Jobs: for the busy?

If you’re a student at West, you most likely have a job. Those of you who don’t, you’re living the life. However, this article won’t talk about the rainbows and unicorns aspect of life. It’s talking about going to school for seven hours, probably going to an after school activity, going to work for a few hours after that, and then having to pull an all-nighter to get school work done. I’m stretching it a little, but jobs can get in the way. It makes me ask the question, ‘Are jobs worth it?’

“Yeah,” said Sara Zambrano ‘22 who works at Stuff Etc., “It sets you up for the real world and you’re gonna have to face it at some point, so you might as well. It gives me a sense of responsibility and I’m gonna have to have one. And honestly, it really isn’t that bad.”

“Either I have to limit my amount of work time or choose school activities. Because by the time I get done with volleyball, I can’t go to work for an hour because they’re not going to schedule me,” Zambrano said. “And then with volleyball tournaments and homework on the weekends, it’s hard to schedule myself.”

Some jobs, like Stuff Etc., lets employees schedule themselves, so that helps employees manage their time. They don’t have to come in once during the week if their schedule doesn’t allow it.

“I get to make my schedule. So I just text them and I’m like, ‘I’m going to come work these days for three or four hours,’ and they put me on the schedule… It’s really flexible,” Zambrano said.

Although the schedule is good at Stuff Etc., there are some aspects of the jobs that aren’t as great.

“Sometimes I work downstairs and like the furniture and stuff and that’s kind of fun because you don’t have to do much,” says Zambrano, “Except for I hate closing because you’d like straighten everything and that’s just really boring. In the summer I worked closing everyday.”

However, getting a job wasn’t exactly Zambrano’s first choice.

“I didn’t really want to,” Zambrano said. “My sister’s teammate’s mom like owns it, and so I kind of got a job through them. My mom made me get the job.”

Not only was the job not her idea, the job, like most, took some warming up to. 

“I think I like working with the people there more than I like working there. It’s kind of boring, but once you get going and like doing things, it’s not bad.”

How much Zambrano is currently working isn’t quite enough for her, but can’t be changed because her schedule is too busy.

“[I want to work more] kind of just to save money and to have the ability to buy things if I want to. When I’m not working and I’m trying to put money in my savings account, that’s not working.”

A few closing tips from Zambrano, “Go into an interview confident, but not cocky, go in there like you want the job and show that you are interested. If you get the job, show up on time, do what you’re told and stay engaged with what you’re doing, and don’t call in sick, even if you have a cold. Then it shows you’re dedicated and when you are really sick, they understand you not showing up.”

Maddie Gallo ‘22 is another West student who has a summer job as a swim instructor and also has a similar view on how jobs prepare you for your future.

“[Jobs] give you real world experience that school doesn’t always give you,” says Gallo, “They also help you learn how to manage time and money.”

Instead of being forced to get a job, Gallo had more than enough reasons to work at the North Liberty Recreation Center.

“I started to work there because a lot of my friends were going there too so I was like, ‘Oh, it’ll be kind of fun.’ I also thought teaching kids would be fun, and I love working with kids and the staff, so I mean it was pretty fun. And again the pay was pretty good.” The ‘pretty good pay’ being $11 an hour.

The Rec Center has really flexible hours, but the job could get in the way of school, so a summer job was more reasonable for Gallo.

“I also had volleyball so I couldn’t really have a dependable work schedule. I probably wouldn’t have time for homework, as much, but they have really flexible hours they are you can get subs and stuff so I don’t think it would have been that bad.”

Gallo goes in two or three times a week, totaling only a couple hours.

“You do a set of lessons where you have like four lessons in a row, and that adds up to like two hours. And then you have like two or three nights a week, which isn’t bad. It goes by fast.”

The job has taught Gallo some valuable skills to help her in the future.

“My job has taught me how to be more patient and understanding by dealing with the parents and kids. It has also taught me how to manage my time better.”

A quote from Zambrano earlier in the article sums up jobs pretty accurately.

“It’s kind of boring, but once you get going and like doing things, it’s not it’s not bad.”