I need advice, guys!
Apr. 26th, 2010 07:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bebootsHello, friends list people! You're all quite smart (or so it appears to me) and I need some outsiders opinions to help me figure out what I'm doing this summer. (People who know me in real life can answer, too - I need to be convinced one way or the other.)
Maybe I just need to write down everything, pro-con, so I can figure out what I'm doing.
So last week I had no job, now I have too many to choose from...
Research Assistant Job with Professor Muir
-Job requirements: research the background info for a class on the 1867 confederation and the 1982 Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
-Starting=who knows? But soon.
-Pro: They WILL work around my three week vacation.
-Pro: I'd be utilizing some of the research skillz I've been honing all year. I'd be working with a prof that I respect and find funny. I'd be doing the research for a class that sounds super-cool. I'd be paid, essentially, to do a more in-depth version of something that I pay the school to do during the rest of the year.
-Con: If I refuse the job, I might screw over a professor I really like. I have no clue if they have any other candidates... I think that they MUST, or they'd have gotten back to me by now...?
-Pro: it comes with the POSSIBILITY of a paid trip to Ottawa or even Quebec City to do archival research there (what I do for the other like 16 hours a day is up to me - essentially, paid vacation time). BUT it's not a sure thing - part of my job is to see what literature is out there, and if it's even worth it for them to send someone out East.
-Pro: Would look good on my resumé if I want to go to grad school... but I'm not sure if I will. I have no idea what I'm doing with my life, which is part of the problem. BUT it would probably look good on my resumé, especially if I apply for an internship position abroad for NEXT summer.
-Con: I'm fascinated by the 1867 stuff, but less so the 1982 stuff. Do I want to spend my summer researching a topic that I don't really like?
-Con: There's a lot of legal history stuff in there. I'm in history for the culture, the neat little tidbits, the political shenanigans... not legal stuff.
-Con: I'm kind of intimidated by the project, to be honest. I don't want to start it then find out that I'm not up to the task. D:
-Pro&Con: Pay: $17/hour (GOOD for a student). BUT it's only 8 full weeks of paid research... which could go up to November. My summer is 4 months long (AKA 16 weeks), but I'm gone for nearly four of them, so... yeah. It's good because it works around my schedule, but bad because it may not give me quite enough hours to get me through the year short of scholarships (which I'll probably get, I'm not going to lie).
-Con: Do I really want to spend my entire summer pouring over books? Don't I need a break from that? Don't my eyes need a rest? ... or do they? Can I manage it?
-Pro: flexible schedule - I can show up and do research whenever I want. This means that I have weekends (or whatever time I want) off.
-Con: I don't have a job offer yet. It may be that he's waiting until he's corrected my paper and exam to see how well I did to see if he wants to offer me the job. If that's the case, he may not like my paper - I personally felt that it was far from my best work - and it may show how much I DON'T know about legal history. So essentially, I have to wait. It could be that all of this worrying is for naught, and that they won't hire me after all.
-I may just call Prof. Muir up tomorrow afternoon, if I still don't have word, to see if I have a shot at the job or not.
-Simplest solution? He just calls me and says that they've found a student of legal history who wants the job. Then my problems would be solved, and I'd just accept... THIS job:
Antique Photo Parlour
-Job requirements: Taking portrait photos of customers in old-timey clothing.
-Start Date: this Wednesday or Thursday.
-Pro: I'd learn a lot about the history (and the practice!) of professional portrait photography, as a part of training... which may come in useful for my honour's thesis I'll write next year (I might talk about medical imaging and stuff in the American Civil War, not just medical innovations in general). It will be interesting!
-Pro: I'd get to wear a pretty dress all day! (It's provided as a part of the "uniform")
-Pro: It looks like a FUN job. The bosses are nice, and so are the two other girls I met while working there. So essentially, I'd have my summer break.
-Pro: I'd be working at the West Edmonton Mall location AND the Fort Edmonton location, so I'd keep my foot in the door in the latter. Also, I'd get the occasional change of scene, instead of being stuck in an office/the same library all day.
