Jobs and volunteer roles
We’ve had a lot of requests for jobs, and here’s an update that provides just a little more information on that.
But first, we need to dole out some tough love.
Do not send me your CV!
To apply for jobs, just sign up to the eNewsletter and tick the ‘Tell me about Jobs’ box.
We will then send you all the information you need to apply for the job, when the time is right. Everyone on this list will start on the same equal footing, everyone will get all the information at the same time, everyone will have the same opportunity to prove they’re the perfect ones to run our London shop.
If you ignore this advice and send in your CV instead, here’s some things worth bearing in mind:
- We will know that you don’t follow procedures. For a business that survives on its adherence to hygiene and animal welfare procedures, you will put yourself at a major disadvantage.
- We will not read it, because we know it will be out of date by the time we hire anyway. Your CV is not relevant until there’s a job on offer.
We understand that people want to make themselves stand out and most job websites will recommend that you push to make yourself stand out from the crowd. We’re a little contrary in that respect and that’s why we’re telling you specifically what we want you to do: no tricks, no games, nothing sly: just sign up.
Ok, no more tough love, lets get talking about the more exciting things.
Volunteers during start-up
We have had so many offers for volunteer support, so we’ve been thinking of some of the things we’d love some help with.
Right now
Nothing right now, it’s all documentation and business development, no volunteers required!
Cleaning
All going well, we plan to be cleaning up the property to prepare it for builders in a few weeks. So if you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, we could use some help then. This might be a gross job, as the property has been a little neglected.
Furnishings
In the coming weeks, we’ll be starting to look for recycled furniture and decor items for the interior. We’d love eyes and ears out for wonderful bits of vintage furniture for the cat emporium, so if you love scouting charity shops, freecycle websites and markets, we’d love your keen eyes! If we have people willing to help with this, we’ll set up a shared workspace where you can post photos of things you’ve seen and say where they are.
At some point, we’ll be doing some minor furniture assembly, and interiors work so if you’re crafty, good at woodworking or painting, this could be your time to shine. We’re being very budget conscious, so as much as we can do ourselves safely, we will do ourselves.
To register as a volunteer, sign up to the jobs list, as we will send both jobs and volunteer information out to that group.
Paid Jobs
We’re not yet ready to start our recruitment process, so stay patient. We can confirm that we are required to have at least 1 person onsite at all times who has City and Guilds qualification in Pet Store Management (or equivalent). Applicants with this level of training will have an advantage.
To give a little preview of the roles we’re drawing up, we will need Baristas and Cat Cafe Hosts and Hostesses.
The Barista role is responsible for the quality of food and drink in the cat cafe. We’re misapplying the term ‘Barista’ somewhat. Although coffee is a big focus for their role, they also must have a keen eye on all edibles in the cat cafe, monitoring quality, stock levels, and whether or not people appear to like what we’re serving. As with all roles within the cat cafe where food and drink are prepared, you won’t be working with the cats throughout your shift.
Cat Cafe Hosts and Hostesses will be qualified animal carers (either when they arrive, or after we’ve sent them off for training). Their job is also to make people feel welcome, to make sure they wash their hands, don’t feed the cats human food and to monitor everything about the cats throughout the day.
During a Host or Hostess shift, you would be delivering food, taking orders and looking after guests. After your shift, you’ll be writing a report on the cats behaviour that day, emptying litter trays (it’s not all glamour I’m afraid) and making note of irregular toilet habits, unusual behaviour and the like. You are held responsible for reporting any symptoms of illness or behavioural/emotional issues with the cats.
All staff will have play time with the cats before we open to ensure the animals are bonded with staff and feel safe around them. All staff will have the occasional High Tea shift, where they are responsible for preparing and serving High Teas exclusively. All staff will help with merchandise sales in the cat-free cafe and the cat cafe alike.
We will prepare more thorough job descriptions when the time is right, but hopefully these summaries can give you some food for thought.
