Background: I’m currently a college senior who’s completing an online internship this semester. I’ll be able to graduate after I’m done with it.
My Current Employment Situation: I worked for a grocery store part time during high school. I also worked in the dining hall while I attended college. Then, during a summer break, I worked two jobs: The grocery store and a restaurant where my younger brother worked at because they were shorthanded at the time. The restaurant didn’t need me anymore when I returned to college after summer break.
This past summer, my original internship was delayed due to Covid, so I started working at Chipotle because the grocery store wouldn’t give me consistent hours. However, the grocery store kept me in the system so that I wouldn’t lose my seniority. Furthermore, I took a break from college during this time and retook a class online during the fall semester of last year.
During the holiday season, the grocery store called me and asked if I can fill in a day or two on my off days from Chipotle, and I did. Then, I only worked for Chipotle after the holidays. However, I received a call from my brother’s restaurant a few weeks ago and they asked if I can fill in a day or two? Why not?
TLDR: I’m currently “in the system” at 3 separate job locations.
Is this a good problem to have? I also made the decision to look for a better paying job after I graduate, depending on Covid.
It’s “good” if you are working three minimum wage jobs to make some extra cash as a college student. Not so good if you are supporting a family and that’s the only way to make ends meet.
Of course as a part-time employee at three companies, you’re not getting benefits but I’m guessing you’re under 26 and still on your parents’ health insurance, so that may not matter. If this works for you, I see no problem. (Certainly I’m sure the employers are happy to have a reliable casual employee able to take a shift now and then.) Long term, of course, you want to go for a full-time job with benefits, preferably something that leverages your college education.
Being “in demand” at the present moment is always a good position to be in. It means you have a reliable means of income and you are in place where these employers have to be flexible with your availability and not the other way around.
On the other hand you have to look at how this situation benefits your future goals. Those would probably I’m guessing benefit more from your internship and college education.
I would focus on the education/internship and use the employment situation as a tool to support those goals.
Agreed. The only thing you’re really getting from the restaurant jobs and the grocery store job is money. That’s not a bad thing, certainly, but if Chipotle and/or the other restaurant are asking you to come in and work a shift, at the same time that you have classwork to do, and work from your internship, the latter two need to come first, because that’s the stuff that’s going to actually help you get your career underway.
So, no it isn’t good to have a grocery store and Chipotle on your mind now. I’m sure you’re an excellent and hard working employee, but those things represent the past. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in menial jobs and continue them post college for the money, social aspect and recognition. That’s why I suggest quitting and focusing on finding a job using your degree. ‘3 more months’ at a menial job can turn into waking up and finding yourself a manager there ‘just for a little while’
I don’t really see the point in quitting while looking for other jobs. I think it’s generally a good idea to have something going on in the meantime. That said, I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad suggestion, either. I wouldn’t suggest looking for menial jobs, just not dropping them all for no real reason. Plenty of people end up in menial jobs “for a few more months” but plenty of people also end up completely unemployed, broke, and desperate when they don’t land their perfect post-college career right away. Many college grads NEVER land in their preferred field and some of them post here asking for advice with stories along the lines of “I’ve been interviewing for years and can’t find any jobs.” So a guy with 3 menial jobs can probably figure out how to make it happen in his field without needing to be extreme about it, IMHO.
I don’t see any issue in juggling three jobs as long as you prioritize finishing your degree and then getting a professional job. Even if one of your joe jobs offers a “management track” or a “management position” it’s 99 times out of 100 not a “real” professional job, and will hinder you to get a professional job.
Let me say it a different way. There is nothing wrong with paying bills and supporting yourself. Spin that to show your drive and determination, and that you overcome challenges. Most hiring managers in an industry probably prefer a more stellar background but (my wag) 25% also worked deadend jobs to make ends meet and may look favorably on that experience as a stepping stone. That said, come to me with 3 years “managerial experience” and Chipotle for a professional job and 99 times out of 100 you’ll be typecast as McDonalds material and not cut out for a “real job.”
This puts it better than I could. It’s way too easy to get sucked into that lifestyle. There’s going to be a big red EASY button for you to push with all these dead end jobs that you’re juggling. You can end up working one or two of them while thinking you’ll job hunt after you graduate. It’s an easy trap to fall into and I’ve definitely seen this movie before with friends I’ve had. There will be hiring managers for professional jobs who like the bootstrap approach to college but you’ll want to take advantage of that sooner rather than later.
Most of us are 60-ish. I’d like to hear what 30-ish hiring managers think of this situation. Managers who’re used to interviewing folks fresh out of school nowadays with internships in the industry, relevant summer school, resumes full of do-gooder volunteer work, and all the rest.
The bootstraps, hustle, etc., approach that worked well back in the 1980s may be horribly passé these days. If not in all industries at least in some.
It would also be good to know what degree the OP is getting and what industry they’re going into. Investment Banking is different from Hotel Management is different from Marketing is different from Engineering. Would be worthwhile to know if the degree is from a prestige school, a generic big U, or a minor state college.
It’s a good problem to have if you’re facing starvation. But I wouldn’t consider any situation where you don’t have good prospects at a job which furthers your planned career a good situation to be in. It’s very difficult to break into the professional world if all you have are jobs at the grocery store and Chipotle. You need to get some sort of office job to be able to show you’re an office worker and not a retail manual laborer, and that usually means having some sort of connection, like with an internship through school.