Earlier this afternoon, I found out that I got the job for which I applied a few weeks ago. Starting at the end of next week, I will be working in one of my college’s on campus dining halls. I got my first choice of dining halls (which was based entirely on it having the best food.)
I just got an email with a letter of welcome and a schedule for orientation next Thursday. Here are a few highlights I felt compelled to share.
Why am I not expecting too much of the “fun” they’re claiming I’ll have?
Every retail/food place that pimps its own openings seems to hype everything as though it isn’t merely a job, it’s a party you get paid for! Our local Tim Hortons has large LCD monitors behind the counter (as do most branches) on which they advertise various foods, deals of the day, what donut is fresh from the kitchen, etc. Lately they’ve also run a short bit on the “benefits” of working there:
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“Cool uniforms you can wear to work!” Light brown cloth banker’s visor with hair net, light brown button-down shirt with logo, dark brown tie, light brown pants? Like every other uniform in history, it falls a bit short of haute couture – though it probably goes well with a nice burqa. Not that I have anything against earth tones, but the words used to describe outfits comprised of them rarely contain “cool” unless they’re extolling its ventilation. Plus, it’s just hyperbole to cover the fact that you’re expected to wear them to work so you don’t have to change there.
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“Fun, fast-paced work environment!” I go there daily, and the only way I can make that sentence work is if “fun” is enclosed in quotes. I’ll grant them the fast-paced work environment. As seems to be the trend in fast food joints, head office gives awards to stores that meet or exceed turnaround times. As such, your order will be fast. No guarantees are given as to its quality or presentation except in that you’ll get exactly what they can slap together in five seconds or less.
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“Health benefits!” For full time employees. Part time employees are expected to take up the loss of a finger with the Iced Capp machine that won’t give it back.
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“Flexible hours!” …because you’re expected to bend over backwards for customers all day.
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“You’ll love being on the other side of the counter!” As what? A health inspector? There are a lot of flies who love being on the other side of the counter. Maybe you’re expected to take your cue from them.
Not that I dislike Tim Horton’s, I’ve just been there way, way too often not to see how they’ve just become the same corporate money machine every other fast food joint becomes eventually – almost always at the expense of quality.
Crap. Didn’t mean to proselytize there. Just sorta spilled out. I have to laugh at the way they make the job sound like something you can brag to your friends about though.
It probably won’t be as “fun” as they say, but it doesn’t have to be bad either. I worked in my college’s dining hall for 2 1/2 years, but I know people who worked there for less than a month. It all depends on your attitude going in.
In our cafeteria, you never worked in one position for all your shifts, you got rotated around. You quickly learn which jobs you like, and which are boring as hell. I would hope that yours would do the same thing.
In my experience, the kitchen was the best place to work, the people were the nicest, and the job was always changing. The worst was the dining room, just walk around wiping off tables.
There are lots of different jobs in a dining hall, if the one you end up with sucks, ask to try a different one, eventually you will find one that you like, it may not be as fun as they make it out, but it can be 