Tucker Burtch

EN 102

Summary Essay

19 January 2021

Blue Collar Brains

When driving by buildings that are being constructed, one might think that job looks

easy, that anyone could do that. But how do the workers know what they are doing? In trades or

blue-collar careers, there is a lot more to think about than expected in many cases. As explained

in They Say I Say With Readings by Mike Rose, UCLA graduate and author of “Blue Collar

Brilliance.” Blue-collar jobs require quick thinking and use more thought than what meets the

eye; blue-collar jobs require memorization and efficiency, understanding of processes of

machines, and thinking through problems to make projects aesthetically pleasing.

Working a blue-collar job demands efficiency, attention to detail, and memorization.

When doing many blue-collar jobs, workers often do a certain task many times, causing them to

memorize the task or process, which allows them to be more efficient and complete the task at a

greater speed. Along with efficiency, workers have to continue to pay attention to details that

create quality work. In They Say I Say With Readings Mike Rose, UCLA graduate and author of

“Blue Collar Brilliance,” acknowledges that “Like anyone who is effective at physical work, my

mother learned to work smart, as she put it, to make every move count” (245). Rose’s point is

that most people who work a physical job try to limit their workload by being efficient and

completing multiple tasks at the same time. When sitting with his mother at the diner where she

waited on people, Rose watched his mother observe the room of people eating; she told him who
was finishing their plates, whose order was taking too long, and who needed a refill all while

continuing a conversation with Rose and his dad (245). Showing the attention to detail and

experience that many blue-collar workers have allows them to do many things at once while still

observing what is going on in their atmosphere or certain process.

Being efficient requires thought of how a process or machine works in order to make

improvements. All companies and individuals strive for this knowledge as they can make more

money or lower their prices, allowing them to be more competitive in the market of their

product. Rose himself writes, “Joe [Rose’s Uncle] initiated the redesign of the nozzle on a paint

sprayer, thereby eliminating costly and unhealthy overspray” ( 248). This improvement, as

explained, saved the company money in paint and then helped improve the work environment by

eliminating a possible health risk. Rose goes on to explain further how Joe quickly came off the

floor and suggested ideas to management in order to make work more efficient. For example,

they started rotating their workers so they had more of a break, which led to the increase of

productivity (Rose 249). This shows that an open-minded worker and having knowledge of the

process or machines can help improve the workplace and possibly land a higher position. It is

also vital in making the company more efficient and less taxing on the workers’ bodies while

saving them the hassle of checking the aesthetics of the product.

Blue-collar work requires a lot of thought when it comes to making material fit or look

physically pleasing. When trades’ workers go to the job site, they often access the situation and

find any possible problems. They will then remove them or plan around them to ensure once that

they start, they can focus on the job at hand. According to Rose, he noticed the amount of

reading and simple math that occurs in blue-collar jobs alone. Sometimes even just turning
around and looking at something that may cause a problem, so workers need to be able to fix it

on the spot with a glance ( 253). Rose also observed frequently, “Workers themselves often make

sketches on the job” ( 253). Rose believes that many blue-collar jobs are underestimated for the

lack of skill and thought. However, these workers need to have great hand-and-eye coordination

as well as motor skills to complete the jobs and make them look pleasing to the eye.

Blue-collar jobs are not as easy as it may appear. They require superior efficiency, rapid

thinking, knowledge of the process or machine, and a great eye for aesthetics. If a blue collar job

is of interest and these skills are in reach, look to finding a job in the many fields a trade offers.

And remember there is more to trades work than what meets the eye.
 Work Cited

Rose, Mike. "Blue Collar Brilliance." They Say I Say with Readings, by Gerald Graff et al., 2nd

ed., New York, W.W. Norton and Company, 2012, pp. 179-89.