By Dominique Duarte - Self-Help for the Everyday Barbie

How to Obtain 33 Jobs in 17 Years (20)

Post author By dominiquelduarte
Post date September 1, 2024
No Comments on How to Obtain 33 Jobs in 17 Years (20)

As a professional singer and actor, I have had a total of 33 jobs in 17 years. I have worked at least 3 jobs or more simultaneously in addition to performing over the years. Each week, I will discuss one of my former or current jobs. My twentieth job was teaching English online for Cambly and VIPKid. I still work for Cambly currently, but I stopped working at VIPKid in 2019.

VIPKid

My friend worked at VIPKid and Cambly and suggested that I apply to work for both companies. I had never heard of either platform before. VIPKid required the use of props and a nice background with decorations. So, I bought a little stuffed doll, made a classroom poster board and got a dry erase board. I completed a demo lesson and was approved to begin teaching. I taught a few trial lessons, but never really got many students on the platform.

Cambly

Cambly was a much simpler platform to teach on than VIPKid. I did not have to prepare any lessons, backgrounds, or props. On Cambly, the tutor logs on and lets the student guide the lesson. Sometimes the student chooses a lesson from the Cambly Library and we go through the lesson together. Some students just want have a fluid conversation in English.

Cambly students are from various countries. They are teens and adults who want to practice speaking English with a native speaker. My students have been from Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Brazil, Japan, China, and Turkey. Furthermore, some lessons are easier than others. Some students are extremely reserved and some are very talkative.

I have to listen very closely for grammatical errors and correct them as the errors come up in the conversation. Customer service has taught me to ask open-ended questions. At the beginning of a lesson with a new student, I ask as many open-ended questions as I can think of to get the student talking. If the student’s English is extremely limited, then I use the translation tool.

Continuing Cambly

I have taught on Cambly since 2019. Every Sunday, I sign up for priority hours to make a little extra money. Lately, I have been using Cambly to pay off debt and will continue to use it for that purpose. You earn about $10/hr on Cambly. Cambly is not going to earn you a ton of money. But, it is a little something for a rainy day or if you want to pursue a small financial goal. If you want to work for Cambly, click the link below. English must be your first language to apply.

https://www.bydominiqueduarte.com/

https://www.cambly.com/en/tutors?lang=en

https://www.vipkid.com/teach

Work & Jobs

How to Obtain 33 Jobs in 17 Year (19)

Post author By dominiquelduarte
Post date August 25, 2024
No Comments on How to Obtain 33 Jobs in 17 Year (19)

Trader Joe’s 72nd Street, New York, New York

I have had a total of 33 jobs in 17 years. I am a professional singer and actor. Did I plan on having 33 jobs in 17 years? Of course not, but life has been a crazy wild ride. There were no drugs, very little alcohol, but WORK has been my drug of choice!

I have worked at least 3 jobs or more simultaneously in addition to performing over the years. Each week, I will discuss one of my former or current jobs. My nineteenth job was Crew Member at Trader Joe’s at 72nd Street in Manhattan and later Court Street in Brooklyn.

Trader Joe’s Court Street Brooklyn, New York

Getting the Job

I went to Traders Joe’s on 72nd Street, filled out a paper application and did a short preliminary interview. Since I was going to AMDA at the time, it made more sense to apply to the 72nd Street location. The 72nd Street Trader Joe’s was massive in size and was extremely busy most of the time. I could just walk there from AMDA after classes were finished. Once I had a formal interview and was hired, I gave two weeks notice to the Disney Store in Times Square.

TJs Experience

I began working at Trader Joe’s in February 2017. In TJs training, I was still using my Disney Store energy. My Trader Joe’s trainer told me that I could tone it down a little bit, lol. Working at Trader Joe’s was a pleasant experience for the most part. I loved my co-workers and most of my mates (Trader Joe’s Managers). There were different assignments every hour or every couple of hours throughout your shift. The shift went by so much faster when you were not doing the same thing the entire shift.

