Nurfatihah: Do not hold yourself back from trying out jobs that are not related to your field or course.
THE first time I worked as a part-timer, I was 17 years old, fresh out of high school before enrolling in a foundation programme.
With the help of my mother, who approached the manager of a maternity clothing store where we were shopping, I got a part-time job as a retail assistant.
The role was rather challenging. I had to educate myself about maternity and newborn baby essentials such as nursing bras, breast pads, breast pumps and milk storage bags.
I also developed skills such as gift wrapping, customer service, communication, and arranging for delivery and pick-up.
Then came my undergraduate years when I acquired three part-time jobs, namely, as a barista, a bookseller and a Mathematics teacher.
I worked as a barista and ice cream maker during my semester break in my second year as an undergraduate.
This time, I went on a job hunt alone, applying to several food and beverage outlets in a mall and stores in my neighbourhood.
The job application process was easy. I only had to fill out an application form and attach a copy of my identification card.
Although managers usually called a few days after the application to schedule an interview, I still dressed up for every store I applied to in case the manager wanted to interview me on the spot, as some did.
But I realised that as a student applying for a part-time job, you do not need to dress up over the top. Most times, a casual top, jeans and sports shoes will suffice.
The interviews were not difficult as basic questions were usually asked, such as my availability during weekends and public holidays, and my ability to handle closing shift hours.
Working as a barista was tricky because I had to memorise all the recipes within a short period. The managers gave me one week of training, during which I learnt the different types of flavours and scooping sizes, and how to scoop ice cream correctly. I also learnt how to make milkshakes using different ice cream flavours.
The challenges of becoming a barista included dealing with customers’ demands. I encountered various customer attitudes – some pleasant, some not.
During peak hours, usually lunch breaks, public holidays and weekends, customers swarmed the place like bees.
Understanding customer attitudes is a skill that is not acquired overnight. It takes time to build the confidence to speak to customers from different backgrounds. This applies to working as a bookseller too.
I worked as a part-time bookseller during my third-year semester break. I discovered that although my job description was limited to assisting customers with book payments, interacting with customers was also important because I was sometimes asked to help them find books tailored to their interests.
My part-time experience also included working as a Mathematics teacher. I was surprised to get the job given my background in English language studies.
Nonetheless, I underwent training where I refreshed my mathematics knowledge from high school, including all the Additional Mathematics formulas I had learnt.
Working with children requires a whole new set of skills. Being a teacher also demands record-keeping skills and the ability to mark answer books correctly.
Occasionally, I taught children with speech delays who were not able to form the right words or communicate properly for their age.
Teaching these students requires a great deal of patience and undivided attention.
To tertiary students in search of a part-time job: do not hold yourself back from trying out jobs that are not related to your field or course.
You never know what skills and experiences you might gain if you give them a chance.
Nurfatihah, 23, a student in Kuala Lumpur, is a participant of the BRATs Young Journalist Programme run by The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) team. For updates on the BRATs programme, go to facebook.com/niebrats.
With the theme of the article in mind, carry out the following English language activities.
1 Imagine you are a part-time assistant in a bookstore. Stand in front of your class while your classmates take on the role of customers asking you questions. How would you respond to their enquiries? At the end of the activity, have your classmates rate your communication skills.
2 With a friend, list five questions that employers might ask during a job interview. Discuss the possible answers a job candidate could give. Then, role-play the interview process together.
The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) programme promotes the use of English language in primary and secondary schools nationwide. For Star-NiE enquiries, email starnie@thestar.com.my.
