The Inkling Volume 2

Part Time Jobs
By Miss Boyle
From supermarket shelves and Saturday sales to
factory fun, I have had my fair share of part-time
jobs. Now, for those of you who already are or will
soon turn sixteen, it could be your turn.
My employment history began at the ripe age of
sixteen, working in Spar during the summer
holidays and at weekends throughout the school
year. In this job, I earned exactly £3.71/hr:
practically slave labour! But, at that time, it felt
great to receive a pay slip every week and know
there was some money going into my bank
account. The role I applied for was a Sales
Assistant. This required me to be a jack of all
trades… although, as it soon became clear, I was a
master of none. Perhaps this was most obvious
when the boss played a video of me serving a long
queue of customers in a full staff meeting as an
example of what not to do. Meanwhile, I sat redfaced
in the middle of the room. For 10 months, I
spent my weekends serving customers, re-filling
the freezer, mopping floors and balancing as much
bubble-gum ice-cream as possible on the top of
wafer cones for excited eight year olds. By the end
of the ten months the novelty of being a working
girl, even if it was only a few hours each weekend,
had worn off and I was relieved to escape to focus
on A Levels.
Fast forward one year and there I was, standing in
an egg factory, pining for sunny Spar. I endured
two long, joyless summer holidays packing eggs
into boxes all day every day. Not the most eggciting
job in the world! This is what happens when
you let your mum find you a summer job and forget
to make a back-up plan… two years in a row! The
best thing about working in an egg factory for two
summers was that it made me determined to find a
job which didn’t require me to wear a hairnet or
egg-splashed white boots. Thankfully, working as a
Sales Assistant in Jack Wills required neither. In
fact, it was a holiday in comparison.
The main perk of working in Jack Wills was free
clothes and staff discounts. Every season I got to
choose a brand new outfit to wear as uniform. On
top of that, I could buy other clothes at 60% off. It’s
safe to say my wardrobe (and the wardrobes of
most of my friends and family) is to this day bulging
with Jack Wills’ clothes. A typical day in Jack Wills
could involve serving customers on the till, helping
customers choose new outfits, manning the fitting
rooms and, always, folding clothes. Every item of
clothing had a specific way to folded so plastic
folding boards became my new best friends. In
retail, theft can be a big issue and, one day, I even
managed to catch a thief who was trying to steal
some sweatpants. I was the hero of the day. This
was the only job I’ve ever been sad to leave.
Having experienced a few, very different, part time
jobs, I thought I could share some useful advice to
ensure you make the most of your job.
1. GET ON WITH IT
Whether you’re surrounded by cracked eggs or
some cracking staff discounts, embrace it.
Chances are you won’t be working there forever
so work hard – it makes time go faster! It will all
be worth it when your bank balance begins to
rise.
2. EVERYONE FINDS IT TOUGH AT THE
BEGINNING
Starting a new job can be scary and strange.
You probably won’t know many people, won’t
know what you’re supposed to be doing and
won’t be used to working long hours. Don’t
worry - this is what everyone feels like when
starting a new job. But it will get better. Soon
you’ll be one of the team and find you could do
your job with your eyes closed.
3. BE ON TIME
Punctuality is really important in a job. This is
what school has been training you for all these
years, so make sure you are on time and ready
to work as soon as your shift begins. It looks
good to employers and will keep you in their
good books. The boss’ good books are a great
place to be when you need a favour.
4. MOST IMPORTANTLY, BE NICE
You’re probably going to be spending a lot of
time with your fellow employees. Make some
friends, be nice to everyone and smile. As Bert
Healey once said, ‘You’re never fully dressed
without a smile.’ These are the people you might
need to cover or swap shifts with, so it’s in your
best interest to be on good terms with them.