Job Number 9

In January 2007, as my exams were over, I didn’t have much to do apart from working. I was carrying on with my work routine with the job at supermarket and the volunteer position at university.

By now, it was part of my routine to keep hunting for better opportunities and as soon as I found one, I would quickly make my move. It was the same case in January when one of my contacts with whom I had worked few months back called me as he was opening up a small retail store.

I had set up a time with him to discuss what he wanted me to do and what was on offer. As I had been working in retail and other sectors for nearly three years, this person firstly wanted me to setup his retail store from scratch and when it’s up and running he wanted me to manage. For obvious reasons, this person offered me this opportunity as I was still on student visa, still vulnerable for job prospects and still is cheaper option for him to pay me. The offer was certainly better than what I was getting at supermarket and kind of senior role in managing other staff too. As the guy offering this role was Indian and give me previous experience in working with Indians, I accepted his offer but didn’t quit my supermarket job. I thought about giving it a try and see how it works out in near future.  With this it was job number 9 in my career ladder.

In few weeks store was set up and running, staff were rostered and I was supposed to attend only morning shifts. As business grew, owner wanted me to be there at-least 12 hours of the day and my pay would still be the same. As I was still better off with this money, I continued with this request on for few weeks.

Gradually there were different requests of working night shifts, early mornings and extended hours and I started realising that he is trying to rip me off. It didn’t stop here; he started holding my pay for up to 2-3 weeks giving various reasons of business. Since I had previous bad experiences of not being paid for several months, I decided to act on this quickly.

My holidays and IELTS exams were approaching soon too. I didn’t want too many headaches anymore and this was going on over few weeks.

I spoke to this owner to meet me at shop for banking cash that we used to keep in safe. At this point, I told him to pay me the arrears as there was cash readily available. Fortunately he did and cleared all my dues straightaway. As soon as I had money in my hands, I quickly finished my work, went home and called it quits. I called up the owner and told him I am not working for him anymore.

Luckily, I still had supermarket job in my hands and went back to my normal routine.

Job number Five

After working in a 2 marketing jobs, horrible trainee job in a convenience store and a lovely petrol station job and I am once again looking for a job.

Along with all this, the good news is I have passed in all subject in my first semester. I have paid fees of second semester all by myself. I am still waiting for approval of my student visa.

As I had been looking for second job and talking to people, in couple of days being out of work, I received a phone call from one of my friends of the first place asking me if I am available to meet someone at another petrol station and discuss possible shifts I can do.

That’s great news. I have recent experience working at petrol station and working in another one won’t be an issue at all. I quickly say yes, book a time and meet owner of another petrol station. He quickly tests my working skills in using their cash register system and other relevant things the petrol station operator is supposed to do. I also told him I can do as many shifts as he wants.

This is still a blue collar job and people come and go and owners don’t really care. Owner tells me I will only get night shifts as a starter as only seniors of this petrol station get to work day shifts. I am little surprised but accept the offer as I am the one in need. Finally I am employed once again, but the problem is I have been only given 1 shift in a week. I am asking for more but owners tells me that’s the best he can give me at the moment. 1 shift isn’t enough to cover my weekly living expenses.

As I keep requesting for more shifts and I also continue looking for better opportunities elsewhere.

I randomly get people swapping shifts or giving me shifts if they don’t want to do but it’s all uncertain money. I need more stability and consistency to cover living expenses and save for fees.

Since I am doing night shifts, I can work during day time too and here comes another job offer…

Overseas Indian Mentality

Along with job related tensions, there was another worry brewing for some time at home with my flat mates. As it happens, the guy who picked me up at airport agreed to let me stay at their place for a week. I was already searching for another accommodation while attending university. All of a sudden this guy told me that I need to move pretty urgently and that is within couple of days. I agreed to his request and packed up everything, was making few calls to see if I can move at some other acquaintances place. At this stage one of the other flat mates came and asked about the worry and told me I can stay for few more weeks until I find something. I still needed to make other accommodation arrangements while looking for work.

With lots of disappointments, unpaid money and debts I started searching jobs again. This time I learnt a lesson and started looking for blue collar jobs. With one of my flat mate’s recommendation, I got a trainee job at a convenience store that was owned by an Indian. I thought finally Indian’s have helped another Indian. As it uncovers this thought became totally opposite.

