I giggled, I giggled, and then I giggled some more.
I can’t help it. I realize not everyone has the same priorities as me and many people don’t see the world the same way as I do. But even though I’m obviously extremely biased in how I think since it’s how I think, I often wonder what goes through other people’s heads to come to conclusions that are so different from my own.
Here’s a story. This woman at work is new. Her daughter is going into her 4th year of university, and it’s the summer time so she went and got a job last week for the summer. So she’s around the 21-22 years of age mark.
Well she got a job, that was working in some aluminum plant, apparently doing testing for quality control or something. At least that’s what the job description described when she had applied for the job. And whatever she’s going into school for, this was somehow going to relate so she thought “Awesome. I am working in the industry for the summer and it will look great on my resume.”
And as with many jobs, all is not what it seems. While the job description listed many fancy shmancy technology and industry related topics, it also listed “other administrative duties as required.” And apparently this company took that to heart. She was being asked to look for quotes for cars for the boss, to drive the car to the dealership for it’s checkup or something, or to deliver packages to downtown Toronto (from the suburb area) to clean out the kitchen or to tidy various parts of the office.
She walked out a week after she was hired when she confronted her bosses about when she would begin the duties as described in the job description, and their reply was “We’re not sure yet.”
Now see, I would be just as irritated with the whole idea of a bait and switch in terms of the job description. But it’s only been a bloody week. Why someone is uncomfortable driving in the Toronto area is beyond me. But she refused that task on the grounds that she didn’t want to drive around Toronto because she wasn’t comfortable. I digress.
Mom is obviously happy with her daughter’s decision and is proud of it too. It’s good to stick to your guns. The fact that she wasn’t doing as what was described, sure.
But no one seems to see the point I tried to get across, that while she wasn’t doing what she expected, she was still working in the industry. She still would have had a great 3 or 4 months of “industry related work” on her resume. When she leaves school she’s going to realize that the 4 months she could have sweated it out in an “industry-related job” would have pushed her career so much easier, because it would have put her into a great market. “Yes I did lots of admin stuff for a company in the industry. But now I understand how the administrative side of that company works”
Mom was going on about how her pay was really low, and she could make the same, or more, in retail.
This of course, assuming one can get a job in retail when everyone is hitting their slow season, as well as the absoloute hordes of students all looking for jobs for the summer.
And what’s better. 4 months working in an industry-related company doing non-industry related tasks… or 4 months working retail like everyone else on the face of the planet?
Ah well, ain’t my kid. Ain’t my future.
