I work as the Marketing Assistant for our Campus Activities and Programs office at my school. This job is for roughly 20 hours a week, for not much money in comparison to some jobs my peers work. Outside of those 20 hours, I also attend events on nights and weekends and post on our social media accounts when I am not technically being paid. Some people would say that parts of my job are "taking advantage" of me, or that it is unfair for me to "work for free," but I don't see it that way.
The way I see my job is like an internship with a bonus. I am gifted so much more than a paycheck from my position. I have a new network of coworkers who will serve as excellent references one day. I am granted the opportunity to go "behind the scenes" at events, I get to meet anyone we bring on campus such as comedians, dancers, bands and singers, the list goes on. During my office hours, I plan out when and where our marketing materials will be placed (online and on campus), and I get to work with our graphic designers (who are also students) to create our posters for events.
When you have a job like mine, it is something to be proud of to put on a resume. It proves that you work for more than just a paycheck and that you are devoted to working with your passion. I love marketing, and while it might not be exactly what I do when I graduate, this position will help me in any job I have. I am gaining office experience, social media managing experience, professionalism training, and team building experience. Everything in my office is about teamwork. It is a system, and we all rely on one another to get to our end result: maximum student engagement at our events.
A retail position is great, they usually offer a good amount of hours and most places are raising their minimum wage for workers to much higher than the national minimum ($7.25). I won't argue that retail employees don't learn valuable lessons that will help them in the long run, but retail is nothing compared to getting industry related experience. Future employers are always looking for the one who stands out, who can offer something different to their team. Jobs like mine do that. Jobs, where they feel the need to ask you what this title means, or what your work experience entailed, make you stand out.
I've worked plenty of retail jobs, I've had a factory job, and I've dabbled in the serving industry. All of these jobs helped me get to where I am today, and the larger paycheck was nice, but as long as I can cover my bills and buy food, I would much rather gain experience related to my future than put another cashier title on my resume.
I have grown in my position as a person and as an employee. With other "common" college jobs, you grow a tougher skin while dealing with customers, and you learn industry related knowledge, but internships and jobs like my own help you grow in a different way. I have developed a higher level of confidence (especially in crowds), I have a better social media presence (I even have a bit on our Instagram called, "Live with Lauren" for when we promote an event that is about to start), and I have gained countless tips and tricks on how to act in an interview; or any other professional meeting.
So, no, I won't be quitting my low-paying job any time soon. I love my workplace, and co-workers along with the experiences I am gaining by working here. Yes, I may be over-worked on occasion; Yes, I may go crazy when I have to re-do my marketing plan seven times in a week; and Yes, I would recommend a job like this to everyone I know.
