Huzzah! Employment!

[tarmachan]

So it's only a part time, three nights a week at most deal, but I got a job! Yay, sweet money!

It's basically waitressing at this fairly posh pub-that-is-pretty-much-a-restaurant in my town, doing the usual stuff only the dishes are stuff like venison meatballs, rabbit and pheasant. O.o

Though I must admit, my boss seems pretty nice and I didn't have a single horrible customer on my (nerve-wracking) first night, which was also a trial to see if I'd get the job. I did feel a little teary-eyed when I made mistakes, but I am very self-critical at times.

I may have to get a day job, however, just to make more money, and also to rid myself of the creeping boredom coming from suddenly not being at uni this year and running out of things to do. It's not procrastination if there's no work to be done! Although I am going to be applying for PhDs soon, so that'll be something exciting to procrastinate from! XD

At least with this it means I don't have to stress as much about finding a job, and I can concentrate more on making myself sound good enough to get a PhD (ah, why do I have so little research experience?), and I can also start saving up to go back to the USA (finally!) which was my real reason for looking for a job for this year in the first place.

Yay! Employment! It's been a while, so it's nice to get back into the bustle of work. :D

Comments

[zelinxia.livejournal.com]

That's awesome! I'm glad to hear about that and hope that going through the in-and-outs of waitressing doesn't emotionally wear you out.

Ooh, applying for Ph.D is very ambitious. I have to consider which grad schools to apply to soon since I'm in my third year of college/uni, so I wish you the best on that too. :D

[tarmachan.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'm hoping I don't get too stressed!

Yeah the only thing I'm worried about is my minimal research experience, but I'm hoping the fact that I did a year abroad will give me something different to talk about. If I don't get a PhD, I'm really not sure what I'm going to do! You're from the US, right, so your third year is your penultimate year? What are you studying? Best of luck with your degree! :D

[zelinxia.livejournal.com]

Interviews stress me out like no one's business, but still, I know that when it comes to application for jobs/schools/etc., it is beneficial to expound on anything you could think of. So definitely if you have any positive experiences, be what they are, from studying abroad, go for it and talk about it. And if anything, you could always reapply for Ph.D programs or look for more research experiences in the meanwhile. Do professors at your uni offer research assistant positions?

Yup, it's my penultimate year, and I should be able to graduate in the standard four years, even though absurd budget cuts and other things are effecting the chances of getting into classes I need. I'm studying psychology, with a minor in sociology. I'm really interested in social psychology - hence the minor - and I would like to get involved somehow in the mental health community that doesn't have to deal with clinical/therapy.

[tarmachan.livejournal.com]

Yeah I suppose getting in for next year isn't the be all and end all- yeah I knew a girl last year who got a job as a lab tech for a couple of years, and she just got into a PhD position at a different uni, so there's hope! I wouldn't mind doing grunt work in a lab for a while, and it would get me tonnes of experience.

That sounds really interesting! Psych was my second choice to do at uni, but I ended up going for biology because I got slightly better grades. It actually shocked me a little that there was such competition for places in classes when I was in the US- I've never had a problem with full classes over here. Thankfully I was lucky enough to get into the classes I wanted to do, so it wasn't too much of a problem. It's nice you've got a goal in sight- keep at it, and good luck! :D

[fieldofclover.livejournal.com]

Yay! You've got a job! And a relatively fancy waitressing one at that! Best of luck with it, my dear :D

And hey, all that free time is perfect for writing fanfiction! *cough cough totally not a nudge in your direction*

[tarmachan.livejournal.com]

Thanks Chlo! :D

Yeah, I think I have more free time right now to write, because the unis I'm interested in haven't put up their PhDs yet. I'm working on my remix fic at the mo, and when that's done I feel like I'll have time to write some more stuff *is not used to writing fics to a deadline*

I'm mega excited for the restart of Legal Drug in November, so it might not be Kurofai that pops out of my brain next, though!

[fieldofclover.livejournal.com]

:DDDDD

I'm hoping to get a stack of writing done once my exams are over; I still have to write the next chapter of EB else my readers lynch me for leaving them overhanging a cliff for months on end but my next immediate plans are for the pokecrack and the fic I said I'd write for Faren over in my timestamp :D I've done my remix, so I'll probably post that closer to friday (I'll be busy over the weekend so I won't be online to check the shiny new fics) but I am so excited to see the results of the challenge!

