Apprehensive facial expressions. Rough plate delivery. Triple checking your latte order. A longer wait than usual. Noticing all the above? This is more than likely a new hire experiencing the new job blues.
As the Oxford population climbs to 27,509 residents, many new faces have surfaced at local storefronts. Though college students are no strangers to learning environments, they often find that new jobs come with a distinct learning curve.
Brooklyn Cardwell, a sophomore radiology student, is about one month into her barista job at a local coffee shop and has held jobs since high school to earn spending money.
“When you’re working in a new environment, your head is everywhere but on what you should be doing. It’s like I should know this, but I don’t,” Cardwell said. “I have common sense, but I’ve never worked in a coffee shop before. So I don’t understand (how) I need to make a new cold brew.”
Sophomore psychology major Sidney Nguyen is three weeks into her hostess position at a local restaurant in Oxford and has also struggled to adjust to her new job.
“Sometimes I think it would be nice to go cry in the walk-in (freezer),” Nguyen said. “But I just keep going because I have a job to do.”
Nguyen feels the pressure in providing customer service to a local base.
“Where I work, the customers are important, local and return often, so I personally feel more pressure serving these people when I’m running food or picking up plates because how I do this very simple thing will affect how they see their regular restaurant,” Nguyen said.
As the cost of living rises, many students find themselves needing to work but struggling to secure jobs without a recommendation
Wendy Ramirez, a senior journalism major, has applied for four jobs in Oxford without any luck. Ramirez lives and works in Ripley, Miss., and commutes to Oxford twice a week for class.
“It has been difficult to find work in Oxford because everyone is searching at the same time,” Ramirez said. “Only so many people can get hired for a company. They can’t take everyone. Many students, like me, are applying to part-time jobs that fit around our school schedule, and most jobs can’t work around it.”
Not only are students adjusting to new jobs, but new businesses are also experiencing the fluctuating seasons of Oxford for the first time.
After visiting Oxford as parents, Nashville, Tenn., natives Todd McKoy and his wife Shauna decided to bid on a storefront space. The Donut Distillery, which reached its six-month anniversary in September, anticipates a busy season this fall. McKoy enjoys helping students to learn and grow into more responsibility on the job.
“The whole process of hiring college students is unique because as soon as you get someone trained and someone does well, they might graduate. The challenge is trying to work with college kids but also trying to run a business.”