Working in college can be a great thing for so many reasons, but chances are you’ve come across a couple of challenging situations at your job that are difficult to navigate, especially when you’re trying to put your best foot forward every day.
We’re breaking down some of the most common college job scenarios, and the great news is, there are solutions to each of these so you can continue being the best employee ever.
Many bosses and supervisors understand that students are juggling their work, school, extracurriculars and social lives, so if it looks like you’re trying as hard as you can to be the best employee possible, they’ll meet you halfway!
Scenario #1: Your Boss Asks You to Work More…Right as Your Shift Is Ending
You just put in a hard day’s work and are about to peace out at the end of your shift when suddenly your boss asks you to work on one more project.
How to Deal
Chances are your boss wouldn’t be asking you to stay unless your help was really, really needed, so take a deep breath, remember that you’re a professional and see where you can jump in. If you have somewhere to be after your shift, see what to-dos absolutely need to get done, which agenda items can be handed off to a co-worker and which tasks can wait until tomorrow. Regardless, it’s important to be a team player!
If you notice that these end-of-shift projects or favors are becoming regular occurrences, however, definitely talk to you boss or supervisor about it to see what can change to make sure that the work gets done, but you’re not staying late all the time.
Scenario #2: Your Co-workers Are Distracting
Having social co-workers can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it’s great to have a positive environment and friendly rapport with your peers, but on the other hand, it can be tough when you have to get down to business.
How to Deal
Find a space at your job where you can sit alone to get your work done, so you won’t be tempted to talk to people. If anyone comes to chat, a simple “Give me an hour, I really need to get this done!” usually gets the message across without seeming rude or negative.
Scenario #3: You Get Assigned Work That Wasn’t in the Job Description
It can be quite the shock to get hired, show up at your job and then be asked to take on a couple tasks or responsibilities not at all related to what you thought you were hired for.
How to Deal
It can be tough at first to take on work you either don’t feel comfortable doing or don’t necessarily like, but practically every job you have throughout your career is bound to have parts you don’t love.
The next time you find yourself thinking negatively before taking on a task that’s not in your job description (“Ugh, I hate doing data entry!”), acknowledge your situation and spin it into a positive: “Data entry may not be part of my core responsibilities, but getting to learn how to build complex spreadsheets in Excel and create helpful data sets are brag-worthy skills I can put on my resume now!”
Scenario #4: You Just Feel Really, Really Overwhelmed
Some days you come into work and feel like 10 different challenges are thrown your way at once: You’re down a co-worker, your boss tosses a mountain of paperwork your way and you’re trying to manage a particularly difficult client, all in the same shift. SOS!
How to Deal
Whether you’ve got a line of customers or you boss just handed you 12 different to-dos at once, you’re bound to be overwhelmed from time to time at your job. In the short term, take a second to compose yourself, talk to your boss or co-workers about prioritizing, come up with a plan and dive in headfirst.
When it comes to staying on top of your work and not panicking as the stress sets it, the name of the game is working smarter and not harder. See where your efforts are most needed first, and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Scenario #5: You’re Not Able to Arrive to Work on Time
No matter how hard you try, sprinting across campus to work is always a struggle, and you feel like your boss thinks you don’t take the job seriously.
How to Deal
The easiest fix? Work on the things that are in your control: Leave five minutes earlier than normal to get to work on time, or if you take a campus shuttle and it’s always late, see if you can ride a bike or catch a ride with a friend or co-worker instead.
If you’re unable to leave earlier to get to your job (for example, maybe you have a class on the other side of campus and then head to work right after), be sure to talk to you boss if it looks like you’ll be slightly late regularly.
No matter what situation you find yourself in at work, take a deep breath, remember that you’re a capable professional and get down to business.
Starbucks is dedicated to helping 25,000 employees graduate by 2025 by providing full tuition reimbursement for a bachelor’s degree via Arizona State University’s online program. You only have to work an average of 20 hours per week to access this exciting benefit as well as many others (free drinks, free food, health coverage, 401k, stock, and a free Premium Spotify account to name a few!). You can learn more about the Starbucks College Achievement Plan here.
Starbucks Barista-Approved Drink Combo: “One of my fall favorites is a ‘chai-der’ (as I like to call it). Ask for steamed apple juice with chai tea concentrate and you’ll get a very tasty, mulled cider type beverage!” – Kathryn, Starbucks College Achievement Plan Team
