It's ironic that just a month after I wrote about how I quit my job and became my own boss, I started another job as a bartender assistant. I had been unemployed for almost a year by then, and had just come back from my Trans-Siberian trip with nothing planned for the next two months. My year of being unemployed had been nothing short of extraordinary. But the truth was, even though I had quit my job, I wasn't very good at being my own boss, because I was a very lazy boss and couldn't get anything done (to earn money, that is). I couldn't get myself from being unemployed to being self-employed. So, while taking a short break from my travels, I figured it'd do me good to find a temporary job.
Finding a temporary job for a couple of months meant I couldn't go back to the bookstore where I used to work, because they required a minimum of 6 months' commitment. (For the record, they did ask me if I wanted to come back 😎). So my other options were promoter jobs (which I knew I would totally hate), or 2-month contracts in project-based jobs as a typist/receptionist/admin assistant (hard to find), or restaurant jobs. The best bet would be restaurant jobs, because I already had more than 5 years experience in F&B, and also the turnover rate at restaurants is generally pretty high. It's common for people to work for only a month or two before quitting.
One day, I was just casually browsing on Facebook when I came across a job advertisement for a bartender assistant position at a local bar that I had been to once for a fundraising event. It was a cool underground (sort of) 'art space' with local bands playing every night and monthly private events that I had always wanted to attend. Besides, being a bartender was on my bucket list. So I emailed them my resume, went to the interview and got the job.
The working hours were from 6 pm to 12:30 am, Tuesday to Saturday. So I only had to work 6.5 hours per day, 5 days per week (very rare for a restaurant job). Plus, I would be getting free meals, free access to the events and live shows, and free access to alcohol! What's not to love?
The best part was that I could wear anything I wanted, in the beginning at least. After a few weeks, we were given uniforms, but they only had enough to give one per person. So we still got to alternate it with our regular clothes.
It's my second month now. The work has been quite enjoyable. The owners are constantly trying to come up with new drinks, and being one of the few staff members who drink, I'm often given the honor to try out the new concoctions and give my opinion. Occasionally when a wine bottle has been left open for too long, I also have to taste it to see if it's still good. I don't mind these extra tasks at all.
I choose my jobs based on the perks that I would get from them. So before applying for any job, I always make sure that I like whatever it is they're selling. For example, I decided to work at the bookstore because I was spending too much time there that I thought I might as well get paid to do so, and get discounts on books while I was at it. At most of the previous restaurants that I worked at, I was already a regular customer. So it was no surprise that I wanted to work here at this bar. Like I said, I thought I could get free access to alcohol and the events that I wanted to attend but couldn't afford to.
Unfortunately this time around, my ploy backfires. I get the booze alright, but not the access to the live shows or private parties. I'm stationed at the diner's bar, which is downstairs, while the events and parties and live shows all happen upstairs. I can't leave my station except for the few times that I have to go upstairs to get beer and stuff. And no, I can't hear the music from where I'm at. The walls had been 'acoustically treated' to make it soundproof.
My social life is pretty much non-existent now because I can't go out at night anymore. By the time I finish work, everybody is ready for bed. And that includes my partner. I don't get to spend much time with her anymore. On top of that, the daily commute to work is really stressing me out. I have to take two buses, and the second one is so infrequent that I sometimes have to wait for over an hour. Clearly I didn't think this through.
You'd think that now that I'm in my second month, I only have another few weeks to go before I leave. Well here's the thing. During the interview, I didn't tell my employer how long I was planning to work (she didn't ask). A month before I was scheduled to fly off to my next destination, I told her about my travel plans. Technically I'm not bound by any contract, so I'm not required to give a one-month notice before quitting. I could simply take my salary (paid weekly) and never come back. But because I wanted to remain on good terms with her, I gave her a heads-up one month in advance so that she'd have ample time to find a replacement. I apologized for this, of course.
She, however, wanted me to come back to work in between my travels. She'd find someone to replace me, but only for the days that I would be away. Now I'm at my wit's end. Financially, I need that job. But it doesn't spark joy anymore. Should I listen to Ms Kondo this time?
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| With my new colleagues |