Transfer Decision

The commute from 72nd street was wearing me out. It was convenient to get to work from AMDA, but once I stopped going to AMDA that commute was too long. My shifts were either 4pm until midnight or 5pm until 1am. I would not get home until 2 or 3 in the morning. NYC trains run 24/7. It is challenging to take the trains after 11pm on weeknights and on weekends.

Some trains are not running at all and most trains are running every 20 minutes instead of every 5-7 minutes. I transferred to Court Street in Brooklyn in December 2017 and it was an adjustment. There were times when I wished I had stayed at 72nd Street because other than the commute, I was more content at 72nd Street.

72nd vs. Court Street

The break room and the locker room was much larger at Court Street and the employees had a separate bathroom, which was nice. The 72nd Street sales floor was much larger in size so it did not feel as crowded as Court Street. The elevators at 72nd Street were used for guests because there were multiple floors for guests.

However, at Court Street the elevators were in the back for the crew members to use to stock the products. The products were stored in the basement, which was cumbersome. Everytime I needed to stock product or if a guest needed a product that was not on the shelf, I had to go the basement. When I closed the store at Court Street, I had to help break the pallets of product.

During closing at 72nd Street, I stocked the shelves with product, but I never had to break the pallets before. The pallets were already broken by the time I got to stock the shelves at 72nd Street. Also, I thought the management was a bit more clear with instructions and organization at 72nd Street.

Quitting

I worked at Trader Joe’s for two and a half years. I thought I would enjoy writing an order for the store, so I began writing the order for the cookies and candy section. My first Court Street Captain (general manager) was amazing, but he was transferred to the 14th Street location. The mate (manager) that took over as captain was subpar at best. He was not as strong of a leader. Lastly, I was burntout from working at Trader Joe’s by this point, so I quit in July of 2019.

https://www.traderjoes.com/home

https://www.bydominiqueduarte.com/how-to-obtain-33-jobs-in-17-years-17/

Work & Jobs

How to Obtain 33 Jobs in 17 Years (18)

Post author By dominiquelduarte
Post date August 11, 2024

I have had a total of 33 jobs in 17 years. I am a professional singer and actor. Did I plan on having 33 jobs in 17 years? Of course not, but life has been a crazy wild ride. I have worked at least 3 jobs or more simultaneously in addition to performing over the years. Each week, I will discuss one of my former or current jobs. My eighteenth job was cast member at the Disney Store in Times Square.

Interview

I moved to NYC on August 6th, 2016 and interviewed at several different places including the Disney Store. The Disney Store interview was a group interview. Group interviews are usually about an hour or more. During this style of interview, job candidates answer questions in front of all the other candidates. For the Disney group interview, we did some role play activities as well.

Hiring Process

I was hired, however, there was a snag with my hire date. Originally, I was supposed to begin working September 4th. My wallet was stolen the second week that I moved to NYC. and I needed my Driver’s License and SSN card to complete my I-9 paperwork. Finally, I got an an NYC ID and got another social security card in the mail. I officially started working at the Disney Store on September 11th, 2016.

Disney Store Experience

My uniform was very nice and the expense came out of my first couple of paychecks. The Disney Store in Times Square is an absolutely beautiful store on the inside and out. It seemed like a dream job, but it was my least favorite customer service job to date. I worked 7-9 hour shifts with an hour break and a 15- minute break.

Guest Interaction

The cast member has to be “on” the entire time, which can be exhausting after awhile. As a singer and actor, I perform for a few hours in front of an audience, but not for 7 or 8 hours. Since Times Square is a tourist area, most of the guests were from foreign countries and did not speak English. I would usually have to find another employee to translate for almost every guest that I tried to help.

Disney Guest Service

At Disney, you could not wait for the guest to ask for help. The cast member has to go up to the guest every single time that you see someone. I have worked in customer service since 2008 and learned that most guests want to browse on their own.

