The Job Came With Fringe Benefits
November 8, 2009 10:22 PM Subscribe
What odd jobs have you had that came with interesting perks?
This post was deleted for the following reason: chatfilter. -- mathowie
I was a writer's assistant for a show that, during my time there, had to audition a new character who would spend the entire series in a bikini. I had to film many of those auditions.
posted by Doctor Suarez at 10:33 PM on November 8, 2009
posted by Doctor Suarez at 10:33 PM on November 8, 2009
I work at a retirement home part of a hospital network, and us workers get a nice scholarship if we work at least so many hours in the year and are going to school.
posted by tweedle at 11:09 PM on November 8, 2009
posted by tweedle at 11:09 PM on November 8, 2009
When I was an intern at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, I had access to every exhibit for free, including exhibits currently under construction. That was fun, because at the time they were completely redoing their Greek and Roman sculpture section, and I got to examine all sorts of priceless artifacts up close without that godawful beeping of the proximity censors.
I also often had to wander around the complex undercarriage of the museum, which is a system of tunnels of varying states of repair and age, and often would just come across amazing works of art casually draped and left in a corner. Since I worked there, they've totally redone the museum, and I wonder if many of those tunnels are still accessible.
posted by Mizu at 11:12 PM on November 8, 2009
I also often had to wander around the complex undercarriage of the museum, which is a system of tunnels of varying states of repair and age, and often would just come across amazing works of art casually draped and left in a corner. Since I worked there, they've totally redone the museum, and I wonder if many of those tunnels are still accessible.
posted by Mizu at 11:12 PM on November 8, 2009
Many years ago I worked at a classified ads newspaper that boasted fresh squeezed orange juice and massages as benefits.
posted by chez shoes at 11:18 PM on November 8, 2009
posted by chez shoes at 11:18 PM on November 8, 2009
I worked for a company that took pictures of guests as they walked into Six Flags Magic Mountain. While I only worked there for 4 months, I kept my employee ID and I was able to get into the park through the employee entrance for free for 2-3 years afterwards. This was back in 1998 so the guard just looked at the ID on the way in instead of swiping it or anything.
posted by sideshow at 11:21 PM on November 8, 2009
posted by sideshow at 11:21 PM on November 8, 2009
In the early 00's I took a job in NYC working with Macy's parent company, Federated Merchandising Group. Macy's is of course well known for their public events promotion, particularly the Independence Day fireworks show, the annual flower exhibition, and of course the most famous of them all - the Thanksgiving Day parade. They very smartly staff these events with "volunteer" employees who have regular day-jobs working for the company.
My divisional boss, the nutjob who headed up merchandising for men's tailored clothing for all of Macy's and their (at the time) sister divisions, happened to be a well-tenured balloon pilot for the parade, and an avid recruiter of new pilots. Most of my coworkers in the fashion industry were either women or fabulously gay men, most of whom had little or no interest in taking responsibility for 60-some people holding down a massive inflated canvass toy. My response, when he asked me, however, if I was interested in guiding one through the frozen tundra of Manhattan: OH HELL YES.
So this is how I first came to find myself walking backwards around the parking lot outside Giants' stadium on a cool October Saturday morning, with orange gloves on and a whistle, directing a bunch of store employees from NJ who were holding down one of the training balloons.
And then the much-awaited day comes when they announce who is piloting which balloons - a secretive and very suspect process leads up to this in which the most senior employees flex their considerable muscle behind the scenes to influence their ability to get the newest and most coveted balloons. I, as a new rookie pilot peon, of course had no say and would be piloting whatever dregs fell from their table as they greedily picked their stallions of choice (yet still they are to this day "awarded" in an announcement as if the process is actually legitimate).
And of course, I ended up with the balloon that I would have picked if I could have had my choice - the one no one else wanted - I was the pilot for the Where the Wild Things Are balloon, in my first Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.
Suck it, Spiderman.
I've typed about it before around here, so I'm quoting what I wrote about it before, cause I'm lazy today.
posted by allkindsoftime at 11:23 PM on November 8, 2009
My divisional boss, the nutjob who headed up merchandising for men's tailored clothing for all of Macy's and their (at the time) sister divisions, happened to be a well-tenured balloon pilot for the parade, and an avid recruiter of new pilots. Most of my coworkers in the fashion industry were either women or fabulously gay men, most of whom had little or no interest in taking responsibility for 60-some people holding down a massive inflated canvass toy. My response, when he asked me, however, if I was interested in guiding one through the frozen tundra of Manhattan: OH HELL YES.
So this is how I first came to find myself walking backwards around the parking lot outside Giants' stadium on a cool October Saturday morning, with orange gloves on and a whistle, directing a bunch of store employees from NJ who were holding down one of the training balloons.
And then the much-awaited day comes when they announce who is piloting which balloons - a secretive and very suspect process leads up to this in which the most senior employees flex their considerable muscle behind the scenes to influence their ability to get the newest and most coveted balloons. I, as a new rookie pilot peon, of course had no say and would be piloting whatever dregs fell from their table as they greedily picked their stallions of choice (yet still they are to this day "awarded" in an announcement as if the process is actually legitimate).
And of course, I ended up with the balloon that I would have picked if I could have had my choice - the one no one else wanted - I was the pilot for the Where the Wild Things Are balloon, in my first Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.
Suck it, Spiderman.
I've typed about it before around here, so I'm quoting what I wrote about it before, cause I'm lazy today.
posted by allkindsoftime at 11:23 PM on November 8, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
When I worked for a food company I got lots of that companies products as well as a ton of 'freebies' from other companies. The last hour or so of a trade show everyone is running around trading what they brought for other stuff- Shipping costs being what they are, if you have to ship product to and from a show, it's no longer a profitable batch of product. So everyone trades and brings home huge bags of stuff. I had about $700 worth of truffles from a very well known choclatier in the fridge on year. It RULED. Also, if there was booze at the event you could sneak a few jars of whatever you had over to the bar and get a bottle for yourself and your fellow staffers. If you've been on your feet for 10 hours giving a marketing pitch, it's nice to pretend to tie your laces and catch a nip. Hah! I could tell tales, MefiMail me if that's what you're interested in. Anyway, those were probably the sweetest perks. Cases of high end product loaded into a backpack. I lived with 5 other people- I felt like a conquering hero returning from the mysterious East or something.
posted by GilloD at 10:28 PM on November 8, 2009