The joys and pain( in the ass) to be a seasonal worker
I think that the seasonal workers and those, whose working hours are mostly constructed by gigs on several different places ,are a whole different breed itself ...and I include myself to this bunch of special characters.
I mean, it is a whole different story to work on one place longer periods of time ( no dis-respect though) than to constantly change your work environment and adjust yourself accordingly.
When you keep on moving from one place to another over and over and over again , every single time you have to get to know : new collegues.and clientele , different cash register systems, different menus and drinks and where everything is kept etc....
And you have to be able to absorb new information fast , no time for waste.
Adjectives like flexible and adaptable are imperative !!!
However, those things mentioned above, that may cause overwhelming stress for others, can be a reason to do solely seasonal work for some of us.
I love the change - for me it's the big reason that I am working in this field on the first place - the endless possibilities to work on so many different type of restaurants, cafés etc... not just here in Finland, but all over the Europe .
I love the changing of the sceneries and I would die of boredom.to have a steady job with steady hours ...it would literally kill me.
I know, steady job means a steady income too - irregular pay is of course a downside of seasonal work , but that can be managed with a careful budgeting when on the " quieter months" .
Personally , my biggest stress when I am on my seasonal jobs , are the possible living arrangements and the roommates.
I am an introvert , prefer my own company over others,I am clean and tidy, quiet non-smoker.
So - if I get " lucky " and my roommates turns out to be party-animals , who don't really care about the " 11pm to 7am quiet time" nor cleaning up their own mess, the risks for conflicts are real.
That for me causes the most stress - the uncertainty on living arrangements.
Still - when I measure the pros and cons of working mostly seasonally, the pros are winning easily.
In my opinion, I am much better at my job because I have been working on so many different kind of places..the experience what I have gained from all of these places, is very valuable .
And I am not just talking about the work experience from the restaurant field only.
Since my backgound is from agriculture and animal care field before I entered the hospitality field, I have managed to learn skills and knowledge that not many waiters have.
The ability to handle stress and rush , to learn how to prioritise things and to deal with clients , who are super anxious and upset or broken down by the sorrow of losing their loved family member.
Anyone, who has lost their beloved canine or feline friend, knows that sorrow and the amount of loss.
When you witness that having to remain professional yourself, after that even the grumpiest client on the restaurant doesn't feel so bad after all.
In addition to all of above, I have the personal attributes of being punctual and highly organized , and to be honest -,to-fault.
Whatever I do both professionally and in my personal life, it has to be water-tight and done properly and handle the daylight without any shadows.
I do not appreciate my time being taken for granted , and I get a rash when things are hanging on the air or done halfway.
I do not like my physical nor my mental stamina being questioned constantly , it only irritates me.
I have gone through such turbulences, and challenges and heartaches on my personal life , that nothing has ever even come close at any of the places I have worked in my life - and yet I am still here.
Coming back to seasonal workers .
It is too often, that people don't value these workers very much , and that is a big mistake.
Attitudes needs to be changed , and they need to be changed yesterday.
I rest my case !
