Should I work in a college bookstore?
Asked by Little Red Riding Hood
I am 21 and just left my job of almost two years. I have experience working in both an office and as a sales associate. I wanted to apply as an office assistant at a college bookstore, but the person hiring is basically directing me towards being a cashier because everyone else is applying for office assistant. I'd rather not do this (I want to increase my office skills), but I do want to have a job by the summer so my instinct is telling me to just be a cashier. I've never attended college before and most of my friends have graduated from college this year. I am just not sure of how the environment will be (i.e., will they take advantage of me because I don't take any classes and want me to work different shifts?) Also, even though it probably doesn't matter, I wonder what my friends will think of me working at a college bookstore. Is this a step forward or backwards since most people working at a college bookstore are students? Should I do this part-time or full-time? I just don't want to get stuck being a cashier when I want to advance in my other skills. I just think alot of time employers use cashiers and don't fully appreciate them like they should.

Best Answer:
Everyone working at my college bookstore is not a student. I don't think anyone will think less of you. It's just like being any cashier. As for them taking advantage of you with hours; they aren't open late or have crazy hours anyway. I think that would be a safe bet if you don't want odd hours.

If you want the money why not?
Answered by Loves Confusion

If it's just a thing where you need money, do it. I mean, I work at a college library in the winter, but I need summer money so I might get a job at a public library. It's not exactly the same as my old job, it will pay less if I get it, and the people won't all be college smart, but hey - it's a job. Also - at a college bookstore you will lose your soul for taking thousands of dollars from helpless students with no money or food. Congrats!
Answered by David M

This would be a step forward, having a job is better than no job at all (I work as a cashier and am currently attending a community college, if it helps in any way). Also, you've probably heard this before from all the commercials they play on tv, but it would help your career even more if you did attend college (even if it's for just something like an associate's degree, which I don't recommend if you've been working for a long time) so that you have more career options, and the extra training you get from some classes would get you a raise at a lot of businesses since they want people who can work as manager or have been trained to use computers (at my school, one company was looking for bookeepers, and the only prerequisite was to have passed an accounting class). Additionally, if you work at the college bookstore, they may have some kind of work-study program and possibly financial aid that would allow you to attend classes there while working, plus a lot of these jobs center your work schedule around your schedule of classes. So yes, I think it would be good if you worked at the college bookstore. And don't feel embarassed about the fact that most of the people working there being students, I know some people who just started there first or second year @ college and they're like 24 and 25, plus college isn't like high school, people are more mature (except during spring break).
Answered by neilgant18