work in the casino and make more money ‘cock-tailing’ than they would teaching. However, this is not the norm.

There are other stories like those recently published in the Las Vegas Sun about students who work on the Las Vegas Strip in order to pay for their education. And the reality is, they graduate from college with less debt than the traditional college student and have ‘real life work experience’ to boot!! Heck - my wife put herself through UNLV law school while ‘cock-tailing’ at Mandalay Bay. Today, she has been practicing for 4+ years and doesn’t regret how she paid for law school.

We need to accept that life in Las Vegas is different. And we need to collaborate more as a community to leverage our differences.

Las Vegas provides a great opportunity for a younger demographic to earn an exceptional living while putting themselves through school. As human resource professionals, we need to accept that and reinforce the fact that they will not be able to cocktail, valet, tend bar (or dance) the rest of their lives, and that education is important. When they are ready and able to make the transition, they will.