Jobs: the "other" Part-Time

The part-time job is what makes being a part-time housewife full-time. I've worked a buttload of different part-time jobs in this past year. I thought I was over and done with the wonderful world of minimum wage when I landed my first job out of college, but boy was I wrong. I met a lot of cool people (Mrs. B) and learned a lot about myself through these different situations, so I definitely do not regret my time spent as the lowest scrub on the totem pole. Let's review.


PT Job #1: Barista. What do you think of when you think "Barista"? Hip? Cool? Caffeinated? For me, I thought, "Ooh, good bennies." You see, I was not officially Mrs. Chaney when I started my baristaship and I needed to pay for my baby-preventers somehow.

The good: First and foremost, I met Mrs. B. I also got all the free coffee and tea I could stomach during my 4 hour shift. My brain also got a workout as Mrs. B and I became the fastest baristas on the block making the tastiest lattes your mouth had ever experienced.

The bad: The shift started at 4:15. IN THE MORNING. That's right. I would get off work BEFORE I would normally wake up on a normal day. And since the economy decided to fall face down in the dirt, we got all the newbs (read: incompetent souls who wouldn't known an upside-down caramel macchiato if it hit them in the face) from the stores that closed. Top this off with a new manager who thought she was the queen of all the coffee beans. Spare me.

The ugly: I, on more than one occasion, spilled an entire venti cup of coffee all over Mrs. B. ALL OVER. Screw it I'm still laughing.


PT Job #2. Chocolatier. What's better than free coffee? Free CHOCOLATE! A new snooty chocolate store opened in the nearby mall so I applied. After all, I did spend a summer in Switzerland so I know what good chocolate is.

The good: I said it once, I'll say it again. FREE CHOCOLATE. All you could eat. All you could fit in your grubby little hands. All you could physically stomach. This one time, I knew the investor was coming in about a half hour, so I ate about 10 pieces of rich Belgian chocolates in about 30 seconds in the back room. Hey, even though it was free, I didn't want anyone to think I was abusing the privilage and/or that I was a little piggy.

The bad: It was a brand new franchise. We're talking brand new managers, brand new international investors, brand new everything. Never again will I work for a start-up company (I promised myself the same thing after I was appointed manager of an entire state region of one tutoring company...should have seen it coming if they trusted a college student to run their business). I would spend HOURS standing at the threshold of the door pleaded people to try a sample of "fresh Belgian chocolates flown fresh from Belgium every 2 weeks. Only I would get "Belgian" and "Belgium" mixed up so it sounded more like "Wouldya like ta try a fresh Belglah chocolate flown in fresh from Belgam every 2 weeks."

The ugly: Everyone with whom I worked with has since been fired or quit. I lasted three shifts before they switched to mandatory block schedules, all of which conflicted with availability.


PT Job #3: Toddler Teacher Aide. Whenever I tell people I work with toddlers, they recoil in obvious disgust. Even the director spent the entire interview warning us what we were up against.

The good: Well obvious, toddlers are frickin' adorable. And I get to play ALL DAY! Originally, the majority of my shift was spent supervising nap time. NAP TIME! And added bonus was the staff parking permit I would get at the college I attend. Hooray for free and close parking!

The bad: You know how the tables and floors are magically always clean when you walk into a preschool room? Yeah, there's a person that does that. And that person is ME. 2 year olds...not that neat and tidy, especially when it comes to food. There's mashed peas on the floor, milk in their hair, apple juice poured into their milky cereal...and yes milk DOES curdle when you mix it with apple juice--not pretty. Here's something else people don't realize about toddlers: they don't know how to control their drippy noses! As adults, when you feel a little liquid start to come down, you inhale it back in. Not so much for toddlers. This one time, this kid had a cheerio stuck to their face simply because of a drippy nose. Delish.

The ugly: poopy diaper smell. All day long. I win.


So the part-time job search has come full circle due to California budget cuts and the lack of flexibility in my part-time student schedule (you would think a preschool housed on a community college with primarily student employees would be more lenient when it comes to scheduling. Yeah? No.). Here I am, combing through the questionable ads on Criagslist trying to earn enough money to buy myself something pretty once in a blue moon. Here's what I been considering, and their inevitable pitfalls:

-Ross, TJMaxx, or equivalent: they'd might as well pay me in dresses because that's where my entire paycheck would go towards

-Serving tables: I'M SCARED. I've never done this before and I don't think I could handle it (I also thought the same thing about waking up in the middle of the night to barista and working with 2-year-olds)

-Target: I've applied to this stupid store at least 6 times since I was in high school and they NEVER call me back!

-After school tutoring: hey, I'd like to see the Hubz at least for an hour before bedtime

-Yogurt store: I love yogurt. Free yogurt? mmm, that sounds delicious!

I'll keep you posted.