Cruising down state highway 17 for the past couple of months has been the greatest thing to have come my way since graduating college.
The windows are down, the music is blasting, everyone is laughing, and I’m having a blast. Everyone’s happy, even my wallet.
I work from 7:30 until 10:00, have a HUGE break in the middle of the day (which I’ll tell you about in a little bit), and then I go back to work from 2:00 to 5:00.
If you’re living with your parents and sick of looking for jobs on LinkedIn, this is the one for you.
If you’re still not convinced, here are some more reasons that you should hop in the driver’s seat and take this opportunity by the reins.
Your Coworkers are f@$%ing amazing
People that work with kids are some of the best damn people in the world.
They are funny, they don’t create drama, and you all bond in the circus of a job that childcare is.
The Hours Are Incredible
You get a FAT break in the middle of the day. If you are hungry and ambitious for a good life, then you will have no problem utilizing this time.
It’s Really Easy
Aside from the occasional need to quiet everyone down, you’re really just getting paid handsomely to drive. That’s it, and that’s all it ever will be.
Playing the quiet game helps too.
Time to Work on Your Career
I haven’t even told you about the best part of this job. It’s not fun. It isn’t its ease. It isn’t even the compensation.
It’s having the time to invest in the things you are passionate about.
Many choose not to pursue their passions, and that is simply not ok.
How many people do you know who are already in corporate jobs that simply “pay the bills?” It’s sad to see so many of my friends already choosing the “live to work” route.
BUT THAT’S NOT YOU!!
You’re hungry. You’re ambitious. And your goal has always been to have a job that you look forward to.
The best part about being a bus driver is spending send all the time you want learning in-demand job skills and building a professional network. Here are some things I do during my break in the day:
- write here on Medium (which pays a decent amount)
- take free online courses on YouTube. I learned Adobe Illustrator with this course
- Take paid online courses on Domestika, Coursera, or Udemy. They cost as low as $10
- build my professional network by asking people if I could interview them about their professional career
Permission to Rest
When I’m not working on my career, learning new job skills, or writing here on Medium, I take naps with my dog.
Being a restless, anxious person, means that I have trouble putting my mind and body to rest. If I had the whole afternoon to nap, I would be overwhelmed with anxiety. However, knowing that I have to go back to work in a few hours makes me feel like I have permission for a little nap.
There is No Dress Code
I alternate between shorts and a tee shirt and a comfortable tracksuit. What more insensitive do you need?
People are Desperate for Bus Drivers
Since the pandemic, school bus drivers have either retired or quit, leaving school districts in desperate need of more drivers. If you’ve ever read any Karl Marx, that is a FANTASTIC thing for the worker!
In my state of Virginia, they are increasing wages, improving job benefits, and even having sign-on bonuses up to $2,000!
There has never been a better time to jump on this job.
Conclusion
Sure, it’s not a lot of hours and it won’t pay the bills. Neither will it teach you super trendy tech skills like UX design and coding. However, that’s not the point of this job.
The point of this job is to give you a little money while you build up your skillset in during your break in the day. Taking advantage of this opportunity requires you to make the most out of your break in the day. But if you’re living with your parents, they’re paying all the bills anyway. I can’t think of a better way to save money and invest in your future.
When you’ve built up a substantial network and are confident in your job skills, then you can start applying to big-boy jobs. But in the meantime, you should be getting paid to have fun and learn as much as you can.