Serving up Excellent Coffee: Part-time blues in a major key

Working two part-time jobs is a plausible solution to a job drought.  I am now on the path to earning health insurance benefits in six months while increasing by 98% my retail service experience.  Both part-time jobs that I work have industry respect, and flexible scheduling.

What are the disadvantages to working 2 part-time jobs as opposed to holding out for that full-time, full benefits career?

Joe Helper's part-time job is beyond stocking shelves, filling orders, smiling and saying, "Thank You."  I predict store managers will begin to request, and then demand, digital social-connection between part-time retail workers and customers.

My job at the coffee shop is going to bleed into, with life-giving and interesting blood, my off-the-clock time as I am asked to promote the brand.  Just like my full-time counterparts in distribution, marketing, and roasting, I'll be answering email and carrying on conversations via text all day long.

And at my part-time job as a software trainer?  I am going to push for more marketing with a highly educational tone.  We need a blog, a daily twitter tip for Excel, Word, and Outlook, a giant and effective bank of helpful links to internet resources and smart-phone apps.

For a recent graduate, two part-time jobs is a decent solution to the seemingly insurmountable task of finding full-time work.  I am not going to be one of the 6.7 million without work for 26 weeks or more, and I have follows--8.8 million who would prefer full-time employment.  And, I am actually getting a really brilliant, real-life education in retail and software, not to mention free coffee, tea, and scones.

The Teeter-Totter Job Search

Today's task:  turning down a better job, feeling "ok" about it, and winding down the search.

I'm at a crossroads of post-graduation life.  I have a job, I'm going to start, it will lead to more opportunity, but it will not pay all the bills, and it is part-time.  This means I have to make the decision to be loyal to an employer that isn't really supporting me with enough hours because this will be my first opportunity to build a professional reputation for sticking with a company.

This makes the most sense to me because demonstrating loyalty to a part-time job will not take years...it will take months, and earning income the other 3 days of the week will not be impossible.  Who doesn't want to hire someone who won't qualify for full-time benefits?

Working two jobs, however, will have a series of disadvantages.  I won't receive health benefits for my family.  I will spend more on the irregular commute.  A wacky schedule may force me to work a really long day, or at the very least give me a small headache.  Finally, life just seems more hectic working 2 jobs (even if the hours don't equal 40).

So, I turned down a temp. agency recruiter who wanted to submit my application to an admin. job, which, to be honest, I probably didn't look "qualified" for anyway.

Here we go...forward...avoiding second guesses.  And please, DON'T click on the VHS ad.  It will not change your life, but you may find inspiration for you your next avante-gard doo.