-Con: if I accept this job, I can't do the research assistant one (AKA I can't have the best of both worlds and do both), because it means that I wouldn't be able to go away for a week in August, their busiest season. ALSO, I can't quit early - they ding me money on my final paycheck if I quit early (AKA before the end of August), because they want to discourage employee transiency, which plagues many other workplaces. Professor Muir's class, History of Slavery, Serfdom, and Servitude, which I took last semester, ironically enough has made me wary of workers contracts like this, but... yeah. The couple who runs they place (which they've been doing for the past 30 years, are very nice, and it all seems legit. The employees I spoke with seem happy, and I like the idea of not being fired suddenly in the recession or something. So yeah, job security = good.
-Pro&Con: the pay. It's like $10.90/hour... significantly less than the $17/hour Prof. Muir's offering. I think I'm mostly hesitating because of this point (Fort Edmonton paid like $3 an hour more) - even if it were $12/hour I wouldn't hesitate... BUT on the other hand I'd get far more hours than as a research assistant, so I may make more money overall. ALSO, I could stay on after the summer is over and thus have an assured job all throughout the school year and into next summer... so I'd have more job security than as a research assistant. Essentially, I'd be employed for longer at what might be a more fun job.
Pro: $10.90 is the BASE RATE. AKA, there are bonusses, which are determined by what was sold that month last year... which was a recession. Apparently the current employees got a decent bonus last month because they sold 25% more than that month last year... and it'll only get better in the busiest season, July-August. So I might be making more money than I think that I will.
-Pro&Con: I think that I'd have more fun at this job than as a research assistant. BUT it won't do much for furthering my career, whatever that may be. It'll just be a one-off summer job for fun and profit.
-Pro: Oh, and I have the job if I want it - they offered it to me at my interview this morning. I have to give them word back tomorrow. Which is why I need advice today. BUT I have an assured job with them... which is more than what I have with the research assistant position.
I also have another job interview tomorrow morning, so we'll see what they have on offer at:
The Hotel Selkirk
-Job requirements/pay: mostly unknown. I have the job interview tomorrow morning. We'll see what they have on offer. It could be that they'll reject me outright because of THEIR short operating season, too (it matches with Fort Edmonton's), and so it will be a non-issue. There may be the possibility of better pay because of possible evening shifts. I'm being interviewed for either the housekeeping position or the front end position... I think that I'd prefer the latter, because I could be put to use.
-Pro: Depending on hours, I could theoretically work here in addition to one of the other two jobs previously mentioned.
There's also the Rutherford House, a museum and fancy restaurant on campus that needs people dressed up in old-timey clothing and acting in-character, which is a full-year position... which I could also hold down with any combination of the above. I don't know if they're hiring, though, and I haven't applied.
SO, guys, taken in all of this information... which do you think would be best for me? (I think that everything WOULD be simplest if I didn't have to choose between the research assistant position and the Antique Photo Parlour.
I'll give you an update on the situation tomorrow evening.
BUT there's a plus side to all of this - at least I won't be unemployed this summer anymore! :)
Maybe I just need to write down everything, pro-con, so I can figure out what I'm doing.
So last week I had no job, now I have too many to choose from...
Research Assistant Job with Professor Muir
-Job requirements: research the background info for a class on the 1867 confederation and the 1982 Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
-Starting=who knows? But soon.
-Pro: They WILL work around my three week vacation.
-Pro: I'd be utilizing some of the research skillz I've been honing all year. I'd be working with a prof that I respect and find funny. I'd be doing the research for a class that sounds super-cool. I'd be paid, essentially, to do a more in-depth version of something that I pay the school to do during the rest of the year.
-Con: If I refuse the job, I might screw over a professor I really like. I have no clue if they have any other candidates... I think that they MUST, or they'd have gotten back to me by now...?
-Pro: it comes with the POSSIBILITY of a paid trip to Ottawa or even Quebec City to do archival research there (what I do for the other like 16 hours a day is up to me - essentially, paid vacation time). BUT it's not a sure thing - part of my job is to see what literature is out there, and if it's even worth it for them to send someone out East.
