Category: Jobs

Jobs

$9,800 a year as a Louisville coffee house barista. But even this dame couldn’t get hired there

time-clockBoulevard reports extensively on executive pay at big local employers. But we also look at what folks make down in the trenches — and behind those huge commercial espresso machines. This is from a recent ad in The Courier-Journal’s help-wanted section for Louisville.

The job: Starbucks barista.

The duties: If you guessed, make “coffee.” Or even, make one of those obnoxious Starbucks orders, like a “venti, half-whole milk, one-quarter 1%, one-quarter non-fat, extra-hot, split-quad shots, no-foam latte, with whip, two packets of Splenda, one sugar-in-the-raw, a touch of vanilla syrup, and three short sprinkles of cinnamon” — well, you’d still be off.

The Seattle-based purveyor of coffee culture says being a barista actually means “contributing to Starbucks success by providing legendary customer service.” Of course, it’s not all that vague. You’ll need to

  • Maintain a calm demeanor during periods of high volume or unusual events to keep the store operating to standard and to set a positive example for the team.

On the other hand, some of it does sound awfully touchy-feely/New Age-y. For example, be prepared to

  • Anticipate customer and store needs by constantly evaluating customers for “cues.” You’ll need to pass along that information to a manager so the team can respond as necessary to create the required “Third Place” environment.

Ditto for

  • Recognizing “alarms,” or changes in co-worker morale and passing that along, too.

Perhaps most surprising to anyone who’s visited a Louisville Starbucks recently, there really is a limit to what you can wear, because the dress code

  • Prohibits displaying tattoos, piercings in excess of two per ear, and unnatural hair colors, such as blue or pink.

What it pays: Maddeningly, the ad doesn’t post this most important information. But employment site Glassdoor reports the nationwide average for Starbucks baristas is $9.42 an hour. Working 20 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, you’d make about $9,800, before taxes.

Related: You say “barista,” we say “baristo” — or do we?

Photo, top: Dame Helen Mirren was briefly tickled pink at the BAFTA Awards ceremony in 2013.

Jobs

$17,000 to $23,000 a year: Blue is the new black in this Louisville job. (Just don’t have sex with the ‘clients’)

time-clockBoulevard reports extensively on executive pay at big local employers. But we also look at what folks make in the trenches — and in the slammer. This is from a recent ad in Craigslist’s etcetera help-wanted section in Louisville.

The job: halfway house corrections officer.

The duties: You’ll work at Community Transitional Services, a private Louisville halfway house under contract with the state Department of Corrections where paroled inmates land first after prison. Corrections officers count heads, monitor resident behavior, conduct searches for contraband, including drugs and alcohol surveillance, etc. (Boulevard worries about what “etcetera” might include.)

If this weren’t enticing enough, consider the wonderful work schedule: Full-time positions involve 12-hour shifts starting at 7 a.m. or 7 p.m., three and four days weekly,  alternating days every other week, with every other weekend off. Got that?

To qualify, applicants need a GED or high school diploma; a valid driver’s license, and a clean criminal background check (duh). Individuals on supervised parole needn’t apply (double-duh).

Big trouble in the house

Private lockups everywhere have a troubled history, and this place is no exception. Near the corner of 15th and Jefferson streets in the Russell community, CTS lost 329 offenders in 2013, when WDRB examined its history; nearly 1,000 had fled illegally since 2010. The company charged the state $31.61 per inmate daily, or $7,081 per day when the TV station visited. It’s had the corrections department contract since 2009.

Did we mention residents’ complaints about being sexually abused? In 2014, they lodged abuse allegations seven times; just two incidents were substantiated, according to the most recent report made public under the Prison Rape Elimination Act. None of them involved CTS staff, according to the report, which didn’t identify the offenders.

What it pays: $9.25 a hour, or $17,316 to $23,088 a year, depending on the number of days worked weekly.

Photo, top: Actor Matt McGorry as Corrections Officer John Bennet in Netflix’s dark comedy series Orange is the New Black, about a for-profit women’s prison. Here’s the trailer for season four, which starts June 17:

Jobs

$40,000 to $65,000: job duties that’ll make your head spin faster than a pizza tossed overhead

time-clockBoulevard reports extensively on executive pay at big local employers. But we also look at what folks are making down in the trenches and, in this case, elbow-deep in the dough. We caught this Craigslist help-wanted ad placed yesterday for a clutch of Boston-area Papa John’s restaurants. Because time is money, we’re giving you a condensed job description first, followed by the full monty for those with too much time on their hands.

The job: Papa John’s restaurant general manager.

