Of late, I’ve noticed a trend that is raging like an epidemic among teenagers – temporary Jobs (And yes, I’ll admit, I have been infected too). I walk around my university on a normal working day and I see at least a couple persons frantically running around, printing out copies of their passport, visa, CV et al. The printouts for the interview are probably the only reason they have to visit the library.
If I follow the entire procedure from start to end, it starts off with a Facebook post or a BBM broadcast advertising the need for a “beautiful female” or “an able male” for a temporary job – that a friend of a friend of a friend had sent, adding the person in-charge on BBM or Whatsapp, for the required documents and interview details. This is followed by the ‘documents ritual,’ and finding out find the best way to interview. That doesn’t end there. If one manages to get selected in the interview, then there’s more running around for the next rounds. And then there’s the job in itself – another couple days of more running around.
Basically, doing a temporary job, no matter the duration of the job, involves a LOT of running around. But still we teens are obsessed with it. We consider every chance we get and volunteer for the running around. Now, what is it that propels us? Is it the monetary benefits of doing a job for a couple days that fetches us a remarkably sparse amount? Does the concept of earning our own pocket money appeal to us? Is it an escape we seek from our daily routines? Or do we simply do it for the experience of working and meeting new people?
For most, it may be some or none of the above. For me, it’s all of the above. My parents often ask me why I decide to take on the Herculian task of incorporating my crazy university exam schedule (apart from the four hours of travelling to and from university everyday) along with these “silly” jobs. They think I have the crazy Superwoman complex where I want to do everything (and to perfection, mind it) and everyone’s job. But when I think about it, it’s not any complex that I have. Most of the time, it’s just the thrill of doing something new, meeting hoards of people from different backgrounds and social circles, being in a different place, observing and learning. The money – yes, I’ll agree – is an added advantage, but it’s not the only thing we look for. Else, you wouldn’t find volunteers for events, would you?
More than anything, we look for things that pique our interest. For an F1 fan, a movie buff, or a One Republic fan, working at the Formula 1, Film Festival or a concert, is an ideal way of attending without burning a hole in the pocket. Well, to each his own. But I say that without us part-timers, a lot of events would be a mess. So in the end, I’d say all that running around you’re doing does pay off!
By Mugdha Sunil Polimera
