Temporary work while waiting
Published on: Monday, April 05, 2021
By: K Krishnan
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What benefit do you get
from working part-time?
Well, besides gaining work experience, you also get to earn some extra money for you to spend or put it into your savings before pursuing your studies. When you work, you learn how to work with people of all races, other religious beliefs, different cultures and age groups.
You need to work with educated as well as with those who do not have much education. You need to work as a team for the benefit of the company.
Your employer may demand you to be punctual, polite, hardworking and be careful at all time. You may not be able to take leave as you like. You may be required to work long hours. You are actually selling your time and energy to your employer for which you are paid.
Along the way you learn new skills and gain new experience. Whenever you apply for a new job, people want to know whether you have any working experience? So, if you have experience, you are one step up.
What kind of jobs are out there?
At a time like this, it is not going to be easy to get a job. There are many people who have lost their jobs or are unemployed. You need to compete with them too. If you are not very particular about the type of job, you may be able to get temporary employment. I have selected some jobs which are common. This will give you an idea of what is available.
1. Fast food workers
Working at a fast-food restaurant does not require any formal education. On-the-job training is given to newbies, so don’t worry if you feel lack of the skills needed. You are responsible to serve customers at the restaurant. Fast-food employees must learn about food safety, sanitation and health regulations. You are also required to ensure customer satisfaction, resolve customer complaints and address any concerns that may arise.
Besides that, other tasks like taking customers’ orders, assemble the orders and work as cashiers are what you can expect to do. Fast food is normally served through drive-through windows or over counters in the restaurant.
Salary: RM 1000 - RM1,400 per month
2. Assistant teachers
They work in Kindergartens, play schools, day care centres and nurseries. They work closely with children. They are responsible for teaching children basic educational skills. You need to possess strong interpersonal and communications skills.
Knowledge of the subjects you are required to teach is a must. Other social skills, personal hygiene, basic reading skills, art and music are also teaching fundamentals for children.
Salary: RM500 - RM800 per month.
3. Shop Assistants
Shopping complexes, malls, shops, retail outlets and convenient stores employ shopping assistants. The duties include ensuring the stocks are arranged and recorded systematically.
The skills needed are excellent commercial awareness, courtesy and organisational skills. Other tasks may include cleaning the store, restocking shelves, handling the cashier counter and ordering stock. There will be a lot of customers asking help from you, so you also need to know the shop’s layout and departments accordingly.
Salary: RM1,000 – 1,500 per month
4. Teaching tuition
If you are living in a kampung, housing garden, flats or residential areas there will be many children. Due to the lockdown, many school going children have been affected. So parents would want to give extra tuition for their children. If you are good at some subjects such as English, Languages, Maths, Science, etc you can teach children. You can become a personal home tutor to younger students who need one-to-one teaching assistance.
You can charge RM 15 – 30/= per hour.
5. Front Desk Receptionist
There are many businesses such as doctors’ clinics, offices, hotels, clubs, business firms and service centres which require front desk receptionists.
A front desk receptionist represents the first point of contact with clients or customers. The responsibilities include answering phone calls, greeting and assisting customers’ inquiries. The skills you need are excellent written and verbal skills as well as competency in Microsoft Office applications.
You also have to look presentable because you represent the first impression of whoever comes to the office.
Salary: RM1,000 - 1500 per month.
6. Sales Promoters
Many businesses require promoters. They engage people to give out leaflets, samples, name cards, free gifts and vouchers to the general public. They want to publicise their products or services. If you enjoy communicating with people, working as a promoter can be a good experience.
This job can be challenging as the environment is fast-paced and very result-oriented. As a promoter, you need to provide the correct information on the products and services you are selling.
You have to assist customers in finding the best or suitable products they are looking for. Of course, training is provided in advance so that you are equipped with the knowledge required.
In Malaysia, the most common promoter job for school leavers is food or drink promoters at the supermarket. You have to attract customers’ attention to buy the products.
Salary: RM50 per day
7. Delivery Riders
If you have your own transport such as a motorcycle or car, you can be a delivery rider. Many food outlets depend on delivery riders. Many On-line businesses and courier companies also depend on delivery riders. Food delivery rider is a demanding job, although the job is dominated mainly by the male, no harm for the girls to work in this field.
Please make sure you already have your license before applying for this job. What you have to do is very direct as you only need to deliver the food to the customers. The best part about working as a food delivery rider is that you don’t have to rush to go to work. It’s up to your own schedule and timing.
All you need to do is to reactivate the food delivery service app, once you’re online, just wait for the orders to come in. Taking care of your profile and rating are important as a food delivery rider.
If you maintain your excellent rating, you will gain trust from customers.
The salary you receive depends on the number of successful orders you receive per day.
Salary: An average of RM3,000 per month.
Career Tips
There are many jobs for school-leavers. If you are not choosy, you can easily find a temporary job. Some jobs are hourly rated. Some are monthly rated. When you appear for an interview, please ask if you don’t understand the terms and conditions.
If your friends were already working in a place, it would be easier if they recommend you. Employers want to make sure they select the right candidate for the right job.
If you are a school leaver and you are working part-time, drop us a line and share your working experience. The first 10 to respond will get a free copy of “ Bagaimana Memilih Kerjaya” worth RM 20/= Write to: [email protected].