The duties: Turn a profit. Hire lots of part-time employees every year, because turnover is high at fast-food restaurants. Find new customers, make sure they’re happy, and don’t give them food poisoning. Keep enough dough, tomato sauce, etc., on hand — but don’t waste any, either. Watch the till. And process a mind-numbing amount of paperwork.

What it pays: $40,000 to $65,000, including a potential $15,000 annual bonus. That would work out to $19.23 an hour on the low end and $31.25 on the high end, assuming a 40-hour week all year long. But let’s face it, this job could require twice as many hours, which means those hourly wages would be slashed in half.

And speaking of spinning dough:

Read on for the full text of the recruiting advertisement. Continue reading “$40,000 to $65,000: job duties that’ll make your head spin faster than a pizza tossed overhead” →

Jobs

$25 per hour: Here’s a job so unusual, it’ll probably leave friends scratching their heads

time-clockBoulevard reports extensively on executive pay at big local employers. But we also look at what folks are making down in the trenches — or, in this case, up in the heads. Here’s a recent ad from Craigslist’s salon/spa/fitness category of Louisville job listings.

The job: head lice removal technician.

The description: Lice Doctors is looking for people who can work part-time, on-call — and away from an office, because you’ll likely treat families in their home or another agreed-upon location. To qualify, you must have experience removing head lice, either professionally or on family and friends; be able to find small nits in hair, and have reliable transportation, a valid driver’s license, and proof of auto insurance. Ideally, you have already worked in healthcare (such as a nurse, home health aide, certified nursing assistant, or phlebotomist); as a hairdresser, and with children.

What the ad doesn’t say seems nearly as important, according to the company’s website: You must be willing to tell people what you do for a living, in a conversation that goes like this:

“You’re a what?!”

“A lice remover.”

” . . . so you pick lice out of people’s hair?”

“Yep.”

“Does it work? Can you really get rid of the lice? Do you clean their whole house or something?”

“It works 100%. I can really get rid of the lice and I don’t do anything with the home because that isn’t necessary. All the focus and energy goes towards the head and hair.”

“Do you use a pesticide or something?”

“No, I use olive oil.”

“Olive oil?!”

“Yep.”

What it pays: $25 per hour, plus travel expenses. (Lice Doctors charges customers $125 for the first hour, then $110 for each additional hour.) At that hourly rate, working 20 hours a week (plus many extra hours after school starts, we imagine), you’d earn $26,000 a year.

Related: Yes, you really can use olive oil to treat lice. Plus, Amazon sells 143 different lice removal kits.

Jobs

Road rage! Two identical Louisville jobs. Which one pays three times more than the other?

Time clockBoulevard reports extensively on executive pay at big local employers. But we also look at what folks are making down in the trenches — in this example, along the streets.

Both major ride-sharing services — the 21st-century taxi companies — are advertising for Louisville drivers in Craigslist’s etcetera job listings.

Uber’s pitch: Meet your financial goals. Signing up takes less than 4 minutes, earnings area deposited directly into your bank account weekly; set your own driving schedule. To qualify, you need a four-door vehicle; valid driver’s license, be at least 21, own a smartphone, and have car registration and insurance. What it pays: $512 a week.

Lyft’s pitch: Drivers choose their own hours, drive their own car, and cash out whenever you want to, with payment directly deposited into your bank account weekly. As with Uber, to qualify you must have a four-door car, but from year 2004 or newer, be at least 21, own an iPhone or Android, and have a clean driving record and personal auto insurance. What it pays: a lot more, up to $1,500 a week.

Photo, top: The 1958–82 Checker A series cabs are the most famous taxi vehicles in the U.S.

Jobs

The only uniform required for this Louisville job is your birthday suit

Time clockBoulevard reports extensively on executive pay at big local employers. But we also look at what folks are making down in the trenches, sometimes for very peculiar work. Here’s a recent jaw-dropper from Craigslist’s creative gigs help-wanted listings in Louisville.

The job: Specialty maid/housekeeper for weekends.

The description: I live alone in a six-bedroom, four-bath house. I have a tendency to host very large, very lavish, and sometimes very prestigious parties on Friday nights, leaving me with a large mess to clean on my weekends. You must be detail-oriented and extremely thorough. You must be willing to clean my home completely naked. Absolutely no sexual acts or favors will be asked or expected of you. You will simply be required to clean my home in the nude. Looking to possibly make this a regular gig. Please respond with your interest, terms, and photos of yourself.

What it pays: $500 to $1,000 per weekend.

Boulevard thinks the advertiser should have specified the prospective employee’s gender.