You should acknowledge a guest’s presence with a “Hello”, but unless they ask for assistance, they probably want to be left alone. Secondly, a Disney Cast Member has to use unique words and phrases related to Disney to describe everyday situations when interacting with a guest. It was called storytelling, I think.

Quitting

I worked at the Disney Store for only five months. Times Square is so crowded and most New Yorkers do not go to Times Square for this reason. The pay was $10 an hour, which was not enough money long term. The managers micromanaged the crew and the store was just so crowded all the time. In the winter, there was no heat in the store.

Sometimes, you would be assigned to work the front door which would be freezing. Cast members were given a company coat. The coat was not enough for the cold winds blowing through the door each time it opened and closed.

Eventually, I was hired at Trader Joe’s and gave two weeks notice to the Disney Store. I returned my uniform and name tag after my last shift. No, you are not supposed to keep your name tag, some people did, but I just returned it, lol. Your name tag has your favorite Disney character and it was super nice, but you have to give it back. Awww….

https://www.bydominiqueduarte.com/

https://www.disneystore.com/

Work & Jobs

How to Obtain 33 Jobs in 17 Years (17)

Post author By dominiquelduarte
Post date August 4, 2024
2 Comments on How to Obtain 33 Jobs in 17 Years (17)

I have worked at least 3 jobs or more simultaneously in addition to performing over the years. Each week, I will discuss one of my former or current jobs. My seventeenth job was To-Go Server at Olive Garden on Poplar Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee.

2016

In 2016, I was still working as a cashier at Cracker Barrel and continued to teach vocal lessons through my business, Beautiful Melodies. Once again, I needed another job to supplement my income. I was not rehired to work at Lamplighter Montessori in the Fall of 2015. Finding full-time employment in Memphis was extremely challenging during the three years that I lived there after graduating Murray State. So, I decided to get another part-time job to begin saving money to move to another city. In January 2016, I applied and interviewed at Olive Garden as a server.

Training

My last time serving at a restaurant was at Ryan’s Buffet & Grill in the summer of 2008. In 2016, I went to a difficult two week training to be a server at Olive Garden. It was possibly the most difficult training that I had ever had at this point in customer service. We had to memorize the lengthy menu and familiarize yourself with the wines and alcoholic drinks. There were several lecture style trainings. Then, it was time to practice being a server with the customers. I struggled with being a server, so much so that my trainer suggested that I become a to-go server instead.

To-Go Server

I trained to be a to-go server and was a to go server for about a day or so. Eventually, I ended up making the bread sticks throughout my entire shift. From February until August 2016, I would make the breadsticks during every shift. I learned what it was like to work in the kitchen area in a restaurant. It is pretty chaotic in a restaurant kitchen. I would work by myself on the the breadsticks and it got pretty hot near the ovens all day. However, I did like working by myself and the breadsticks is one of the most popular items at Olive Garden.

NYC

I decided to move to NYC on August 6th, 2016, so I quit working at Olive Garden the Sunday before that date. When I moved to NYC, I tried to transfer to the Times Square Olive Garden. But since I had only been a to go server who only made breadsticks, I could not get transferred to the Olive Garden in Times Square.

https://www.olivegarden.com/home

https://www.bydominiqueduarte.com

Work & Jobs

How to Obtain 33 Jobs in 16 Years (16)

Post author By dominiquelduarte
Post date July 28, 2024

I have worked at least 3 jobs or more simultaneously in addition to performing over the years. Each week, I will discuss one of my former or current jobs. My sixteenth job was part-time music teacher at Lamplighter Montessori School in Cordova, Tennesee.

Marketing Beautiful Melodies

In spring 2014, I contacted all of the private schools in the Memphis Community to market my business, Beautiful Melodies. A few private schools reached out to me for an interview including Lamplighter Montessori. The Lamplighter head of school told me that the current music teacher was retiring at the end of the school year. She said that I may be a good candidate to teach at their school in the fall.

