Monday, June 27, 2011

College-Style

College-Style

From Broke to Boy Toy: The Story of the Only Male in Our Office

Posted: 26 Jun 2011 01:19 PM PDT

Editor’s note: This post was written by Grant, the only male intern working at the offices of Peace, Love & Decorating, Deck My Dorm and College-Style. Although he isn’t a staff writer, our boy toy, as he’s called, is hilarious and has a quite… unusual job. Read on to find out about his daily activities at our office.

Broke college kid. It's a stage of life we're all too familiar with.  Your best friend calls you wanting to go see a movie and the reality sets in: you have no job, no money and almost no dignity left. Times like these call for desperate measures. Some of us become burger flippers, others work in retail. None of these were for me. I became a professional "boy toy”, and I don’t mean a prostitute, it’s more glamorous than that.

My days are filled with running errands, giving rides and refilling either the coffee mugs if it’s before noon or the wineglasses if it’s after five of my two female interior designer bosses. I guess it'd be more accurate to call myself a glorified assistant, but "boy toy" just has that ring to it.  Of course, I wasn't always as enthusiastic about my position as I am now.

As I became acclimated to college life, I began to realize the need for a job to supplement my monthly parental food allowance. After months of searching, applying and waiting for interviews, I jumped at the first opportunity for work that presented itself. Even though no one who knew me ever thought I would be interested in interior design (and neither did I), I knew I couldn't pass up a job. Now, almost a year later, I'm the only male in our interior design firm, and it's great.

I spend most of my time at the office either sorting fabric and designer Christmas ornaments or picking up chandeliers from the warehouse. It's a far cry from what you would call masculine. Being frequently asked my opinion on all kinds of decorating, I have begun to pick-up on the ways and the lingo. At a recent photo shoot, one of my bosses commented on the need for an additional lamp. I was shocked to hear the words “I think the Vintage Barbie Lamp would work,” coming out of my mouth. I've learned the difference between houndstooth and damask, and that duvets are harder to stuff than they look. Things I probably wouldn't have learned elsewhere.

My hours are flexible, the pay is good and I get to be the office mascot. The only downside is the looks I get when people ask me what I do, especially when they ask me after I exit my boss’s VW Beetle (with a flower on the dashboard). It's mostly blank stares and puzzled expressions, but it really doesn't bother me anymore. My job may seem odd to my friends and the various people I meet, but how many 19-year-old guys get the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of interior design (and get paid doing it)? All in all, this gig is by far my most interesting and rewarding one yet.

Thoughts?

Grant is definitely a big part of the office. The groans following a reminder that “actually, tomorrow is my day off,” are audible from three floors away. Want to learn more about Grant’s job, how he landed it and his new knowledge of interior design? Email him at our info@college-style.com email with “Attn: Grant” in the subject. I’m sure he’d be glad to answer any questions in between his duties here.

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