Jennifer Carey's juggling act
Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Feb 23/01) - Jennifer Carey's juggling act would put a busker to shame.
The 24-year-old political science grad from the University of Western Ontario works three different jobs.
She says the hectic pace is the result of need.
"The cost of living is really expensive up here and I have to pay off my student loans," says Carey.
Carey came up here last summer looking for a government job. She figured her background in studying American and Canadian politics would help her land a policy analyst job. But it didn't pan out.
Now she's working for the Bank of Montreal as a full-time teller and at the Industry and 40 Below bars as a bartender.
The honours university student gives a surprisingly positive spin on her juggling act.
"It keeps me busy and I get to meet all sorts of interesting people," says Carey.
Carey works Monday to Friday at the Bank of Montreal, Wednesday night at the Industry and Friday and Saturday at 40 Below.
She's a seasoned veteran of the service industry which she started working in when she was 15 years old.
Carey says the most important thing when dealing with the public is staying calm which is something she's learned over the years.
"It can be a challenge," says Carey when speaking about unruly customers.
"But you have to keep your cool above all things, you have to be the better person," says Carey.
But while most people can go home and forget about work while watching TV or going out, Carey has to jump back into dealing with customers.
"Your doing basically the same thing at all jobs," says Carey, "you're working with people, the only twist is that they are drunk."
Sunday is truly the sabbath for Carey. It's her only day off from all jobs.
"I just relax, watch a little television or go out to eat, read a good book," says the Margaret Atwood fan.
Working three jobs has forced her to put things she loves on the back-burner.
"I want to write a novel someday," says Carey.
But she says she'll get around to it eventually.
Carey sees her hectic schedule as a sacrifice for the future and at same time gaining some positive experience now.
"If I'm thinking about now it's leading to later, if I'm thinking about later I'm thinking about it now," she philosophizes.