Transition from Florida-Kansas

In August 2014, I got a full-time teaching job at Florida-Kansas Elementary. The Head of School at Lamplighter Montessori reached out to me during my first or second week at Florida-Kansas. She asked if I was still interested in becoming a part-time music teacher at her school. Florida Kansas Elementary had too much chaos and was not a healthy work environment. So, I left Florida-Kansas and became a part-time music teacher at Lamplighter Montessori for the 2014-2015 school year.

Experience

I worked as an independent contractor at Lamplighter. Since I only worked at Lamplighter on Mondays and Fridays, I continued to work at Cracker Barrel and St. George’s on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Also, I had rehearsals for Opera Memphis throughout for the 2014-2015 season. Since I only came in to work two days a week, I did not get to know the other staff members at all.

Furthermore, music education was still very new to me because I studied vocal performance in college. Lesson planning was a bit challenging for me. I had never taught orff music. There was no curriculum at this school, so I planned everything from scratch. I used some of the orff music books at the school. I went to an orff music training to become more familiar with teaching orff music.

Leaving

Lastly, I liked working at this school and wanted to continue working there, but I was told that the school could not afford to hire me another year. This was unfortunate, but I would have been moving to NYC in fall 2016, so it worked out for the best.

https://www.bydominiqueduarte.com/how-to-obtain-33-jobs-in-17-years-14/

https://www.lamplighterschool.org/

Work & Jobs

How to Obtain 33 Jobs in 17 Years (15)

Post author By dominiquelduarte
Post date July 14, 2024

I have worked at least 3 jobs or more simultaneously in addition to performing over the years. Each week, I will discuss one of my former or current jobs. My fifteenth job was after-school theatre teacher for Playhouse on the Square.

Experience

The education director at Playhouse on the Square reached out to me via Facebook messenger. She asked if I would be interested in teaching theatre after-school. Then, I went to a training on a Saturday where the staff played theatre games and learned about how to manage the program with the students. Each theatre teacher was assigned a different school site. My assignment was Christ the King Lutheran School with a group of sixth and seventh graders.

Christ the King Lutheran Church and School, Memphis, Tennessee

This was only my second time working with middle school students. I had more experience teaching music than teaching theatre. I have been in several musicals, but teaching theatre was a bit more difficult for me. There were only a few students in my group, but the students were a handful for sure. The students brainstormed and came up with play ideas. We picked one of the ideas and wrote a script together that the students performed in front of an audience at Circuit Playhouse. Overall, the students did a great performance. I was proud of the students for all of their hard work and effort.

Quitting

Performing is my passion, but teaching theatre to students is a different skill set entirely. I needed more training to be more effective as a theatre teacher. I did not enjoy teaching theatre, so I decided not to return to the program the following semester. This job was a nice side hustle to make a little extra money.

https://playhouseonthesquare.org/education

https://www.bydominiqueduarte.com/how-to-obtain-33-jobs-in-17-years-14/

Self-Help on Life

2024 How to Examine the First Half

Post author By dominiquelduarte
Post date July 7, 2024

We reached the end of the 2nd Quarter of 2024 on June 30th! Six months of 2024 are now complete. My second quarter was much better than my first quarter for sure. During the second quarter, I maintained my full-time job, performed and recorded an album with the Fire Ensemble.

I started rehearsals for a play for the Queens One Act Festival. Furthermore, I am cooking food at home more consistently than I ever have in my life. So in order to examine your first half of the year, reflect on your goals and analyze your last six months.

Reflect on Your Goals

If you do not have any goals yet, write some personal goals for 2024 today! You still have six months left to take action on those new goals. If you already have your goals, take a look at each goal and see how you are progressing on each goal. What things went well during the past six months? What things need improvement for the second half of the year? Do not beat yourself up if things did not get accomplished. You have two more quarters to go this year, so give yourself some grace.

Analyze Your Last 6 Months

Next, you will go through each goal that you had for the new year. You will ask yourself: Did I actively work toward the goal? Did I accomplish the goal? What actions did I take to work toward this goal this quarter? What improvements do I need to make to accomplish this goal by the end of 2024.

