Every job I've ever had: part 6.
As evidenced by my earlier posts, there’s nothing brief about my career history. Except for five years at the Arts Center, I jumped around a lot. Maybe that’s because I’m a “millennial” but at this point in my journey that wasn’t even a thing yet. No one cared. Some people still don’t. Alas, I digress. We’re finally moving away from my formative years and into adulthood. Well, sort of. Three more jobs to go before I move out of New Brunswick, and away from Rutgers.
Job #9 - Barista, perhaps?
Age at time of employment: 21
Qualifications: A friend worked there.
Employer: A coffee shop I can’t remember the name of.
Application process: In person.
Onboarding: None.
Training: On site.
Pay rate: Hourly wage plus some paltry college student tips.
Look, I love coffee but can’t be bothered with fancy nonsense. That said, I was a reluctant barista with an alcoholic, verbally abusive boss. The shop didn’t have firm hours, and we were responsible for closing up alone, something I wasn’t super down with as the town emptied out in the summer and crime spiked. My boss would say he stopped by and that I had closed early, when I hadn’t. He would say he called and I didn’t pick up the phone when it never rang. Lots of unnecessary drama and more than once I got in trouble for having a friend hang out with me as I locked up and walked home. This job bridged a gap, and that’s about it.
Job #10 - Marketing “Apprentice”
Age at time of employment: 21
Qualifications: Applied, interviewed and got hired.
Employer: George Street Playhouse.
Application process: Email.
Onboarding: In person.
Training: In person.
Pay rate: $250 every two weeks for 80 hours of work.
I should probably explain that my post-college plan involved AmeriCorps*NCCC. And I was all set to go when I received a letter from the program explaining that members would be serving in New Orleans instead of our original assignments. Hurricane Katrina hit the year before I graduated and help was need to rebuild. With my extreme dust and mold allergies, I decided to pursue a different option.
Enter the George Street Playhouse and their marketing “apprenticeship.” Without getting too into it, I was working full-time, making $125 a week and then heading to the coffee shop at night. It was a nine-month deal, and I thought I could hack it, just not at that pay rate. (Not to mention what they were reporting it to be). So, one night after working like 14 hours straight and breaking a few toes on my bike ride home, I decided the stage wasn’t for me. I lasted maybe 3 months, though I did get to meet David Hyde Pierce one night.
Job #11 - AmeriCorps*VISTA
Age at time of employment: 21-22
Qualifications: Probably willingness.
Employer: Greater Brunswick Charter School
Application process: Online application and in-person interview.
Onboarding: In person.
Training: A few days in Delaware.
Pay rate: Poverty line.
As my foot healed and my theater career ended, I went back to that original plan, looking for an in-state AmeriCorps role with the VISTA program. This led me to the Greater Brunswick Charter School where I helped with the school website and newsletter. Not exactly a fit either since the school thought they were getting someone to do direct service, while VISTA is explicitly in-direct. Sorry, no fundraising calls for this kid. By now, I knew I had stayed way too long at the RU party and needed to get the hell out of town and go to grad school. Time to leave the nest.
Image via Wikipedia.
