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Christ, so much for not getting more than two days behind.
This update is for Wednesday, May 11.
Actually, the most interesting thing that happened that day occurred at night. After working most of the day, I took myself to my grandmother's house for something vaguely tasty my father made. I had fun watching TV with my mother. Nothing particularly special, just some Sex and the City reruns, but it was still nice to be with her, just hanging out watching them.
Then, instead of driving home, I took myself, on a whim, to some of the local hotels in the area to interview the current night auditors. I figure, since I want the night auditor job, the best thing to do is see if any of them are planning to leave, or, better yet, if any of them are managers who are filling in because their current auditor ditched them.
I came back disheartened and scared.
In Phoenix, night auditing was nothing more than glorified lobby babysitting, and people treated it as such. It had a slightly lower attrition rate than the fast food industry. I figured, given that I live in an expensive area, it would have a similar attrition rate from flighty students and/or people who get tired of the commute and hours. I was absolutely certain - big money-betting certain - that out of the twelve hotels I visited, at least one would have a position open or about to open.
I'm glad I didn't have actual money riding on it.
I skipped motels entirely, but the first bad sign was that many of the name-brand hotels, hotels that by all rights should have had an auditor on staff did not. I guess they have an live-in manager who just gets up if a late check-in comes, though that's a practice usually reserved for small, seedy motels. Especially bizarre was that several of the places I tried to go into not didn't have a person in the lobby or immediate vicinity, but didn't have a way to summon them to get through the security doors! What the fuck?! A curfew for guests on a major hotel? Bizarre.
Then, all the places that did have auditors, had none planning on leaving - ever. Site after site I was told, "Oh, I've been here three years," or "five years," or "seven years," or "I just started this job last year." What the fuck? This is supposed to be a transitory job! How are these people living like this? Night auditing does not pay well. For the job one does (babysitting), it's great, but it's not a job for actually living on. It's a transitory, temporary job, a job for people between real jobs or who are in school or something.
I mean, hell, even I wasn't planning on working exclusively as a night auditor. I was planning on night auditing and then making an extra $18 an hour transcribing in the long, empty hours.
Except, of course, for the local Hilton-owned hotel. The night auditor there wanted me to come work with her - because there was so much work that two people could easily work eight hours each night. As I'm not planning on ever, ever crossing that bridge, I looked at her like she was insane and told her that the whole point of night auditing was to not work all night, but merely to babysit and put out any fires (literal or otherwise) that might pop up. She sent me home with an application, but really, I just took it to be polite. That job is the exact opposite of what I want, and frankly I don't want to be in Paris Hilton's employ however obliquely.
I'm going to range a bit. I haven't explored Laguna, which is a hot tourist spot with many hotels, and I haven't ranged very much inland, either. But if the trend continues, I'm going to have to scramble to figure out something else to do. And that is not a pleasant thought.
This update is for Wednesday, May 11.
Actually, the most interesting thing that happened that day occurred at night. After working most of the day, I took myself to my grandmother's house for something vaguely tasty my father made. I had fun watching TV with my mother. Nothing particularly special, just some Sex and the City reruns, but it was still nice to be with her, just hanging out watching them.
Then, instead of driving home, I took myself, on a whim, to some of the local hotels in the area to interview the current night auditors. I figure, since I want the night auditor job, the best thing to do is see if any of them are planning to leave, or, better yet, if any of them are managers who are filling in because their current auditor ditched them.
I came back disheartened and scared.
In Phoenix, night auditing was nothing more than glorified lobby babysitting, and people treated it as such. It had a slightly lower attrition rate than the fast food industry. I figured, given that I live in an expensive area, it would have a similar attrition rate from flighty students and/or people who get tired of the commute and hours. I was absolutely certain - big money-betting certain - that out of the twelve hotels I visited, at least one would have a position open or about to open.
I'm glad I didn't have actual money riding on it.
I skipped motels entirely, but the first bad sign was that many of the name-brand hotels, hotels that by all rights should have had an auditor on staff did not. I guess they have an live-in manager who just gets up if a late check-in comes, though that's a practice usually reserved for small, seedy motels. Especially bizarre was that several of the places I tried to go into not didn't have a person in the lobby or immediate vicinity, but didn't have a way to summon them to get through the security doors! What the fuck?! A curfew for guests on a major hotel? Bizarre.
Then, all the places that did have auditors, had none planning on leaving - ever. Site after site I was told, "Oh, I've been here three years," or "five years," or "seven years," or "I just started this job last year." What the fuck? This is supposed to be a transitory job! How are these people living like this? Night auditing does not pay well. For the job one does (babysitting), it's great, but it's not a job for actually living on. It's a transitory, temporary job, a job for people between real jobs or who are in school or something.
I mean, hell, even I wasn't planning on working exclusively as a night auditor. I was planning on night auditing and then making an extra $18 an hour transcribing in the long, empty hours.
Except, of course, for the local Hilton-owned hotel. The night auditor there wanted me to come work with her - because there was so much work that two people could easily work eight hours each night. As I'm not planning on ever, ever crossing that bridge, I looked at her like she was insane and told her that the whole point of night auditing was to not work all night, but merely to babysit and put out any fires (literal or otherwise) that might pop up. She sent me home with an application, but really, I just took it to be polite. That job is the exact opposite of what I want, and frankly I don't want to be in Paris Hilton's employ however obliquely.
I'm going to range a bit. I haven't explored Laguna, which is a hot tourist spot with many hotels, and I haven't ranged very much inland, either. But if the trend continues, I'm going to have to scramble to figure out something else to do. And that is not a pleasant thought.
