Ashlea, 19
What's your job? Where do you work?
I'm an activities coordinator at an indoor play centre in Maribyrnong.
Is it part-time or casual? How many hours a week do you work?
Casual. It depends on the time of year, but usually 20 hours.
What does the job involve?
Conducting children's activities such as dance classes, cooking, ball skills and story-time, as well as making coffee, waitressing, hosting birthday parties, cleaning, working at the register and general office duties.
When you started looking for work, was this the sort of work you wanted?
Yeah. I was hoping to get something a bit more relevant to my future career, but this job is so much fun and I have picked up some new skills that I would never have learnt without this job.
What did you have to do to apply for the job?
I had to make a call to the manager to ask if there were any positions available, drop in my resume and go in for an interview.
Did anyone help you with looking for or applying for this job?
One of my friends was working there at the time, and mentioned they were short-staffed. However I did the rest by myself.
Was it hard to find this kind of job?
I was lucky because I heard about it from a friend. However, they did advertise the position in the local paper and at local universities.
What are you hoping to get out of this job?
Firstly, it's so I can earn my own money to support my studies, and also to learn new skills and teach new things to the children who participate in the activities.
Does this kind of job have any relevance to your desired career path?
No, it doesn't. I am hoping to pursue a career in the media, so there's not really much I can take from this experience. However, it helps me to improve my communication skills, which I think is a must for anyone in the workforce.
While I don't plan to work with them in the future, I love working with kids and my second career preference is to work with young children.
Do you find it difficult to balance this job with the rest of your week?
Yes. I am studying media at university, working this job and another part-time job at a primary school and training four times a week for dancing. Work makes it hard, but it's enjoyable and flexible, and that makes it easier.
What advice do you have for people looking for part-time or casual work?
If you're juggling school and work, make sure your employer is aware of that. A job that guarantees flexibility is always a good start, because your studies should be your priority if your job is not related to your future career.
Try to find something you enjoy or somewhere you know has friendly staff. It's a lot easier to go to work if you have fun while you're there!
Find out more about this career path at myfuture.edu.au (Note: free registration is required to access the myfuture site).