Post College-getting a menial PT sales/retail job to meet people

[RiverFenix]

My roommate and I both have jobs that don't afford us a lot of contact with people our age and we're looking to remedy that. My roommate worked at several J. Crews throughout college and always met a ton of girls that were on staff and customers. Anyway, that sounded pretty good to me and today we applied for jobs at J. Crew in our local mall.

Anyway, I guess the crux of the post is that I'm really getting cold feet about actually taking the job (roommate is friends w/ the managers and they said pretty much no problem getting it). My pride is really getting in the way and I keep telling myself that making slightly over minimum wage and working retail after university is pretty embarrassing. Case in point my roommate and I were hanging out with a girl that I went to university with who is now attending law school and when he told her we were thinking about it she just laughed at me and said that didn't sound like me at all.

So I guess I'm wondering if any other 2p2ers have ever done something like this and if they had any sort of problems doing it. How many hours a week did you dedicate too? I'm only looking to do 8-14 or so.

Also, are there any, better alternatives? I think most forms of volunteering stink and my roommate won't do them anyway (and I want to work with him). Get a job at an equally social place (bar?)? Local sports leagues are another option but I don't like winter options (volleyball, basketball) but I'll be joining the spring soccer league. I'm really hoping there are other people out there like me who can give some opinions or stories or whatever.

[Los Feliz Slim]

Every restaurant I've ever worked in was extremely social during and after work. The pay is much better, the crowd is rowdier, and hopefully you won't have to work in a mall. Working retail in a mall sounds just terrible.

[XXXNoahXXX]

haha, yeah lets see how long this lasts when you spend 15 minutes everyday flirting with girls and then get stuck folding clothes in the back for six hours.

At least bartending or waiting tables will pay a bit better and is in an environment where it will be much easier to meet people.

[Ken_AA]

Is money any aspect of this situation?

Should you go to Grad school?

Ken

[MicroBob]

I would rather work in a bar/coffee place than in a mall I think. Especially J. Crew.
But that's just me. If you heard that you can meet all kinds of people including some half-decent girls then it wouldn't surprise me.

I think your hang-ups about taking such an unspectacular job might get in your way though. If somebody laughs then why do you care wtf they think?

I also think there are ways of meeting other people and/or friends than taking a job in retail. But my social-life is pretty minimal lately so I probably shouldn't talk.
I played rec-soccer for several years and made some friends and had fun. But not really any close friendships imo even though we would go out to bars after games sometimes, etc.
Mostly just a bunch of people whose names I knew who I would see a couple times a week to play soccer with.

[Phil153]

It comes down to what matters to you. You've got the rest of your to be an office stiff. While you're in your 20s, doing what you want and meeting hot girls is pretty much priority, TBH this preppy stuff just sounds like BS to me. I went through a similar phase after college, I hated the work I was qualified for and couldn't stand a 9-5, so I swallowed my pride and went and worked in a club. Yeah it's a drop on the social scale, and some people do think less of you for it (especially if you were a preppy [censored] before), but those people are usually old way before their time and probably not worth the trouble.

Dumb question: why aren't clubs an option? If you're not shy they're such an easy way to meet people. I don't understand the point of getting a job just to meet people if you already have one. Also, your other ideas (volunteering, etc) suck.

edit: also, bar >>>>>> mall. If you live in a touristy place, resorts are great as well.

[RiverFenix]

Ken_AA,
The money at this job isn't important and probably would just be spent going out. I haven't done enough post college to get into a grad school that I'd want to and it may not be the right career path for me anyway.

Noah & LFS,
Do you think it will suck that much? I worked clothing retail once for a summer at the beach once and it was basically busy in spurts and the rest of the time was goofing off w/ employees. I really think restaurant/bar would be better and there are a lot around me. Should I give J. Crew a chance for a few weeks?

[NajdorfDefense]

Bar/club/beach bar and club ftw.

JCrew? Am I being leveled?? Good luck learning the triple fold or whatever gap girls do.

[XXXNoahXXX]

RF,

Working retail when you are a pimply-faced 15 year old sucks. Doing it when you don't really need to money is going to be so bad that you will quit after a week and think "wtf was i thinking". It borders on mind-numbing.

[daryn]

i've been thinking of this myself lately: