Cushy uni jobs for scungey uni students

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Silent Alarm

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Jul 9, 2010
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My mate works at Australia Post, sorting through parcels at 2am and contemplating "where's it all going?" while sorting the 6000s from the 6100s. Says it's good money, inane, and clean.

I worked in a bar for a while and didn't mind it. But living where I do, most close places are packed with smug hipsters who'll no doubt look down on me and the whole experience of work will be toxic, self-conscious, and hate-filled. I did at for one shift at a pub once and it was enough to get me out.

What's cafe, or in Melbourne that's probably café, work like?

What other cushy but boring and soul-destroying casual jobs are out there? Aside from stacking shelves at Woolies. Has anyone done that day work where you sweat away in a caravan selling t-shirts at the Big Day Out? Has anyone flirted with the idea of jobs like this, but then backed out?

Basically, help: what are good jobs for uni students?
 
I used to work at a plant nursery over summertime, watering plants during the really hot days. Ended up spending half my time fighting with the high pressured hose so would get incredibly soaked in the process. It actually beat working in hot factories/warehouses and you would end up being dry by the end of the day!
 
West Coast Weasel said:
I used to work at a plant nursery over summertime, watering plants during the really hot days. Ended up spending half my time fighting with the high pressured hose so would get incredibly soaked in the process. It actually beat working in hot factories/warehouses and you would end up being dry by the end of the day!
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Ooo, this is interesting. I don't know a huge amount about gardening but my parents are all about it and I've always liked nurseries as a result. Is this a common job?
 

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Silent Alarm said:
Ooo, this is interesting. I don't know a huge amount about gardening but my parents are all about it and I've always liked nurseries as a result. Is this a common job?
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Yep, over summer there is a huge demand for it. During really hot days like today (assuming your in Melbs), we'd work from 5am to 1pm. Everyone would have a set route and just walk amongst the different rows of plants watering the entire day.

Gotta love our fascination with European style gardens, rose bushes and fruit trees...
 
West Coast Weasel said:
Yep, over summer there is a huge demand for it. During really hot days like today (assuming your in Melbs), we'd work from 5am to 1pm. Everyone would have a set route and just walk amongst the different rows of plants watering the entire day.

Gotta love our fascination with European style gardens, rose bushes and fruit trees...
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I'm personally a fan of native gardens. I'm all about shrub grevilleas.

What's this actually called? I'm interested. How do you look for it?
 
A couple of summers ago a went and dropped my resume off at a number of plant nurseries around because I was getting right into my garden at the time - Every single nursery asked me the same question, which lead to the same answer -

"Do you have any horticultural qualifications of any sort?"

"Uhh, no.."

"Unfortunately we can't afford to hire anyone who doesn't know absolutely everything possible about the plants we are selling. We can't compete with Bunnings and the like for price, so the only thing we have an advantage with over them is that all of our staff can give the customers advice that an average Bunnings nursery working wouldn't know" -


A little bit depressing.. Not sure if that was their way of brushing me off, but three different nurseries told me that
 
I worked as an on call casual warehouse employee for Holden out in Dandenong (driving was a fair pain - was living in Ballarat at the time) but was a decent job for a uni student. They would basically call you the day before and ask if you would be available to work the next day.

Really fit well around uni. The pay was great also - I was on something like $35 per hour (you basically worked after the regulars had gone home for the day so most work days would be around 5pm - 1am.

Not sure if they would be hiring these days with the car industry not being in great health and lots of lay offs etc. The work itself wasn't bad, a bit repetitive but you got to pick up various car parts and use a pallet jack which was pretty fun.
 
I'm currently working at uni cafe doing dishes etc not to bad really handy its at uni. Look on gumtree would be my best option.
 
I used to be a lifeguard at MSAC, don't know how easy it is to get these days, but you do have to do a course which is 3 days IIRC unless you've already got the qualifications.

It was great because nobody ever drowned.
 
Have worked for a few years in Bar Staffing in WA (with Perth Bar Staff and Independent Events).

