1 November << 2001 >> 13 November
So, last week, I figured I'd score a part-time job. Waiter! They make decent money, and have challenging, people-centered work. I'd like to have a customer service position that was challenging, but alas, restaurants want to hire experienced servers.
But The Pizza Place is hiring everyone. No experience necessary. Hrmmm, it seems a little dubious that they have so many positions open, but let us try something new.
I drop by, and fill out the form. I sit down with this big, Latino manager guy, Jefe, who has this sort of uncomfortable expression as he looks over my application. "What job do you want to do?"
"I think I'd like to try a server position."
"When can you work?"
"Any time. My schedule is wide open."
The Patron went on to explain that they can train me over five consecutive days, and at that point, if I pass the two written tests, not only can I earn the minimum wage, but my tips as well.
"What's the minimum wage?"
"$6.50."
It has been a while since I earned $4.50 as a Service Clerk at Jewel. That was twenty five cents over minimum wage, but no tips.
The Pizza Place, it turns out, has pretty good pizza. It is Chicago style in that it is a deep dish crust, but they have specials like the vegetarian Sears Tower, with zucchini on top.
Anyways, I've learned all sorts of stuff over my five days. A lot of that is how-to-be-a-waiter type stuff, like how to take an order, abbreviate it, enter it in to the computer, pass it to the kitchen, bring out drinks, and clean the place up. Some of it is about social hierarchy, in that the servers probably get the best pay, and they speak English, and also pick up some Spanish to talk to the bussing staff and the dish washer.
Some of it is labor relations. It was suggested to me that employers like this in California treat their staff like shit and expect it to fly. Today, I had a conversation with Jefe that went something like this:
"So, in the schedule, when do I tell you when I can work?"
"Oh, I just follow what you put on your application."
"Okay, but I have job interviews, and meetings, and this camping trip ..."
"Well, you said you could work any time. That's why I hired you."
We proceeded to work out this understanding that he might elect to try to accomodate my schedule, given two weeks forewarning, but clearly if I wanted to, say, go camping this Saturday, that that was right out, because I told him I could work any time, and he needs people to work when he needs people to work.
Part of my goal in taking this job was so that I'd spend my time doing something. Part of it was to try something interesting and challenging. Part of it was to see if maybe I could make enough dough to pay rent without a professional job. Well, the work is certainly interesting, the co-workers are pretty cool. The monetary reward, judging from what my trainers tell me, would be sufficient to get by on out here.
But I've still got three months unemployment, and if I can't go camping or schedule a job interview and make a meeting and otherwise work five or six days a week besides, because the manager and I have different expectations, then maybe I need to cut my losses sooner than later.
Another part of the discussion had to do with Christmas. I've already paid for non-refundable airplane tickets to be in Chicago from the 19th to the 26th. I could get to work at 5PM on the 26th, but Jefe says there are people who have worked here for years, and requested Christmas in January, and that if he can't get me Christmas and I have to resign, which means that he loses me as an employee for perhaps the next six months, well, "I didn't train you for five days just so you could work one month."
Well, tomorrow I get to pass the exam, which entails knowing what goes in to different salads and what not. On Tuesday, we work out the schedule. Rather, I suppose Jefe dictates the schedule. I have a feeling that on Tuesday, I will likely resign.
But first, to research my unemployment benefits. I don't want to start earning more than unemployment pays, and then lose my eligilibility to collect unemployment ...
1 November
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2001
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13 November
/journal
dannyman.toldme