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Geek Culture / Got axed from my retail job, looking for a change in student jobs: Waitering

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Megaton Cat
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Joined: 24th Aug 2003
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posted: 27th Feb 2008 07:03
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Hi gangsters

It's not common I ask for advice here regarding jobs, as I know many of you aren't even old enough to get one yet. (Hence all the topics of users asking for free things and looking for free MMO's 'cause they can't afford the $15/month charge) But there are diamonds in the rough here with some wisdom to share.

I moved out downtown in Sept to start college and got a part-time job at a huge retailer in the main shopping center. The environment was of course corporate and the managers anal, and it only took 4 months before I became sick of the job and the customers. Eventually, a friend of mine came to visit me at work, and the boss watched me talk to her on camera for about 10 min during store hours. (Yes, they stalk employees through store cameras to make sure we are always working)

The job itself involved walking around the huge sales floor and answering customer questions. The lame pay was just $1.50 above minimum wage.

Anyway, being a waiter at a bar/restaurant downtown simply made more sense for someone who only works fri, sat and sun and is looking for decent cash. I'm sure some of you guys might have done this type of work in your younger days. The damn problem is, how on earth do you get in to this?? Every single place I've tried wants 1-2 years of waitering exp. Some even want certification.

Advice would be helpful as always, thanks

Formerly known as Megaton Cat
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tha_rami
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Joined: 25th Mar 2006
Location: Netherlands
Posted: 27th Feb 2008 07:22
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Well, I'm doing retail at a computer store. My knowledge on the subject was enough to get into stuff without certification or experience. Pay is quite good.

The problem still is that you'll either need to convince them you're a quick learner, or get lucky and be the only one applying for a job. You sound like a smart guy, try the first one. In most cases, they just want someone who doesn't need three months of explanation.

On a sidenote: here in the Netherlands, being a waiter pays horrible.


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Jeku
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Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Posted: 27th Feb 2008 07:52 Edited at: 27th Feb 2008 07:53
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Just start pounding the pavement with your resume. Don't turn down jobs at "inferior" restaurants like White Spot--- a friend of mine makes over $100/night in tips alone there. You may not want to hear this, but perhaps a fast food joint is a good way to build experience in the hospitality industry?

Either that or apply for a dishwasher or food prep job in the back (i.e. cutting vegetables, etc.) and work your way out to bussing. That's what I did at the Keg when I was a wee lad, but I never stuck around long enough to get out of there.

EDIT:

If you're lucky you'll get into a place where they only hire hotties like Earls or something similar


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BiggAdd
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Posted: 27th Feb 2008 12:00
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Like Jeku said, just do a run round of places.
Quote: "The lame pay was just $1.50 above minimum wage.
"

You'd probably have to wave goodbye to that $1.50 waiting on. Getting tips out of people can be hard going as well.
Its also tough work. Hard labor. The customers give you crap and most of the time the Kitchen staff give you crap. As a waiter, everything is "your fault".

I really do recommend you try angle yourself to bar work. It is a fun Job.
Judging by the Tolerance you have for some of the idiots on these Forums, you will hate to see what the majority of customers come out with. You get shorter contact with people behind a bar than you do on the floor and you still get tips.

Hope this helps and good luck in the Job search.

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Kentaree
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Location: Clonmel, Ireland
Posted: 27th Feb 2008 12:43
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BiggAdd, I don't agree with your recommendation of bar work, if there's one place you're going to encounter idiots, it's working in a bar. Worse, they're DRUNK idiots, and at times it gets really bad, and from what I've seen, Aikicat hardly has a high tolerance level.

As for waitering work, haven't done it, but things must be different over there because anyone can get a job as waiter/waitress here.

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Van B
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Location: Sunnyvale
Posted: 27th Feb 2008 13:07
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What about your local Hooters? - It might not pay the most, and there's real competition for tips, but at least you'll want to go to work every day .

I think most bars are very different to the UK and Ireland, we tend to try and get as much alcohol into our bloodstream as possible, whereas in the US it's more of a social thing. I mean we tend to drink before even going out to a bar or club, so most of the time we're half-drunk by the time we even reach the bar. Back in the long-long ago's, when I was clubbing every week, we'd have a bottle of whiskey or vodka each before going out, quite often I wouldn't even be allowed in!

Maybe this is more because we don't like to face clubs over here when sober, hell if we only ever met people when we were sober the population would be dwindling right now .


less is more, but if less is more how you keeping score?
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Preston C
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Location: Penn State University Park
Posted: 27th Feb 2008 14:23 Edited at: 27th Feb 2008 14:27
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Quote: "Either that or apply for a dishwasher or food prep job in the back (i.e. cutting vegetables, etc.) and work your way out to bussing."


Don't do this if you value your hands and your mind. I've been working as a dishwasher and busser for three years, cutting between fifty and two hundred pounds of potatoes daily, not counting the rest of the prep I do. Is it mindless, easy work? Yes. Will it help you become a waiter if you really work at it? Not with my boss, and probably not with many others either.

My boss did recently "promote" me to Chef's Assistant, where I help him and the second chef with dinner shifts (involving making salads, desserts, and bussing), except now I get paid less money with the lack of tips from the bussing part of my last gig.

Just go straight into being a waiter if you can. I've been trying to become one for as long as I've been a dishwasher. Add to the fact that because of your hands having constant contact with soap and water in most of the day, they'll turn into a dry, cracking husk where you waste half of your paycheck for medicated moisturizer to fix it

But really, just go for a waiter gig. If you're lucky, you can make a whole lot more money than any other job possibly can. The waiters and waitresses at the restaurant commonly make twice as much money daily as my boss does in profit, at least. One waitress even managed to bring in over $1,000 in a weekend, but that was in two fifteen hour shifts in a row.



AMD Opteron 185 2.6 Ghz | 2 GB RAM | 8800 GTS 640MB | Vista Home Premium
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BiggAdd
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Posted: 27th Feb 2008 15:28
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Quote: "BiggAdd, I don't agree with your recommendation of bar work, if there's one place you're going to encounter idiots, it's working in a bar"

I suppose. But to be honest, any line of work with the general public, you are going to encounter idiots.
I still prefer bar work over waiting on.

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bitJericho
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Posted: 27th Feb 2008 20:54
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Quote: "BiggAdd, I don't agree with your recommendation of bar work, if there's one place you're going to encounter idiots, it's working in a bar. Worse, they're DRUNK idiots, and at times it gets really bad, and from what I've seen, Aikicat hardly has a high tolerance level."


I dunno, bar tenders at the bars I hang out at seem to love it. It's fun hangin with drunks all day

Now, I don't hang out at rowdy bars, so maybe that's a difference, I like the small town saloony bars. The club bars are a bit too much for me.

Now a restaurant bar, I can see that getting old fast. But you may want to start at a restaurant that has a bar, so you can work your way into that section Once you get experience there you'll be able to work at just about any bar you want.


Hurray for teh logd!
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Megaton Cat
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Location: Toronto, Canada
Posted: 27th Feb 2008 21:30
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Hey! My stupidity tolerance is quite high! I did hang around these forums for years, and have worked retail for over a year.

I just want a change of environment. I like to be always engaged at work, the time really flies. That used to happen during the busy retail season, but now we mostly shuffle around and get yelled at for not doing work, as the store is dead most of the day and there is no work to be done.

Some of the bars here downtown are nice and cool to work at, and the tips are great if you are at the right bar. But again, exp is required everywhere. Did anyone manage to get in as a host then work their way up to waiter?

Formerly known as Megaton Cat
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