Firstly to start with I was placed as a trainee. This Indian woman told me, I need to be trained for at least 2 weeks and this will be unpaid. First blow, for this training I have to take train travel and walk 3 kilometres one way to get to this store, another expense and no income. Although disappointed, with hopes of getting a job, I decided to continue. I thought she is Indian she’ll look after me.

Secondly, she asked me to do only night shifts for 2 weeks. I had never done night shifts before but learnt another lesson of hard work. Working hours were from 11pm to 7am. All night I was working with 1 another guy who was another student like me from India. His face and condition looked miserable. I was asked to replenish stock on shelves, fill and clean cool room and mop entire store, pick up rubbish from inside and outside and clean toilets. This experience was totally new and I was feeling devastated to do this. In India our maids do all the cleaning, here I am in that position. This Indian owner used to come in the morning before I finish my training and used to take feedback from guy who used to train me.

Few night shifts went fine. As it progressed this Indian owner’s nasty and greedy behaviour started to come out as I was approaching my 2 weeks training period. I was already feeling the stress of attending University in day time and doing night shifts every day. Some days went without sleep. As it turns out, this Indian owner started yelling at me in the mornings before I finish my training and said lot of things were not done properly. To get her work done for free, she used to put me in cold storage for couple of hours to clean 10-15 fridge doors from inside out, remove all stock and clean all shelves. She also asked me to mop entire store few times until she was satisfied. All this used to happen after 7am, my supposedly finish time. I started to stay back to get her work done to her satisfaction. Sometimes I used to do 12 hours work and finish in next day afternoon. All this was with lot of patience and hope to get a paid job at her place.

After 2 weeks, she tells me she is not convinced with my training and that I need 2 more weeks of training and she assured I will get 1 night shift a week after this. Once again with high hopes I continue to slog like a donkey for this owner. I started to feel the stress and disappointment. Also that 1 night shift she assured me was no way enough to cover my living expenses. I felt as if I have become a servant for this person and that too unpaid.

Finally and this was a deal breaker for me, one day as I was as usual slogging like a donkey to her tantrums, feeling tired after night shift and frustrated once again to work till afternoon, she asked another guys to check if muffins have reached their expiry dates. What she said next was never expected and totally disgusting coming from another fellow Indian. She told this guy that if muffin is past expiry date, then give expired one to me to eat for free. I had learnt from training that we can’t sell expired muffins to customers due to risk of being sued for contamination or infection. We would normally throw these in rubbish and now she offered this rubbish to me to eat and that too for free as if it was a huge favour to me.

As I heard these words, I was shattered and felt like crying and going back home. Instead of doing good favour she is screwing with my situation and condition. But there is no way back because there are bigger dreams to be achieved. I put myself together, threw that muffin in rubbish and ploughed through another 2 weeks of unpaid training.

Now the stress levels were at its peak, with search for accommodation, work, University studies and the debt that built up during this time due to no income. I was terribly worried about worst outcomes of me going back home as a failure as I couldn’t afford to pay for my living expenses, couldn’t find a job, how am I going to manage saving university fees for next semester as per my initial plan. My parents couldn’t support me any further due to financial constraints. With this overwhelming stress and tiredness of night shifts, I fell sick.

Getting sick was last and worst thing I would have imagined. I had no money to see the doctor, though my dad had given me some medication to carry along. I just tried to recover with that medication. I was down with high fever, body cramps and severe weakness for almost 1 week. There was no one to take care as all flat mates are working and everyone has to look after themselves. We used to normally eat only 1 meal a day at night, rest of the day we would eat or drink whatever cheapest option available. This caused more weakness in my body as I was not used to this kind of starvation.

Due to sickness, I didn’t attend last few days of my training. I had almost recovered from my sickness and this Indian owner called up checking upon me whether I have found another job or not. I told her I was sick and still recovering. To this she tells me, that she has paid me a token of $11 for 1 month’s free training and she would like to offer me 1 night shift as promised but on even worse pay. By this time I had already spent more than $150 in a month in just travelling and didn’t get a penny but an expired muffin to eat and token of $11 which doesn’t even cover a day’s travel.

I was totally sick and tired of her attitude, behaviour and taking unfair advantage to miserable overseas students like us. But still I was the needy here, so I told her, I will let her know when I recover from sickness.

As backup plan and I also did a 10 kilometre walk in both directions of my place on nearby shops and service stations on highways and dropped my resumes at every place I can possibly think of. This time I added this training on my resume too.

As the wheel of fortune turns, I met another Indian guy…