The concept of the USSR planned economy fascinates me. How would a young person coming out of school get a job at a place like a grocery store to begin with? Was there any free agency involved in getting a job, or was that determined by things like tests? After getting a job, how practical was it to change careers or positions? Say a grocer wanted to become a barber, or something.
When I got curious about this topic, I found this thread by /u/Minardi-Man from a few years ago very informative.