-Pro: Would look good on my resumé if I want to go to grad school... but I'm not sure if I will. I have no idea what I'm doing with my life, which is part of the problem. BUT it would probably look good on my resumé, especially if I apply for an internship position abroad for NEXT summer.
-Con: I'm fascinated by the 1867 stuff, but less so the 1982 stuff. Do I want to spend my summer researching a topic that I don't really like?
-Con: There's a lot of legal history stuff in there. I'm in history for the culture, the neat little tidbits, the political shenanigans... not legal stuff.
-Con: I'm kind of intimidated by the project, to be honest. I don't want to start it then find out that I'm not up to the task. D:
-Pro&Con: Pay: $17/hour (GOOD for a student). BUT it's only 8 full weeks of paid research... which could go up to November. My summer is 4 months long (AKA 16 weeks), but I'm gone for nearly four of them, so... yeah. It's good because it works around my schedule, but bad because it may not give me quite enough hours to get me through the year short of scholarships (which I'll probably get, I'm not going to lie).
-Con: Do I really want to spend my entire summer pouring over books? Don't I need a break from that? Don't my eyes need a rest? ... or do they? Can I manage it?
-Pro: flexible schedule - I can show up and do research whenever I want. This means that I have weekends (or whatever time I want) off.
-Con: I don't have a job offer yet. It may be that he's waiting until he's corrected my paper and exam to see how well I did to see if he wants to offer me the job. If that's the case, he may not like my paper - I personally felt that it was far from my best work - and it may show how much I DON'T know about legal history. So essentially, I have to wait. It could be that all of this worrying is for naught, and that they won't hire me after all.
-I may just call Prof. Muir up tomorrow afternoon, if I still don't have word, to see if I have a shot at the job or not.
-Simplest solution? He just calls me and says that they've found a student of legal history who wants the job. Then my problems would be solved, and I'd just accept... THIS job:
Antique Photo Parlour
-Job requirements: Taking portrait photos of customers in old-timey clothing.
-Start Date: this Wednesday or Thursday.
-Pro: I'd learn a lot about the history (and the practice!) of professional portrait photography, as a part of training... which may come in useful for my honour's thesis I'll write next year (I might talk about medical imaging and stuff in the American Civil War, not just medical innovations in general). It will be interesting!
-Pro: I'd get to wear a pretty dress all day! (It's provided as a part of the "uniform")
-Pro: It looks like a FUN job. The bosses are nice, and so are the two other girls I met while working there. So essentially, I'd have my summer break.
-Pro: I'd be working at the West Edmonton Mall location AND the Fort Edmonton location, so I'd keep my foot in the door in the latter. Also, I'd get the occasional change of scene, instead of being stuck in an office/the same library all day.
-Con: if I accept this job, I can't do the research assistant one (AKA I can't have the best of both worlds and do both), because it means that I wouldn't be able to go away for a week in August, their busiest season. ALSO, I can't quit early - they ding me money on my final paycheck if I quit early (AKA before the end of August), because they want to discourage employee transiency, which plagues many other workplaces. Professor Muir's class, History of Slavery, Serfdom, and Servitude, which I took last semester, ironically enough has made me wary of workers contracts like this, but... yeah. The couple who runs they place (which they've been doing for the past 30 years, are very nice, and it all seems legit. The employees I spoke with seem happy, and I like the idea of not being fired suddenly in the recession or something. So yeah, job security = good.
-Pro&Con: the pay. It's like $10.90/hour... significantly less than the $17/hour Prof. Muir's offering. I think I'm mostly hesitating because of this point (Fort Edmonton paid like $3 an hour more) - even if it were $12/hour I wouldn't hesitate... BUT on the other hand I'd get far more hours than as a research assistant, so I may make more money overall. ALSO, I could stay on after the summer is over and thus have an assured job all throughout the school year and into next summer... so I'd have more job security than as a research assistant. Essentially, I'd be employed for longer at what might be a more fun job.
