Private Citizen

Gardeing Assistant

September 2018 • Bayside, CA

What I liked

Outdoor work, personable employer, flexible schedule, quality pay, beautiful environment, satisfaction of physical labor

What I wish was different

Nothing

Advice

Gardening requires a great deal of communication between helpers and home owners, as it is a very intimate sort of work. Other than that, consistently maintained effort and punctuality can make quite a good impression.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Dog runner

June - September 2018 • Santa Barbara, CA

What I liked

Flexible hours, exercise

What I wish was different

Wish I’d worked a job more applicable to my major.

Advice

Should look for more career-oriented employment

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Home/yard/landscape caretaker

July - September 2018 • Eugene, OR

What I liked

The family I worked for I've known for a while, I loved seeing them and their kids. They taught me a lot of new life skills that will definitely help me down the road, most importantly how to make decisions and work efficiently without hesitating on the method used to get the work done. I also liked working outside with my hands, and seeing the end result of my work (fully weeded plot, stained fence/bridge, totes of split and stacked wood, etc.)

What I wish was different

I should have worked a bit more - I chose my own hours and it was possible for me to do more.

Advice

If you know someone who is willing to pay you to work on their property, don't think it's too unrelated to your studies or not going to get you anywhere after you leave. I now have an excellent reference, a ton of new skills I didn't have before, and I got to stay active outside all summer. These kinds of experiences offer great opportunities for personal growth and testing your real work ethic, and all of that comes back around to help you in your future profession - labs, offices, it doesn't make a difference. Plus, odd jobs usually pay really well!

Be the first to mark this as helpful