Wanted: A job to pay Bay Area rent, private tuition

By Maggie Beidelman and Caroline Mooser

"If you could be any circus animal cracker, which one would you be?"

Oh, the inevitably lackluster personality questions of job interviews. How we love giving an employer every reason to deny us a godforsaken retail job by answering "elephant" instead of "tiger."

On a student's tight budget, collegians everywhere are pretending to thrive under the interview spotlight to obtain a job of choice -- twisting doughy pretzels or selling clothes that they cannot afford themselves.

And with an economy that is on the verge of a nervous breakdown, finding a job to pay the rent is not easy.

Last June, after most normal -- semester system -- colleges let their students loose to reign as full-time managers and supervisors, late-blooming Santa Clara students exited classes four weeks later and took on what scraps of jobs remained.

We started early. But, hours of perfecting resumes and seeking jobs via BroncoLink, Monster and Craigslist proved fruitless.

A more personal approach was needed. Perhaps desperate is a more appropriate word.

After picking up applications at Starbucks, Frozo's, Mission City Coffee, Candlewood Suites, City Lights Espresso and Mio Vicino, We decided to take our chances at the largest retail metropolis within walking distance: the mall.

Kenneth Cole. Guess. Express. CPK. BCBG Max Azria. Cocola. Paper Source. Anthropologie. H&M. The choices at Valley Fair Shopping Center and Santana Row were nearly endless, and we approached them all.

Hours, sore feet and 30 applications later, we left the mall exhausted -- but hopeful. How could we not get a job after so much effort?

Two days passed. Then a week. Fourteen days after turning in our applications, only two stores had requested interviews.

Mooser decided to brave BCBG. Beidelman found an alternative.

â?¢ Beidelman's alternative:

In a fit of penniless anxiety a few days before, I had e-mailed all of my professors at Santa Clara, admitting unemployment and ensuring willingness to work. These simple e-mails proved invaluable, as I eventually paid my rent through various gigs in research, filing, tutoring English and mopping floors.

â?¢ Mooser's solution:

I sought other ways to supplement my primary job as an office assistant at the Adobe Lodge, where part-time hours alone were not enough to soften the financial blow of rent in Santa Clara.

I worked at the library and at BCBG to earn a little profit after the monthly bills were paid.

With three part-time jobs, I learned to get creative with my schedule.

A typical day consisted of working three to four hours at the library, three to five hours at the Adobe Lodge and finally dashing off to catch the 3:27 p.m. bus to Santana Row to start a 4:00 shift at BCBG.

Instead of staying put in an office for eight hours straight, life became more interesting as I experienced a change of scenery -- and a change of task -- every few hours.

I came across cooks, professors, trustees, librarians, fellow student co-workers, wealthy foreigners looking to burn some money on BCBGôs new fall fashion line and overly stressed and burdened managers -- all in the same day.

The unattainable sales goals at BCBG were certainly a challenge. Novice sales associates like me were expected to sell between $1,500-$2,000 a day.

Adopting the "Sell! Sell! Sell!" retail doctrine seemed worthwhile after making commission from a customer's $1,600 purchase.

However, dealing with the public isn't easy when an intoxicated customer refuses to leave the store or a mother is caught shoplifting after distracting sales associates with the mess caused by her not-yet-potty trained toddler.

I got to know the down-to-earth and hard-working individuals behind the suits and makeup at BCBG -- from the assistant manager studying design to the full-time dental hygienist looking to supplement her income.

Perhaps the best jobs aren't the ones we need, but those we actually enjoy doing. But, when it comes to paying for a private education and California living space, one can't be picky.

Contact Maggie Beidelman at (408) 551-1918 or mbeidelman@scu.edu and Caroline Mooser at cmooser@scu.edu.