Today I met with Arnie at Dean & DeLuca. He said he owns a real estate company and the receptionist got pregnant and is leaving, and that because it's so slow they only need to replace her part time so he asked if I want to do that.
It pays more than hostessing but it's fewer hours, plus what happens when they are busier and need someone full time? Plus I'd need to wear really nice clothes. Plus how would I do school? But he did say he'd need me to work on Saturdays and that there'd be lots of down time to study. Shit I don't knowwwww. Of course Craig canceled this week's shrinking because he's on vacation.
5 comments:
Hey....more decisions....it pays more than hostessing....fewer hours....so figure out, even if fewer hours will it bring in more money? Will you make more money working the receptionist job? If so, will he work around your school schedule? Ask him about the question if it gets busier what happens since your in school. If you get could answers for all of the above, GO FOR IT. Even with having to get some nicer clothes. The experience could help you in the future. Good luck.
If it really is slow, ask if you could bring your school books to read/study while you're at the reception desk. (I used to do this when I was a receptionist in school).
Good luck with whichever decision you make!
ditto the above comments, and good luck on the decision...certainly he knows you're a student and will have that as a priority, is he familiar with your family situation and responsibilities as well?
You need to ask him all of the details of the job that you are questioning. They are fair questions - ones that anyone would ask if they were considering a job. If he doesn't answer your questions adequately, then you shouldn't jump into it. You certainly don't want to end up without a job because you quit one and another one doesn't work out!
And if it's fewer hours, could you also work occasionally at the hostessing job besides until it picked up?
I think the biggest question is which job will work around your school schedule the best.
You ought to pose your questions to your potential employer.
There's no need to feel awkward asking; asking makes you responsible, not needy.
Maybe start by saying that you are grateful for the offer of the job and are seriously considering it, but that you have a few questions you'd like to address when he has a few moments, to help determine whether it would be a workable match so as to avoid letting him down.
As for the clothing, you may have to be a bit office-dressy, but probably whatever you wore to the seder where you met him would be fine. For instance, you could wear the same plain, dark or neutral skirt every day without a problem as long as you switched off between two or three tops, assuming everything is kept clean and crisp, not dirty or worn. As a teenager, funky shoes in good condition might be fine as long as the rest is plain and dressy enough. If you have to buy something new out of your savings, allow yourself to do so, considering it an investment.
Real estate agents have connections. This might be a very good thing for your future. And quiet downtime to study is good.
You could still keep a shift or two at the diner, for the security and the free food. But less of the constant stepping outside in the winter would be nice. Still, it would be a good idea to hold onto the diner job.
Wouldn't you need to keep the diner job anyway, if this job will be only part-time and you expect to work full-time during the summer? If you want and are able, this way you could work even a bit more than full time over the summer.
Also to consider will be location. Will it be easier to travel between your new home and your new school and work if work is mostly at the diner or at the real estate office?
Fewer hours is good, leaving more time for other responsibilities, unless you mean that even with the increased pay per hour, it is so many fewer hours that you wouldn't bring home as much money per week. Though, if that's the case, and you can work some or all of the difference in hours at the diner, you could still end up ahead with the same or fewer hours.
Also consider how your schedule might change in college, what hours you'll be able to work that you previously couldn't, and what hours you'll need to or want to now leave free.
I'm not sure what exactly you meant by how would you do school, since presumably you'd be working at some job part-time while attending college. Working at the diner gives you a wider range of choices for shifts than an office job would, but that may or may not end up mattering. His needing you to work on Saturdays is good, right? It does sound like he understands studies to be a priority, with his mentioning of the ability to study during down times.
A good work-study employer instructs the student-employee to bring schoolwork along and attend to it at times during the scheduled shifts when the employer has no tasks for the student-employee, and it sounds like this man is of a similar mindset.
Or, oh, hmm, is this just for the summer? He asked you at the seder what you were doing for the summer, right? Is the receptionist only going on a short-term maternity leave? Is he looking to you to replace her part-time during a slow season and then have her come back or hire someone new full-time once the slow season is over? Then again, he mentions time to study, and you wonder about how it will work with school, so, is he not talking about the school year too?
Yeah, you might want to clarify whether this is for the summer or what. Actually, if it is for the summer, that makes things easier, because you would have your days totally free to take this job part-time and continue to work at the diner the rest of the time. Well, that is true even if it is not just for the summer but as long as it doesn't begin in earnest until after school ends. He might have you work a few hours with the current receptionist to train before you start with your full schedule of hours with him.
So, sounds like your questions are:
o What start-date does he have in mind? Also clarify number of hours per week, if that's wasn't made clear already, and nail down more about timing of shifts or discuss how that would be determined.
o For how long does he envision your filling the position? This could be a good way to clear up the summer/school year confusion but also to answer your question of what happens when things get busier and someone full-time might be needed.
o What type of dress code is followed at the office? Basically, you want to find out what type of office-wear would be required for this position, whether clothing that you already have would be appropriate office-wear.
He sounds like a good guy. It's great that you called him and met with him.
Isn't it a good feeling that you impressed someone so much upon meeting him that he wants you to work for him?
Post a Comment