r/phxjobs

I promise I’m much better at welcoming guests than I am at waiting for job offers. 😅 Experienced hostess here, still searching for the right opportunity. If you’re hiring or know someone who is, send me a message. I bring positive energy, professionalism, and a smile that survives even the busiest shifts.

Alright y’all, I’m 28, a felon, and I’m tired of feeling like I’m grinding in circles.

I make barely 6 figures but only because I’m doing three damn jobs — full‑time office job (~55k), part‑time restaurant (~32k), and Uber (~25k last year). I’m from a tiny town where maybe 5% of people actually made it out of college. I did get an associate’s in business, but my felony (conspiracy to distribute + financial crimes) nuked a lot of the career paths I used to have.

And before anyone says “conspiracy isn’t the same” nah — legally it hits the same as doing the crime. I can’t fix the past, I can only deal with the right‑now.

The reel that messed with my head

Yesterday I saw a video of a 21‑year‑old kid unpacking a lunch his mom made him, explaining why he still lives at home paying $400 rent while stacking money. He’s in a 4‑year electrical apprenticeship making:

• 50% first year
• 55% second
• 60% third
• 65% fourth

And after that he’s guaranteed $40+ an hour.

Bro was calm, focused, and had a clear path. And it hit me — I don’t have a clear path right now. I’m working hard as hell but not building toward anything.

My career path (the rollercoaster)

I’ve worked in a lot of industries, and honestly I’ve done well in all of them:

• 2016–2019: Medicare Program Integrity Investigator (Cigna) — traveled AZ, FL, CT, Manila
• 2020–2021: Business Retention & Compliance Strategist (AT&T)
• 2021–2025: Direct Sales & Marketing Strategy Manager (HyCite) — SLC, Tempe, Austin
• 2023–2025: Commercial Lending Development Analyst (Bluegrass Lending Group) — Louisville & Tempe
• 2023–2025: Consumer & Product Experience Developer (W.C. Bradley) — Canada hubs + AZ• Had to leave after my guilty verdict. They gave me 6 months severance which was honestly generous.

• 2023–Current: Operations Development Lead at Panda Restaurant Group• Got hired literally right after getting out of jail. Walked in, got the job. I’m grateful.
• But long‑term? Nah. Once you hit ACO level the stress is insane and work‑life balance dies.

• 2025–Current: Business Development & Market Growth for a family‑owned construction/environmental company• I’ve grown MRR by 40% in 6 months.
• But leadership is stuck in 1980. Accounting is literally a 70‑year‑old lady who’s been with the family for 30+ years.
• No clear path. No modern systems. No real growth ladder.

My constraints

I’m on probation for 4 more years. I cannot start my own business. I must have a W‑2 full‑time job. If I switch jobs, I get looked at under a microscope. Ubering is what kept me off an ankle monitor.

I network a lot in construction and environmental services. People in my field — especially women — are making 80k–120k easily. And yeah, being a guy in construction sales is a disadvantage. A lot of dudes on job sites will entertain a pretty woman selling them a bag of air before they listen to me.

So I’m stuck between:

• A job I’m good at but has no future
• A company that’s too old‑school to scale
• A felony that limits my options
• A probation officer who will question any sudden change
• And a work ethic that’s burning me out

But I’m hungry for more. I’ve always been hungry for more.

So here’s my question:

Felons who bounced back — what industry did you end up thriving in? How much are you making? What path actually worked?

I’m not scared of work. I’m not scared of starting over. I just need a direction that isn’t “grind 3 jobs forever.”

I keep thinking about that damn reel of the kid with the lunchbox and the apprenticeship. He has a path. I want one too.

Disclaimer: AI 🤖 was used to refine and gather my ideas but every expression is very much my own!!

hello i’m currently in a tight position and i need at least that much to survive and i need it ASAP. any suggestions or like a job that could pay that much? thank you!

Hello, my husband got laid off about 3 weeks ago and no luck finding a new position yet. He has about 10 yrs experience as an ops manager. Any recommendations? He worked for an herb company. Thank you

Looking for an entry-level role where I can build experience in Business Analytics! I'm especially interested in Data Analytics, Business Intelligence, Operations, Finance, Risk, or Compliance. I'm open to anything that will help me grow and get my foot in the door. I am located in Tempe so anywhere in phoenix-east valley area.

I have been unemployed for over a year so far I've been door dashing or doing amazonflex. It's been really hard for me mentally. I've submitted 300+ applications, I stopped counting. I've only had 5 interviews and 2 interviews that I made it to the final. No offers.

I graduated with my Master's in Business Analytics in December 2025, but my background was originally in healthcare with a bachelor's in Molecular and Cellular Biology (pre-med), so transitioning into analytics has been challenging without years of direct experience. My experience includes a Data Analyst internship, Area Manager at Amazon, and Electronic Data Interchange Specialist at ADP. I've been searching for about a year now, and if anyone knows of opportunities or has advice, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I just graduated college and I need a place to live but unfortunately everything is very expensive. I'm currently also looking for a job so I was thinking of working somewhere that includes housing so I can pay off my debt.

Does anyone know of any work + housing opportunities in the valley that I can apply to?? Would like to stay in the Phoenix area if possible.

Sharing an opportunity: My team has a few openings for testing roles in Phoenix (near airport). I’m an engineer on the team (not a recruiter) and figured I’d post in case anyone is looking for work in this area. The hiring department appears to be having issues finding good technical candidates and I'm trying to broaden the search pool. I can answer questions about what the job is really like.

If you have basic experience with Linux and PC hardware and exposure to testing or lab work(electronics) feel free to send me your resume. I can point you to the official application link and give context about the role since I’m on the team.

Hello!

I live in downtown PHX and have been looking for some companies and different job postings to apply for. I live in the area and would like to work here as well. I've found it to be difficult to locate what companies are hiring here. The job postings are very limited and unfortunately I've been ghosted by several, not even a yes or no haha. I've tried looking companies up directly as well to navigate their careers page or contact their hiring managers, but its difficult to find them in the area. I would appreciate any job postings or even commenting what companies are in the area that I may have missed. I have 4 years total of office experience in front desk, administrative roles, customer service, and business operations. 2 of those years are in the legal field, I'd be open to continuing working in law, business, or administrative roles.

Companies I've found in Downtown: Gust Rosenfeld, Snell & Willmer, Womble Bond Dickinson, Upgrade