'It's honest living': Young man ain't bothered he chose dishwashing over getting a degree

Washing dishes for a living might seem too menial for most people to consider as a career.

But this young man in Singapore did not mind getting his hands dirty, even if it meant forgoing a university education.

In a video published by Our Grandfather Story on Monday (Oct 30), Cordell from Patmell Cleaning Management said that he did not mind that dishwashing isn't seen as the most glamorous career.

"This is really an honest living and I'm doing something that not many people want to do," he added.

Cordell joined the cleaning industry to help his mother Kamell Koh, who has been running the company for 25 years. 

According to their website, Patmell Cleaning Management provides cleaning services to hawker centres, coffee shops and restaurants.

With his mother getting on in years, the man said that he needed to to step in to help "alleviate the burden".

"I really respect her a lot because she is the sole breadwinner," Cordell said. "I was faced with the decision on whether I should go to university or help my mum.

"But I realised that maybe you don't need a degree to wash dishes."

Even though he is part of the family business, Cordell felt that it was important for him to learn the trade from scratch. This meant embracing the filth and even rotting food.

That way, he can find out what his workers were struggling with and make improvements to the processes. 

While on the job, it was tough bumping into people whom he knew, Cordell said, and that was due to the stereotypes that come with a career in the cleaning sector.

"They would say, 'Oh, how bad did he mess up his life to be cleaning today?' Like washing dishes or clearing the trash.

"If I were to say, 'This is my mum's company that I'm working for.' I feel that it's very snobbish," he said.

Cordell added people would also question his career choice when he's so young, quipping: "I would tell them, 'The economy is not doing well. I'd do whatever puts food on the table".

And he had no issue working alongside folks who are mostly his grandmother's age.

"It's very wholesome," he said. "They would actually buy me meals and see me as their own grandkid."

Dishwashers an 'invisible force'

In the four-minute video, Cordell talked about his admiration for his colleagues, whom he described as an "invisible force".

To the young man, dishwashers keep everyday life running while being in the background.

"I just hope that anyone sees a younger person cleaning… It's not because they messed up their lives," he said, "It was what put food on the table for my sister and I growing up".

And it appears that a young man like Cordell is a gem in the dishwashing industry.

F&B operators in Singapore often struggle to find willing candidates to do the dishes, Shin Min Daily News reported last May.

It is even harder to find locals to take up the position, according to several restaurants that spoke to the Chinese evening daily then.

One restaurant in Orchard Road shared that they only managed to find a Malaysian worker after putting up an offer of $3,500 a month - equivalent to the starting salaries for some fresh university graduates.

Another restaurant attributed the lack of talent due to the demanding nature of the job.

ALSO READ: Just buy a dishwashing machine? $3,500 monthly salary for dishwasher sparks online debate

chingshijie@asiaone.com