Thursday, August 14, 2008/9:32 PM
Sometimes growing a
Pair can be refreshing!
Ok, so as Many of you know, I have been a camp counselor for 3 years now for a day camp during the summer. I do this for 2 reasons. #1 I like kids. They're fun (when they're not cranky). #2 The institutions which i work at do not give me enough summer courses to instruct so i'm forced to live off my savings and pay bills (which works, but only barely). And so this year I found myself once more taking on my day camp (more like babysitting) duties.
I've put up with a number of things for this summer job, but most of the time I shrug them off and go, "meh, its a summer crap job". But this week it pushed me too far (and i'm happy to say i grew a pair... mostly lol). First off, organization this summer has been non-existent. My boss, while a lovely woman who can be very nice, is a bit of a control freak. Therefore nothing gets done. How is that? Simply put she can't do it all, but she tries to do it all, and thus zero productivity. Today was the culmination of the insanity.
The program requires that we have employee evaluations each friday. My last evaluation was ummmm... 3 weeks ago (this is a 6 week program mind you) and at THAT time I was given 2 evals to sign at once (yes we have to sign off on them). So today, our last day with the children, we suddenly had 3 weeks worth of evals to meet with her (individually mind you) and sign off on. No big deal. I'm fine with that. Kids are bad, you have to discipline them, you fall behind on your paperwork, whatever. BUT she doesn't bother to address this until AFTER the day is done DURING our schedule meeting time (we're out at a specific time, but on Thursdays we stay 15 minutes extra for a meeting). Again no big deal. Only she was taking about 5 minutes per person and I had a meeting for my ACTUAL JOB within the half hour. I told her this when she came out to address us. I said, "ok, but i need to be out of here on time (meaning after the usual meeting time of 2:30)" She goes, "well i'll work hard to get to you by then" (this was at 2:15). "But i'm going by age group (of the kids) so i need to get through the 4-5 year olds, 5-6, and 7-8 year olds before i get to you"... ok again there are 2 to 3 counselors for these groups. So thats 6-9 people at 5 minutes a piece, crunched into 15 minute block... uh you do the math.
So i waited (complaining quietly in the hallway, which i normally do not do, to my coworkers) and i said to my coworkers "if i'm not in at 2:30 i HAVE to leave. I'm sorry but this meeting is for my CAREER. This is my summer job. And frankly after this summer, I do NOT plan to return. I'll work Blockbuster again" (uhhh i'm hoping my new position at another college as adjunct will keep that from happening though lol).
2:30 arrives. We haven't even finished with the 5-6 year old class. In FACT the male counselor isn't even in the hallway ready to go. Rather than allow me to sneak in, she looks down the hall and goes "someone go get him please." I was flabbergasted. In fact i wasn't the only person who needed to leave AT 2:30. Another co-worker had a JOB INTERVIEW. I was willing to let her go first simply because she needed this job. But no, i believe she missed the interview, for a summer job... that pays minimum and unless you are desperate for the automatic rehire the following summer, really isn't worth putting up with this behavior.
So what did i do? I bailed.
Oh yeah, i stood up looked at my coworkers and said, "Well its been nice knowing you guys. I'll see you tomorrow for clean up, but i need to leave. I'm sorry but this is my CAREER". And i left. I walked out to the car and drove off.
And i've never felt better.
If she wants to yell at me tomorrow morning for the final clean up day, i'm just going to stare back and calmly say "I'm sorry but i told you I needed to leave BY 2:30, if not before. I was not joking, or making things up. I am not about to jeopardize my future for a summer job that at this moment i do not plan to do next year. Thank you for the opportunity but after i clean my room and get my check today, I will not be returning."
SWEET.
Pair can be refreshing!
Ok, so as Many of you know, I have been a camp counselor for 3 years now for a day camp during the summer. I do this for 2 reasons. #1 I like kids. They're fun (when they're not cranky). #2 The institutions which i work at do not give me enough summer courses to instruct so i'm forced to live off my savings and pay bills (which works, but only barely). And so this year I found myself once more taking on my day camp (more like babysitting) duties.
I've put up with a number of things for this summer job, but most of the time I shrug them off and go, "meh, its a summer crap job". But this week it pushed me too far (and i'm happy to say i grew a pair... mostly lol). First off, organization this summer has been non-existent. My boss, while a lovely woman who can be very nice, is a bit of a control freak. Therefore nothing gets done. How is that? Simply put she can't do it all, but she tries to do it all, and thus zero productivity. Today was the culmination of the insanity.
The program requires that we have employee evaluations each friday. My last evaluation was ummmm... 3 weeks ago (this is a 6 week program mind you) and at THAT time I was given 2 evals to sign at once (yes we have to sign off on them). So today, our last day with the children, we suddenly had 3 weeks worth of evals to meet with her (individually mind you) and sign off on. No big deal. I'm fine with that. Kids are bad, you have to discipline them, you fall behind on your paperwork, whatever. BUT she doesn't bother to address this until AFTER the day is done DURING our schedule meeting time (we're out at a specific time, but on Thursdays we stay 15 minutes extra for a meeting). Again no big deal. Only she was taking about 5 minutes per person and I had a meeting for my ACTUAL JOB within the half hour. I told her this when she came out to address us. I said, "ok, but i need to be out of here on time (meaning after the usual meeting time of 2:30)" She goes, "well i'll work hard to get to you by then" (this was at 2:15). "But i'm going by age group (of the kids) so i need to get through the 4-5 year olds, 5-6, and 7-8 year olds before i get to you"... ok again there are 2 to 3 counselors for these groups. So thats 6-9 people at 5 minutes a piece, crunched into 15 minute block... uh you do the math.
So i waited (complaining quietly in the hallway, which i normally do not do, to my coworkers) and i said to my coworkers "if i'm not in at 2:30 i HAVE to leave. I'm sorry but this meeting is for my CAREER. This is my summer job. And frankly after this summer, I do NOT plan to return. I'll work Blockbuster again" (uhhh i'm hoping my new position at another college as adjunct will keep that from happening though lol).
2:30 arrives. We haven't even finished with the 5-6 year old class. In FACT the male counselor isn't even in the hallway ready to go. Rather than allow me to sneak in, she looks down the hall and goes "someone go get him please." I was flabbergasted. In fact i wasn't the only person who needed to leave AT 2:30. Another co-worker had a JOB INTERVIEW. I was willing to let her go first simply because she needed this job. But no, i believe she missed the interview, for a summer job... that pays minimum and unless you are desperate for the automatic rehire the following summer, really isn't worth putting up with this behavior.
So what did i do? I bailed.
Oh yeah, i stood up looked at my coworkers and said, "Well its been nice knowing you guys. I'll see you tomorrow for clean up, but i need to leave. I'm sorry but this is my CAREER". And i left. I walked out to the car and drove off.
And i've never felt better.
If she wants to yell at me tomorrow morning for the final clean up day, i'm just going to stare back and calmly say "I'm sorry but i told you I needed to leave BY 2:30, if not before. I was not joking, or making things up. I am not about to jeopardize my future for a summer job that at this moment i do not plan to do next year. Thank you for the opportunity but after i clean my room and get my check today, I will not be returning."
SWEET.
