Source
r/makemychoice•
SmartShark

Clean pools or wait tables during college?

I've known for a while that my current career isn't something I want to stick with forever, and now at 26 I've finally decided to quit and pursue a degree in engineering. I've got work narrowed down to a couple of options;

Clean pools: I spent a few years after high school cleaning pools, it's a familiar job that would be easy for me to get back into. It's not very enjoyable, but I would pretty much never have to work nights and weekends.

Wait tables: The service industry is intriguing because I like the idea of a more fun, social work environment. All of my past work experience for the last 8 years has consisted of me working by myself most of the time, and I'm naturally a pretty social person so that hasn't been the greatest. That being said, it is a little intimidating to imagine learning a whole new skill set for this, plus kind of a bummer to think I'll be working most nights and weekends.

Posted Mar 10, 2019, 8:29 PM UTC

24
suckingalemon•

Both seem to have advantages.

Pick one and if it doesn’t work out swap to the other.

What sort of engineering?

2
SmartSharkOP•

I'm not totally sure yet honestly. I wish there was a guide to deciding, with how many different types of engineering there are.

Aerospace, mechanical, and nuclear all interest me, but that's mostly based on my pre-conceived notions of them.

1
Lilliaal•

Clean pools. People suck, especially hungry people.

1
ParthenaSLW•

Wait tables. You are a socialable guy and you said you wanted to try something more socialable. As someone who works in customer service while attending college. It's rewarding in a lot of ways. Occasionally, you'll get assholes, though that is expected. Most of the time customers will be polite. (Atleast in my experience.) I had a man in a wheel chair thank me for putting milk on the lower racks because he could not reach and noticed when I started working there I would do that every weekend.

If worse comes to worse, you are welcome to leave that job and find another job. Also, you could be a delivery driver for a restaurant, or choose another job that involves working with customers like a cashier or a stocker.

Best of luck to you.

1