Pro: $10.90 is the BASE RATE. AKA, there are bonusses, which are determined by what was sold that month last year... which was a recession. Apparently the current employees got a decent bonus last month because they sold 25% more than that month last year... and it'll only get better in the busiest season, July-August. So I might be making more money than I think that I will.
-Pro&Con: I think that I'd have more fun at this job than as a research assistant. BUT it won't do much for furthering my career, whatever that may be. It'll just be a one-off summer job for fun and profit.
-Pro: Oh, and I have the job if I want it - they offered it to me at my interview this morning. I have to give them word back tomorrow. Which is why I need advice today. BUT I have an assured job with them... which is more than what I have with the research assistant position.
I also have another job interview tomorrow morning, so we'll see what they have on offer at:
The Hotel Selkirk
-Job requirements/pay: mostly unknown. I have the job interview tomorrow morning. We'll see what they have on offer. It could be that they'll reject me outright because of THEIR short operating season, too (it matches with Fort Edmonton's), and so it will be a non-issue. There may be the possibility of better pay because of possible evening shifts. I'm being interviewed for either the housekeeping position or the front end position... I think that I'd prefer the latter, because I could be put to use.
-Pro: Depending on hours, I could theoretically work here in addition to one of the other two jobs previously mentioned.
There's also the Rutherford House, a museum and fancy restaurant on campus that needs people dressed up in old-timey clothing and acting in-character, which is a full-year position... which I could also hold down with any combination of the above. I don't know if they're hiring, though, and I haven't applied.
SO, guys, taken in all of this information... which do you think would be best for me? (I think that everything WOULD be simplest if I didn't have to choose between the research assistant position and the Antique Photo Parlour.
I'll give you an update on the situation tomorrow evening.
BUT there's a plus side to all of this - at least I won't be unemployed this summer anymore! :)
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no subject
Date: 2010-04-27 02:37 am (UTC)I spent every summer during undergrad goofing off and doing fun stuff. Then I immediately had to get a full time job, you know so I could eat and have health insurance, and got my masters in library science going to night school. Now I'm looking for a job in my field, but they all want to know if I've done an internship or something similar. Which, no, I didn't. I got a real job instead. So now I can only get hired for part-time or assistant work which pays 1/2 to 1/3 of what I'm making as a human resources manager. And I can't afford that for the year or two it'd take to work my way up to a full-time position.
It doesn't completely suck for me. The local library director is kind of a dick and my current boss and most of the people I work with are great. Even if I could get the job I want, I don't know if I'd take it. But it'd be good to have the option. And my advise is that unless for some reason you think the career building choice would actively make you miserable, it's probably the best of the choices just for the options it might lead to in the future.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-27 02:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-27 03:19 am (UTC)Really, I'd just like this decision taken out of my hands - that Prof. Muir's found someone else or something. :P
no subject
Date: 2010-04-27 03:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-27 03:34 am (UTC)I dunno, I just want to have a fun summer. :P Escape "work" for a bit, learn something fun... I mean, if I were to volunteer to do one of these jobs, like, not getting paid, I'd definitely go for the Antique Photo Parlour, but then again... GAH! I'll figure it out tomorrow. :P I'll get in contact with Prof. Muir (I hope that he gets in contact with me first, because I hate pestering people), and hopefully it will all work out for the best... :P
Thanks for your input, though! It's given me something to think about.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-27 04:38 am (UTC)True, the research gig may pay more and be better for your resumé, but it may be tough to spend most of your holidays poring over books when you already do that the rest of the year.
Plus you really like taking photographs and working with costumes (an in costume), so it sounds like you're going to have much more fun that way... And if you're going to work there longer with a possibility of working throughout the year, then you're going to be making more money anyway.... and doing something that you love.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-27 06:56 am (UTC)The research position would look good on your resume, but it's also only for 8 weeks. And it sounds like you'd enjoy the Antique Photo Parlour more, nevermind that you could continue working there during the school year.
I don't know, really. Obviously, there are pros and cons to all of them - I suppose the most you can really do is wait until you hear from your professor about the research position.