Analyzing My Last Six Months for One of My Goals

My first goal this year was to cook meals at home and reach my goal weight. For the past six months, I have been actively working toward this goal. I have not reached my goal weight yet, but I have lost some weight this quarter. In order to cook meals at home and reach my goal weight, I began prepping my brunch on Sundays and eating the prepped brunch throughout the week at work.

When I come home from work, I usually get a snack and then cook something for dinner. During the second quarter, I began buying a bag of M&M minis and put two tablespoons into small plastic bags. I would put the small plastic bag of M&M’s in my lunch box. This would be my sugar for the day. This helped lower my sugar intake a little bit, but I still have a long way to go in order to reduce my sugar intake completely.

Take Action

Congrats you have made it halfway through 2024! You got this! Tackle your goals and make the most of the next six months. Reflect on your goals and analyze the last six months in order to take action on completing your goals by the end of the year.

https://www.bydominiqueduarte.com/

https://secrettheatre.com/whats-on/

Work & Jobs

How to Obtain 33 Jobs in 17 Years (14)

Post author By dominiquelduarte
Post date June 30, 2024
2 Comments on How to Obtain 33 Jobs in 17 Years (14)

Community, former teachers, leaders speak out over principal's resignation — Florida-Kansas Elementary School- Memphis Tennessee

I have worked at least 3 jobs or more simultaneously in addition to performing over the years. Each week, I will discuss one of my former or current jobs. My fourteenth job was music teacher at Florida Kansas Elementary and Hickory Ridge Elementary. Yes I taught at both schools simultaneously.

Summer 2014

In the summer of 2014, I was off from work with St. Georges Independent for the summer. I taught vocal lessons through my business, Beautiful Melodies and continued to work at Cracker Barrel in the mornings. Also, I had rehearsals as well as two performances in Once on this Island at Hattiloo Theatre. I was working, but the work was still not providing enough financially. I decided to apply to be a full-time teacher at Shelby County Schools in Memphis, Tennessee.

SCS Interview Process

The process to get in the Shelby County Schools Teaching Pool was long. In order to become a teacher anywhere, you usually have about three to four interviews to get a position. After I did a mock lesson over the phone, I was put in the SCS Teaching Pool, which meant that I could apply for public schools as a music teacher. I interviewed at a few schools, but finally got an offer to work at Florida-Kansas Elementary in Memphis.

Florida-Kansas Troubles

Soon, I learned that Florida-Kansas had signficant problems the previous school year. The former principal resigned after the discovery of audio recordings where she called students the n-word and told teachers to rig the state exams. For more information on this story:

https://www.actionnews5.com/story/25478958/community-former-teachers-leaders-speak-out-over-principals-resignation/

The new princpal who hired me had only been at the school for about a week at the time of my interview. He was a nice person, but a bit disorganized. The school population had signficantly decreased over the years and the school closed after the 2014-2015 school year.

Experience

On the student’s first day of school, I was appalled at how the adults were speaking to the students. During lunch, the guidance counselor berated students about their test scores from the previous year and told them they would be doing work during lunch from now on. This infuriated me and I spoke to the principal about her behavior. He told me that this was not acceptable and he would talk with her.

Hickory Ridge Elementary School, Memphis TN Rankings & Reviews - Homes.com — Hickory Ridge Elementary School-Memphis, Tennessee

Futhermore, since Florida-Kansas had such low student enrollment, I was also assigned to work at Hickory Ridge Elementary two days a week. If Hickory Ridge Elementary had been my main assigned school, I probably would have finished out the school year with that school. Hickory Ridge Elementary was a much calmer, positive, and more organized environment with more support. I even met my former elementary school P.E. teacher at that school, which was a nice surprise. At Florida-Kansas, I was beginning to breakdown mentally because the environment was too stressful.

