Hannah Chea was a data analytics engineer at Paramount in San Francisco till a few weeks ago when she was laid off. The 24-year-old who used to earn a six-figure salary is now making a living by shucking oysters at lavish corporate parties and entertaining guests with fun facts about the chilled mollusks.
“I really like the novelty of it,” Chea told CNBC Make It. “I think it’s crazy to say I only do oyster shucking — in heels. I think I’m a very extroverted person. I really wanted break the monotony of my remote tech job [and] just staring at a computer all day.”
Although Chea declined to reveal how much she makes shucking oysters, but she told the publication that it’s generally “more than I thought it would be, and it definitely surprised me, which is also why I keep shucking.”
“It is for luxury events” like big corporate parties, weddings and other big gatherings, she added.
'Expected the layoff'
Speaking to CNBC Make It about her recent layoff, Chea said she had been expecting it since last year after the company began downsizing. While losing a job is never a great experience, Chea chose to focus on the silver lining. She was left with four weeks of severance pay and a part-time gig to fall back on after having learned how to shuck oysters a year ago.
What is oyster shucking?
Shucking an oyster is the process of opening the shell to reveal the delicate meat inside. Chea currently works with Oysters XO, a catering company, and attends a couple of events per month. And although her shucking earnings aren’t enough to cover her rent, she feels she’s in “a lucky place.”
“I’m not in a rush to find a new tech job,” Chea said. “I’ve been taking this time to just think about my life and what’s next... I do feel very happy to have relief from the stress and worries about my job. I think that was such a big stressor, working in tech.”
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