In “Try Me”, delivery boy Arpad Laszlo is pleading for a promotion. After two years of self-training in Maraczek’s Parfumerie to prepare himself for a potential new job as a clerk, Arpad is trying to convince his boss to give him a chance.
This song provides a good introduction to the value of on-the-job training, as many of the skills Arpad acquired were from working on the job. It also provides a good introduction into the potential costs of high minimum wages – as the boss would be far less likely to pay low-skilled Arpad a higher, government-imposed minimum wage. In the United States and many other countries, the push for higher minimum wages has cost lower-skilled workers entry-level jobs and with that the chance to gain the critical on-the-job training that could lead to higher-paying jobs later in life.