Resignation

Two weeks into my time at this school, I was contacted by the head of school at Lampligher Montessori with an offer to teach there. I jumped on this opportunity and resigned from Florida-Kansas Elementary. In order to leave SCS in good standing, you have to give 30-day notice. I did give 30 day notice, but could barely make it through the last 30 days. After 30 days, I began working as a music teacher part-time at Lamplighter Montessori School in Cordova, Tennessee.

Lessons Learned

Florida-Kansas was my first salaried job and I was so excited to get the job. However, it was not a good work environment for anyone. More money does not always equal happiness at work. But, part of me wishes that I had stayed a bit longer to pay off my student loans. Once the school year ended, I would have been moved to another school since Florida-Kansas ended up closing at the end of the 2014-2015. Hindsight is 20/20 and this is a common theme in my 33 Jobs in 17 Years journey.

https://www.bydominiqueduarte.com/how-to-obtain-33-jobs-in-17-years-13

Work & Jobs

How to Obtain 33 Jobs in 17 Years (13)

Post author By dominiquelduarte
Post date June 23, 2024
1 Comment on How to Obtain 33 Jobs in 17 Years (13)

There were no drugs, very little alcohol, but WORK has been my drug of choice! I have worked at least 3 jobs or more simultaneously in addition to performing over the years. Each week, I will discuss one of my former or current jobs. My thirteenth job was cashier at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store & Restaurant.

2014

In 2014, I was working part-time at St. Georges Independent School. However, I needed another job to supplement my income. My need for supplemental income would become a common theme throughout my adult life. This is what lead to me working multiple part-time jobs instead of one full-time job over the years. One day, my parents and I went out to eat at Cracker Barrel and I asked the server for a job application. I filled out the application at home and went in-person to turn it in the next day.

Interview

When I went in-person to Cracker Barrel with my resume and application, I was interviewed on the spot. I met with the retail manager and she asked me if I wanted to be a server or a cashier. I told her that I prefered being a cashier. Servers have to make their money from their tips because the hourly wage is usually $2.14 an hour. I needed a consistent paycheck, so being a cashier was the best option for me.

Schedule

Since I worked at St. George’s Independent in the afternoons, I worked at Cracker Barrel at 6am Mondays through Thursdays. I was given about 15-20 hours a week. Furthermore, I had rehearsals and performances for shows in Memphis until 10pm or 11pm. 2014 marked the first year that I began working three jobs. This eventually became the norm for me throughout my life.

Communication Skills

In the mornings, I was the only cashier for the first four or five hours of my shift. I learned how to communicate with people through this job. I had to answer the phone as well as check out guests after their meal or when they bought something from the store. This pushed me out of my shyness a bit more because I was the first person the guests would see when they would enter the restaurant.

In 2014, I read How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. This book taught me how to become more curious about people. I used to fear talking to new people, but I began starting conversations more consistently. Additionally, when I booked Hairspray in Little Rock, Arkansas, I transferred to the Cracker Barrel there temporarily. When my contract ended, I returned to the Memphis location.

Cracker Barrel Pay

For a short period of time, I also worked as a prep cook to get additional hours at the job. In Memphis, working in customer service is challenging because you do not get very many hours and your wage is extremely low. My wage at Cracker Barrel started at $8.25 an hour and went up to $8.75 before I left the company.

When you go to Cracker Barrel, you will notice that the employees have stars on their aprons. If you earned a new star, you would get a tiny raise, only about a few cents. In order to get a star, you had to take a short test and work there for a certain amount of time. Eventually, I got three stars on my apron, but left the company before getting my fourth star.

General Manager

I had quite a few managers throughout my time at the Hacks Cross Cracker Barrel. Most managers were great and a few of them were not so good. However, this is quite common when you work at a customer service job. My first general manager passed away suddenly during my time there. He had been the general manager for several years. The store was probably at its’ best when he was in charge of the store. The staff took it hard when he died because he was beloved at that location.

