Part-time coffee barista happy earning wages in between reading textbooks
While job security, steady pay and full-time hours may be a sought-after position these days; a good-paying salaried position may not be the ideal job for everyone.
“I love my hourly paid job because they work around my school schedule and I don’t have to work on weekends,” said Katie Granger, a full-time Mount Royal University psychology major who works part-time at the Good Earth Coffeehouse and Bakery on campus.
She said having your boss know you are a full-time student is a perk of working for hourly pay, “I could never work a standard nine to five job because of classes and projects. My boss knows that and is able to work around my schedule.
“If I was paid on salary I might have to come in and commit to a set schedule. Right now I can work three-hour shifts or eight-hour shifts, depending on my school work.”
In terms of the hourly rate of pay, Granger said that while getting paid $10.25 an hour isn’t the greatest, it is on par with most other coffee shops in town.Katie Granger working her morning shift at Good Earth Coffeehouse and Bakery. Granger said her hourly wage job allows her to go to school while still making extra spending money.
Photo by: April Ip
“I am pretty lucky as my parents were able to pay for my tuition,” she said.
“I wouldn’t be able to pay all my own bills based on what I make at the coffee shop. I know many students are on student loans or they are in situations that allow for other financial assistance. An hourly job in that case would work out well.”
Many hourly employees within the service industry also make money from tips. Granger said that because she works the 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. shifts, she is able to make about 20 bucks per shift in extra spending money.
Granger said that what makes an hourly job not only workable but desirable, is also the environment she gets to work in.
“They treat me great at Good Earth,” she said. “I haven’t encountered any major difference between the treatment of hourly employees and those who are salaried. The environment at Good Earth is busy and positive. I get to work with fellow students and people my own age as well.”
“I think for students and perhaps those with a schedule that require a lot of flexibility, an hourly-paid job is the way to go.”
aip@cjournal.ca
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