A Personal Update – The New Job

I started a new job this week and I am exhausted! For most of my adult life, I have worked full-time, and unless my memory is faulty (which is always possible, these days), this is my first part-time position. After retiring a few years ago, and pursuing this writing thing, I decided to supplement my income and began looking for something that would involve 3-4 days a week and not more than 20-25 hours.

The job search itself was much harder than I thought it would be. There weren’t a lot of jobs posted and quite a few of the so-called part-time jobs wanted someone to work up to 39 hours a week. Sorry, but that doesn’t sound like part-time to me. I applied for a few local retail positions only to discover that apparently I have no relevant skills or experience. (When I mentioned looking for a job, a friend asked what I could do and I was stuck for an answer. Anything? Nothing?) Between college and my first teaching job, about a hundred years ago, I worked for several months at The House of Jeans in the mall. You may not remember The House of Jeans, but surely you remember shopping malls. (If not, go back and watch Dawn of the Dead.) Anyway, that would be the extent of my retail experience!

In my naïve state, I didn’t really see this as a problem. I have a Master’s Degree, so surely I can be taught how to sell paint, or boots and western wear. Maybe not. Most of the places I applied did not respond at all, which was very frustrating. If I spend an hour filling out your stupid online application, surely you can take two minutes to send me a generic email thanking me for my interest. Right?

Anyway, I do have skills. I can teach and supervise, administrate, that kind of stuff. Seriously though, I do have some skills that should be helpful in any number of jobs. I have computer skills. I have communication skills. I have people skills. I’ve worked in the public school system, so I can deal with kids, and teachers, and a multitude of angry parents who storm through the doors demanding immediate attention. That counts as customer service doesn’t it?

And I know I’m old, but just because I have one foot in the grave already doesn’t mean I can’t still handle a part-time job. At least I can put down my phone long enough to look up and answer a direct question. So, anyway, my persistence paid off and I finally found someone who could appreciate that my experience in education could translate into other fields. He could also appreciate that my age could be an asset rather than a liability, and so he hired me. Yay! I am now working at the front desk of a local hotel. And now for the catch – I’m working the night shift, as in 11:00 PM to 7:00 AM. The dreaded graveyard shift, appropriate considering my previous comment about my age.

Which brings me to my exhaustion. I have never worked through the night before. It is definitely a different experience. Learning the computer program is just a matter of taking the time and eventually, it will become routine, so that part is not too hard. I’ve never handled cash much, but these days, most people use cards, so that’s not too bad. Inventory and managing the physical facilities is a familiar task in many ways. Cooking breakfast for a large group is something I have never done before, but I’m learning, and I can handle that as well. But, doing any or all of those things in the middle of the night while my brain thinks I should be sound asleep? That can be exhausting.

Anyway, the good news is that I have a new job! And I am thankful. So wish me luck and say a prayer that my internal clock will make the necessary adjustments to my new schedule and help me beat back the inevitable exhaustion! God bless and have a great week!