Little Side Jobs by Anne Wrobetz

Every muscle in my body aches this morning, but at least it’s Friday. I spent the entirety of Thursday moving furniture to my apartment via U-Haul. When you’re suffering the financial strains of a college student, you typically don’t waste money to hire movers and not risk your life (and those of your friends) rolling a giant couch down three flights of stairs. The U-Haul was the most cost-intensive part of the day, and I miraculously got my mom to pay for that. Score one for the unemployed!

Now for the real challenge of the week—my interview at Game Stop. I’ve been diligently researching such recent hits as Dante’s Inferno and Super Mario Galaxy 2 as well as the old standbys of World of Warcraft and Half Life. I’ve also been plugging away at my favorite old classics for the original Playstation, Harvest Moon and MediEvil. My brain is abundant with knowledge of MMORPG’s, first-person shooters, and when to plant turnips in the virtual world. I feel ready for this interview and am definitely keeping my fingers crossed!

Should this job not work out, however, I do have a backup plan that doesn’t involve moving in with my mother. Yesterday, I walked my neighbor’s dogs for a couple hours and tonight I am going to babysit. I’ve realized that a job is not necessarily dictated by direct deposit—lots of small, odd jobs can add up to a big lump of cash. That cash means the difference between living in my newly furnished apartment or my mom’s freshly de-couched townhouse. Even if I do end up with a part-time job this summer (I’m going to keep trying until it happens!), I can continue to work the small jobs on the side. So now in addition to handing in applications at every restaurant and retail store I pass by, I’m handing out my name to neighbors and family friends. The key for a working student really is perseverance—you can’t let rejection get you down. Somebody somewhere is always looking for help, and that help may as well be provided by you. So everyone, don your interview attire, grab a stack of resumes, and begin canvassing your names around town. After all, you can’t find work if nobody knows you’re looking.