What Kind of Skills Can I Learn Working Recovery Jobs?

A recovery job is a position taken in early recovery to get used to working again. Often, these are positions similar to those first jobs many people had as teenagers. In my ABC Employment Path model, these are listed under “A” for Any Job, meaning someone in early recovery should take any job they can.

Even though a recovery job isn’t meant to be held for a long period of time, it is still very valuable. Besides teaching you how to work again, there are also real transferable skills to be learned that can help propel you forward to your next position.

Here are some typical recovery jobs and examples of the skills that you can develop at them:

• Fast Food/Retail/Grocery — multitasking, point of sale operation, teamwork, customer service, inventory, cash handling and payment processing, communication, problem-solving, process management

• Construction — safety, project management, teamwork, administrative skills, following detailed instructions and blueprints, and any specific skills that have to do with an aspect of construction, like carpentry and bricklaying

• Landscaping — an eye for detail, persistence, customer service, organization, time management, physical strength, endurance

• Janitorial — safety, communication, customer service, manual dexterity, following instructions, time management, ability to meet standards

When working a recovery job, focus on the skills you can learn and develop. By doing this, you will set yourself up for long-term success.