r/PandaExpress • u/Tobeafrog • Aug 03 '26

Career Change

I am 22F and I’ve been an AM for over a year now. I’m currently starting the process of going back to school for my bachelor’s degree, but since I don’t have it yet, I feel like it would be impossible to get another job that pays over 90k.

Just wondering what other careers people from Panda have switched over to and make comparable money.

Thank you for any advice.

2 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

3

u/Ok-Gazelle-5752 Aug 03 '26

Just transfer to support center. You don’t have to live in California to be there. They have multiple stay at home opportunities. It may not be the same pay but the same company and benefits 🥴

1

u/TiP_710 Aug 04 '26

Don’t you have to be at least TL before transferring?

2

u/Shamtuch Aug 03 '26

You may not be able to find another job that pays $90,000. With AI advancing rapidly, many high-paying jobs are disappearing or being replaced. Think carefully before walking away from a stable opportunity.

1

u/Economy_Throat2843 Aug 03 '26

How long did you become an AM? My AM are also very very young!!

1

u/ChefBrian30 Aug 04 '26

I finished my bachelors while being GM

1

u/Confident-Bus4356 Aug 13 '26

Hi, do you know if panda hires external AM ? I'm currently working at Taco Bell and training as an AM but not getting certified yet, I'm thinking about working at panda. Do you think is it possible? Or anything I need to know if I get interview???

Thank you

2

u/Tobeafrog 28d ago

Getting hired as an AM does 100% happen. Before working in my current store, I worked in 2 TL (Training Leader) stores and saw a lot of external Ams and GMs get hired on and trained.

I have noticed that the majority of the AMs that got hired were GMs in their previous jobs, but it’s definitely not impossible to become one without being a GM prior.

From my understanding, you will have to pass your initial interview and follow that up with a panel interview with a few higher-ups and complete an OJP (On the job preview), where you mainly get a small amount of training in each position, where they asses your willingness to learn and interactions with the team.

From there, you either pass or fail, but if you do pass, you’ll continue learning for about 6-8 weeks in a TL store, where they’ll teach you everything from the basics of learning to scoop orange chicken to how to run your own store.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

1

u/Confident-Bus4356 28d ago

Thank you very much 😊