Business Custodian
Description:
This job consisted of cleaning a business office twice a week. This included vacuuming, dustings, empting the trash, organizing the magazine table, watering plants, and cleaning the windows. Normally the job was done on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Since some nights I was the only one in the office I was also responsible for making sure the office was locked up at night. The supplies were provided by the business, but it was the responsibility of who every cleaned to let the owner know when supplies were getting low.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
I was actually asked to do this job by a relative when the previous girl cleaning the office was unable to clean anymore. It was also a quick and easy job that could be completed while still attending high school.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
There were two main challenges that I faced while working this job. The first was that for the first two years I did not own a car so I had to ask my mother to drive me to the office. I would have walked or rode my bike but we lived a ten minute car ride out of town. Once I got my license, this was not longer a problem. The second trial that came was once I started playing tennis every fall I frequently had tennis matches on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I would either come after my matches later that night or work something out with the owner to where I cleaned the day before or after. Either way, the job had to get done and I had to find a way to work things out.
What I learned:
I learned that something as simple as cleaning made a difference. If I didn’t clean than the office would become dirty quickly. A dirty office does not attract clients for the business. Therefore the office was dependent on me being responsible and coming when I was supposed to. Also this job taught me commitment. I cleaned this office for four years, all throughout high school. I could have easily quit, but this job provided me a few more opportunities throughout the years. Instead of depending on others, I was able to work and help support myself.
Office Cleaner
Description:
I cleaned the offices of my dad and my uncle. My dad is a dentist, and his office is relatively small. My uncle is a doctor working with many other doctors, and his office is very large. As a cleaner I had many duties such as: vacuuming, washing windows and mirrors, cleaning sinks, taking out the trash, sorting and filing papers, disposing of the hazardous waste, wiped countertops and shelfs, polished the metal of the sinks, faucets, and trimmings, mopped floors, put supplies away, cleaned supplies, organized books and magazines, and organizing the objects (furniture etc...) in the various rooms of the offices. I did not have other emplyees working for me, but I did work with another person when cleaning my uncles office. It is not a very entertaining job but it is useful because usually you can get business from people because you can charge your services for cheaper than a cleaning company, which is what I did. I would work after the offices had closed for the day, or do it on the weekends. The work hours are not the best because you either have to clean very early in the morning or late at night or during the weekend, but the money is alright so it is not that big of a deal.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
My older brother cleaned my dad's office when I was growing up. When my older brother moved out I took over. Then my cousin, my uncles daughter, mentioned that she needed some help cleaning my uncles office because it was so big. I offered to help and she accepted. So really the jobs fell into my lap, but I am sure that many people would rather have their offices cleaned by a teenager and be cheaper than some large company and have it be very expensive.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
The biggest challenge was finding the time. I played sports in high school so at times I didn't have a lot of time, but I found that as I prioritized I was able to get it all accomplished. Also, another problem with the time was that the easiest times to clean was during the best times to hang out with friends. To me this was very important, but I made a commitment to do the job so i stuck with it and saw my friends afterwards. The other challenges I faced was being clean enough. I had to learn what clean really was. I could not clean mediocre when cleaning someone else's workspace. So I had to learn how to clean well.
What I learned:
I learned responsibility. I had to go and clean when I said I would or I wouldn't get paid. Also, I had to clean even when there were other fun things going on, i had to learn that I had made a commitment and I had to hold my end of the bargain. I am not doing this job anymore because I do not live at home anymore. It was a great job because the offices had to be clean, so I learned how to clean well enough so that when a customer comes in they are not distracted by uncleanness, and that is harder to clean that way than you think.
Studio Maintenance
Description:
As the maintenance man for the local community theater studio. I did many little odds and ends. These things included pulling carpet up to be re-carpeted, hanging doors, hooking up a stereo system in a dance studio, painting walls, repairing walls, helping to build sets for a play, and hanging things on the wall. I worked alone for the most part other than help that I got from the owners on bigger jobs and volunteers for the sets that were built for the plays. My responsibilities were to help fix things around the dance studios that the owners didn’t have time to do or didn’t know how to do. Also my job was to help out with the studio’s big set building projects. I needed to have basic understanding of maintenance and repair. Also be welling to learn and know where to turn to learn about things you don’t know how to fix.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
The way I came up with this idea was that I did theater in high school and I wanted to take some dance classes. So I went to the local community studio that also taught dance classes. I had also been in one musical with them the summer before so I knew the owners a little. I ask how much the classes were and I also notice that the studio needed some work on maintenance things. So I asked if I could help out around there and fix things in return for free classes. What I would have been paid was about $50 an hour but because it was a services for services exchange, I could take classes for free for my services I provided to the owners, the owners looked at it as if they weren’t losing any money. I felt that I came out on top do to the fact that the classes cost more than the work I was doing.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
The challenges that I faced were sometimes it took longer to get the materials that I needed to fix things do to I had to wait on the owners to give me the money to fix it or wait on the owner to get the materials to me. The way I over came this was I would look ahead then approach the owners with a deadline of when I would need the materials or ask when would it be a good time to go and buy the materials myself. I also had to already own the tools I need to fix the things most of the times because the owners didn’t own many tools. To over come this I was just was luck that my family had lots of tools that I could use. Sometimes I would have to plan ahead just encase a project took longer than planned. There are always little things that don’t go your way so you just have to plan for little hang ups. If a job only takes 30 minutes then plan for an hour just in case.
What I learned:
From this experience I learned many still. I learned how to talk to your employer in a non-threatening way and be able to get things done in a timely manner. I learn how to dance better from the dance classes I took. I also learn many stills that have helped me and will help me to maintain my own home.