1. Have sold drinks, done cashiering and bar running at music stuff (Soundwave, Stereosonic, Origin, Nick Cave concert off the top of my head)
2. Have sold drinks and cashiered at the (international) cricket (Test, ODI and T20) at the WACA. Also did RSA supervising on one occasion.
3. Have sold merchandise at Perth Glory games.

Overall, these jobs are decent summer pay, but the work is very sporadic, in particular nothing during the autumn/winter months basically.

Sometimes you are working out in the heat, or in an open air/no air con facility, which isn't the best. Other times you have air con, or are well shaded and it's not bad. Overall, I find the music crowds (esp. Soundwave) better than the sporting - more polite and respectful, and willing to have a chat and joke.

Other cons include: irregular shift times, meaning you might get knocked off much earlier than expected if the crowd is smaller than expected, or they aren't buying as much. Parking (as usually at venues with minimal/no parking) and petrol cost is a big factor sometimes. And you end up with plenty of alcoholic beverage smell on your clothes, sticky hands and a stiff back/fingers.
 

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Whatever you do, don't work as a paper boy. Mum registered me a few weeks ago. Pay is s**t, (got like 2c per paper, then found out they haven't been paying me so in reality it's pretty much volunteer), hours are s**t, lots of weekend work. Takes hours out of your week just collating and folding the papers. Delivery isn't so bad mind you, I usually just put my Ipod on and listen to music while walking around the neighbourhood.

But balancing it all out, don't do it.
 
Hatchy1992 said:
Whatever you do, don't work as a paper boy. Mum registered me a few weeks ago. Pay is s**t, (got like 2c per paper, then found out they haven't been paying me so in reality it's pretty much volunteer), hours are s**t, lots of weekend work. Takes hours out of your week just collating and folding the papers. Delivery isn't so bad mind you, I usually just put my Ipod on and listen to music while walking around the neighbourhood.

But balancing it all out, don't do it.
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Haha did the same thing middle of last year and it really isn't worth it, I quit after two weeks.
 
Maybe food and bev or bartending at MCG/Etihad? Check out Delaware North or a catering company that do events at the stadiums. Can work in either the retail outlets or in the corporate areas.
 
Definitely not retail, worked in the industry a fair bit and it's just shithouse. Never going back.

Warehouse work is well paid and usually has pretty good hours but the work is soul destroying. Works well as a motivator to keep you in your uni degree though. Also unbelievably boring.

Never worked in hospo but from what I can gather working for a big catering company that does events has great pay and is must more enjoyable than your usual gig in a cafe or bar/pub. Usually very busy which makes the time pass quicker but the actual work is harder.

An orderly at a hospital is a good one if you know someone who works at one that can get you into it.

Any job at a call centre or sales stuff is shithouse. Usually ok pay but again, soul destroying.

I know someone that worked for the council part time and said he got paid 30 an hour to set up chairs at town halls and random stuff like that.

I've never done it but I reckon a courier would be a pretty good job, just drive from place to place and listen to music. Bottle-o as well would be great, a lot of my mates get free beer regularly.
 
Der Kaiser said:
Haha did the same thing middle of last year and it really isn't worth it, I quit after two weeks.
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I'll have finished 3 weeks by the time this week ends. I'm quitting myself at the end of it. The hours im working could be used for study instead.
 
I would really prefer something during the day. Weekends is fine but the reason I gave pub work the arse is that you can't go to the footy, you can't have a night out, you can't go to gigs, you can't really do the things that working should enable and so it's kind of redundant. Cafe work is looking the most likely...
 
I hear bottle shops are a pretty good gig.

I have been working in data entry which has been going well. Can recommend. I get through so many pod casts, audio books etc.
 
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Silent Alarm said:
I'm personally a fan of native gardens. I'm all about shrub grevilleas.

What's this actually called? I'm interested. How do you look for it?
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I don't know why you feel the Melbourne hipsters would look down on you.
 
getthefooty said:
Any job at a call centre or sales stuff is shithouse. Usually ok pay but again, soul destroying.

.
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Call centre doing "inbound" stuff is OK.
 
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