Best of luck with whatever you write (though I must admit I'm hoping for some kurofai XD)

[tarmachan.livejournal.com]

Ah, the pokecrack! Can't wait for more adventures of ducky shorts and Kuro-scary, especially if we soon stumble across a wild FAI XDDDDDD

Thanks! I'll try my best! My new obsession at the moment is UraBoku, which despite not being written by CLAMP has so many implied couples, so I'd like to try writing for that (though kurofai will inevitably drag me back into the Tsubasa fandom as soon as I try something different XD)

[kittenkin]

Congratulations~ ^^ A nice boss goes a long way, and the setting sounds nice. It sounds like a fancy restaurant, so hopefully the tips are good too!

There are jobs that are actually great for students (which you will be again eventually, sounds like) though I don't know how scarce they might be. For instance one of my acquaintances said that they took a night shift reception job at a hospital. The quietness of their duties allowed them to basically do about 1 hour of real work while on the clock and the rest of their time was spent doing homework at their desk. If you're looking for another job, perhaps you can find one that will work for you, so to speak~ ^^

[tarmachan.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'm hoping the tips are pretty good as well- one of the girls working there said she made about £70 in tips last month! I'm just scared about screwing up and having people shout at me- I tend to burst into tears when people do that XDDD

Yeah I'm off uni for a year then hopefully doing a PhD, which, fingers crossed, should be a paid research position. Then I probs won't have to get a job, which I think is good because doctoral students are supposed to be stressed with their project all the time. But that's a really good idea! Thanks! (^^)

[kittenkin]

Aw! ;-; I hope you don't have many shouting customers then. Hopefully since it's a more posh sort of place the caliber of customers will be higher than if you waitressed at a greasy, run-down diner.

Good luck! ^^

[tarmachan.livejournal.com]

I'm more worried about my scary head-waitress-type overlord than the customers- she seems nice, but also strict. All the customers I've had so far are nice or just ignorant (which I can deal with by making mocking faces when they're not looking lololol)

I don't think we even have diners round here, in quiet small-town England, but our equivalent greasy cafes are pretty much the same *has lived in the US*

But thanks! I will tuck your good luck into my apron! :D

[kittenkin]

Overlord! *ahaha* Well, I hope she turns out to be a strict but benevolent ruler; one who demands the best but also gives the best of herself and her managerial skills to her employees. ^^

Oh, you know what I noticed recently that TOTALLY impressed me? A server noticed that a customer was left-handed and when it came time to clear the table and re-set for dessert, he set the utensils down reversed for the left-handed customer. I've never seen that before and I was so impressed. It's the little things that make service special, I think. <3

*gives you a Sakura-hime charm*

[zelinxia.livejournal.com]

Apologies for interjection

Wow, that's awesome! I'm left handed so whenever I hear or read stuff about people catering to left handiness it makes me happy. <3

[kittenkin]

It was a little thing, but so thoughtful and detail oriented. <3 I love it when wait-staff are attentive.

[tarmachan.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't know whether to do that at this early stage- I might get beaten over the head with a serving plate if I put stuff on the wrong side of the table XD

But that is really attentive and thoughtful. I think my overlord is the type of lady who demands a high level of service, but who is quite nice when you're doing things to that standard. We'll see!

[kittenkin]

Beaten over the head with a serving plate! OMG. XD That's a funny but scary mental image. Certainly don't do anything to earn yourself a public flogging!

[tarmachan.livejournal.com]

Ahaha well I hope I manage not to! XD

[faren-maddox.livejournal.com]

Aw, that's awesome! Just wanted to add my congratulations! :D

Speaking as the evil overlord of a staff in customer service, I'll just say we're easy to get along with so long as you're doing it properly, and your first two weeks don't count. XDDDD

Best of luck getting into the PhD program you want! *crosses fingers*

[tarmachan.livejournal.com]

Thanks Faren! :D

Ah, so you're one of them, eh? Yeah she seems like she'll be nice if I don't make mistakes, and I'm glad the first two weeks won't count! Looking forward to getting into the swing of things, though; I'm still a little uncomfortable right now. Once I know what I'm doing, I'll be fine!

And thanks! *crosses fingers with you*