Hilarious Tina Fey gifs aside, I believe it's fair to say that sometimes some people don't appreciate having a job. I tweeted about people whinging about their jobs when there are millions of people across the UK who are desperately clawing for some sort of income; this tweet provided lots of amusement for my work pal Claudia who encouraged me to eat my words every time some form of complaint slipped out of my mouth at work that day!
However!- never underestimate the power of having a loaded CV. I was fortunate enough at the age of 16 to take my first step onto the career ladder by tagging along with my Aunty to her workplace that was the local mill. That made badges, and ties. I worked 8am - 4pm every (week) day for the whole summer as all of my friends had the time of their lives and I hated it. But this was the first real experience that I could use to my advantage to secure me future part time jobs in retail; which is beneficial for obvious reasons e.g. gettin' money (AND experience!).
However!- never underestimate the power of having a loaded CV. I was fortunate enough at the age of 16 to take my first step onto the career ladder by tagging along with my Aunty to her workplace that was the local mill. That made badges, and ties. I worked 8am - 4pm every (week) day for the whole summer as all of my friends had the time of their lives and I hated it. But this was the first real experience that I could use to my advantage to secure me future part time jobs in retail; which is beneficial for obvious reasons e.g. gettin' money (AND experience!).
It's a modern day paradox that you can't get a job without experience - but you can't get experience without the job. If you're still at school, are a student or are simply just trying to get your shit together and are working part-time for a lil dollar dollar, then bravo. Balancing a part time job with life doesn't really get the recognition that I think it deserves, as it can be tough. So here are a few tips that I've thought up concerning the Life of Werk (listen to Iggy for inspo as you read).
DO be grateful
According to my research, there are almost 2 million unemployed people in the UK at the time of writing this post - but these statistics don't take into account those who still may need the security of a job i.e. students, minors who live without the luxury of money from their parents or 'employees' on Zero Hour Contracts (something I'm passionately against). People who belong to these and similar categories may have money, but not much of it. Show a lil gratitude, it'll probably give you that PMA that helps you through your shift!
DON'T let it completely distract you from all other aspects of your life
As I've had a little job on the side for most of my time as a student, this is something that I could probably take on board a little myself.
It's alright to have other priorities alongside your job - providing that you were honest in the recruitment stages, you were probably hired with the understanding that you study/have children etc.. Be reasonable with the amount of time you are devoting to your work. For example if you're studying to become a Medic, but are spending all of your time working in a bakery: it's helping you with money in the short term but is stumping your long term potential. Weird and unlikely scenario, I know, but you get the jist.
According to my research, there are almost 2 million unemployed people in the UK at the time of writing this post - but these statistics don't take into account those who still may need the security of a job i.e. students, minors who live without the luxury of money from their parents or 'employees' on Zero Hour Contracts (something I'm passionately against). People who belong to these and similar categories may have money, but not much of it. Show a lil gratitude, it'll probably give you that PMA that helps you through your shift!
DON'T let it completely distract you from all other aspects of your life
As I've had a little job on the side for most of my time as a student, this is something that I could probably take on board a little myself.
It's alright to have other priorities alongside your job - providing that you were honest in the recruitment stages, you were probably hired with the understanding that you study/have children etc.. Be reasonable with the amount of time you are devoting to your work. For example if you're studying to become a Medic, but are spending all of your time working in a bakery: it's helping you with money in the short term but is stumping your long term potential. Weird and unlikely scenario, I know, but you get the jist.
DO use it to your advantage As soon as you've got your foot in the door, you can use this valuable experience on your CV or on social medias such as LinkedIn. You can spin most jobs to your advantage: whether it be in retail, working alongside children, hospitality and all the likes. Employers will appreciate any "people skills" or your ability to handle "difficult situations" that you can provide evidence for, and it's relatively easy to manipulate these qualities (in a good way!) to help you stand out as a worthy candidate for a job you want to have for life. It's important to squeeze anything and everything that you can out of your job whilst you work alongside that establishment. If any opportunities come up that you feel could be beneficial to you - like, I dunno, conferences/training days - then snap them up! You may as well and you never know when things like that could crop up in conversation. (Psst, you will also appear dedicated!) DON'T disrespect the people who have created careers around what you consider pocket money You don't want to work in a shop for the rest of your life, we get it. But for some people this is right up their street and they should be the ones laughing at you - with some managers of retail brands laughing all the way to the bank whilst you remain clueless to what you want to do in life. I'm not saying that admiration is a bad thing at all - but what is someone else's calling might be your worst nightmare, and vice versa. Just remember to take the job seriously inside office hours, etc. | DO remember it's a job (with contractual agreements) Businesses will probably have expectations of how you should conduct yourself at work. If you're late: you owe that time. You probably shouldn't say what's on your mind to the customer that is spitting with rage in your face. As long as your employers are being fair, you shouldn't realllly complain. You might be a 17 year old working only four hours a week, but for those four hours you represent that business and should save tantrums until you're locked in your bedroom. They're not doing you a favour by having you there and, again, if you're sane you'll have the occasional thought of gratitude that you are lucky enough to have an income (even if it is minimum wage...). DON'T be afraid to enjoy it Although I've been harping on about professionalism and showing gratitude throughout this whole post - you don't have to be a wet blanket about it. Don't be afraid to laugh throughout your shifts, to make friends that you feel comfortable seeing outside of the workplace and to take advantage of any perks of the job such as discounts available. Even if it's not your be-all-and-end-all career, you can still rollllll with it and have some fun! Your bosses might think you're mad as a box of frogs once they get to know the real you, but live a little. |
I'm really fortunate to be in the position of having a part-time job that I adore (although, I rarely admit it because I'm too much of a whingebag). It took me a while to find my feet amongst all the beautiful and wild ladies that I work with, but now I've found friends for life, have fuelled my passion4fashion BEYOND belief and have found another reason to stay in Sheffield for another year...
What tips would you give to part-time or full-time workers?
What tips would you give to part-time or full-time workers?