GENERAL: If you are able and willing to give up your entire life, family, relationships and happiness for work, then by all means this is the job for you. College grads, think LONG and hard about if this is a type role you want to pursue. Be prepared to work 24/7 and all holidays, no exception. Be prepared to have your phone ring at all hours of the night and early morning, only to have to arrange (half asleep) someone to run a down route starting at 5am the same day. If you can't find someone at 3am to run it, guess what honey, I hope your kneepads are washed and ready!
TRAINING: Training for district managers is exactly how training is for the reps you manage. Be prepared to get your Department of Transportation certification, and you'll be hopping on that box truck in no time to run a route for a bare minimum of 10 weeks, sometimes much more. You will be in the farmlands, the urban city, or potentially the worst neighborhoods in your area. Remember, chips are everywhere. Young women will be thrown into dangerous situations alone on the route and expected to handle it and go back the next day. Many DSL trainees do not make it past route training.
WORK LOAD: Work load and hours are at times unrealistic for even your team to complete. You are convinced you will be in more of a managerial style role, only to find yourself throwing chips and on the route yourself 3-4 days a week. This is necessary to get the job done because plans for the RSR's are unreasonable and there are not enough hours in the day for one person to complete the work. RSR's will never hesitate to call you at every hour of the day for help, even if its 5pm on a Friday. If you want buy in from your team, expect to haul a** to your district to go help out. If you don't, well, be prepared for your team to retaliate in any way they can against you.
GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES: Please know that management plans and sets a path for you. If you have specific career aspirations, know that your path is predetermined and you will rarely see that department.
If you've gotten this far, you might believe, " I still think I can do this job". Please, PLEASE college graduates, take your talents elsewhere! Do not get sucked in by the pay, opportunity for bonuses, etc. They must pay you well because the work consumes your entire life. IT IS NOT WORTH IT (and I like money). Know that there is more to life than this!