Leaving

I moved to NYC in August 2016. I had to quit Cracker Barrel on August 4, 2016, two days before I flew to NYC. There were no Cracker Barrel’s in NYC so I could not transfer to a different location. I thoroughly enjoyed working at Cracker Barrel overall. It was not perfect, but I worked there for 2.5 years. I am super grateful for my time at Cracker Barrel This job opened up more work opportunities when I moved to NYC.

https://www.crackerbarrel.com/

https://www.bydominiqueduarte.com/

Work & Jobs

How to Obtain 33 Jobs in 17 Years (12)

Post author By dominiquelduarte
Post date June 16, 2024

Photo by Ivan Bertolazzi on Pexels.com

How many jobs do you think you have had in your life so far? I have had a total of 33 jobs in 17 years. I am a professional singer and actor. Did I plan on having 33 jobs in 17 years? Of course not, but life has been a crazy wild ride. There were no drugs, very little alcohol, but WORK has been my drug of choice! I have worked at least 3 jobs or more simultaneously in addition to performing over the years. Each week, I will discuss one of my former or current jobs. My twelfth job was assistant musical director and after-school teacher at St. George’s Independent School in Germantown, Tennessee.

2013

2013 was a rough year for me! It was my first year as an adult after graduating college. I could not find a job in Memphis other than sales, not even part-time. By late August 2013, I had moved to NYC for three weeks and returned home and sold insurance at AFLAC for four months and made no money. What was even worse was that my best friend died in a car accident in April 2013 and I was devastated. I felt more depressed than ever during my first year out of college. The only highlight that year was that I performed in my first professional musical.

Teaching

In college, I always said that I never wanted to be a teacher or work with children. I guess the Lord had other plans. My college classmates were music education majors, but I was a vocal music performance major. I had never worked with children before other than at Camp Thunderbird in Minnesota. However, I was the assistant office manager at the camp, so I never actually worked with the children at all. Also, when I was a child, I did not fit in with other kids very well.

St. George’s Independent School

One day, I randomly went to the football practice of one of my distant cousins. I do not know how I ended up going to this because I had never gone to a football practice before in my life. My older cousin and another parent suggested that I apply to work at St. George’s since I was struggling to find work in Memphis. I applied to the school as a substitute teacher. I printed and filled out an application and went in-person with my resume. Thanks to the kind secretary, I was interviewed on the spot with the principal.

Interview

During the interview, the principal told me that I did not have enough experience working with children to be a substitute teacher. But a God Wink happened because he noticed that I had a music degree. He asked the fine arts teacher to come into the interview. He decided to hire me as her assist for their semester musicals and also hired me to work at the regular after-school program to gain more experience working with children.

Experience

I began working at St. George’s in September 2013. I worked part-time for the 2013-2014 school year for the after-school program and assisted with the fall and spring musicals. For the 2014-2015 school year, I only assisted with the musicals, because I had gotten a full-time job at another school. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at this school. My first vocal students went to St. Georges. One parent at the school has been a job reference for me for years as well as the fine arts teacher.

During the first semester, it was scary at first because there were 50 students who signed up to be in the musical Annie. The fine arts teacher and I worked with all 50 students for the musical rehearsals. The parents, staff and students were extremely kind and it was a pretty peaceful atmosphere to work in. I built a close relationship with the fine arts teacher and still keep in contact with her today.

Life of Teaching

Working at St. George’s was the catalyst for my job opportunities in education over the last 11 years. If I had not gotten at job there, I may never have been qualified enough to ever work in education at all. When I worked at St. George’s part-time, I felt at peace. Private schools have much smaller class sizes.

The secretary, the principal, and the fine arts teacher opened a door for me that changed my life. Working in education has given me another way to make income other than performing or customer service. I would not have my current job as a teacher’s assistant if I had never worked at St. George’s Independent School. The Lord does work in mysterious ways. Overall, I will always be grateful for the opportunity to work at St. George’s.

https://www.bydominiqueduarte.com/how-to-obtain-33-jobs-in-17-years-11/

https://www.sgis.org/employment