Working Hard or Hardly Working: Which would you prefer to do?
17 12 2009Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to try to tackle three jobs at once, but I tell people I’m a stubborn bastard who doesn’t like quitting. Of course, that’s a load of crap - I’ll give up on a 5K if I’m not in the mood. The truth is I have problems saying “no” to people. And when they’re offering me money… let’s just say that “yes” is a comfortable answer.
Before I continue, I want you to know that I’m not even operating on the pretense that this is about managing Generation Y. It’s a very personal statement about my experiences that I hope can shed a little light on my life - and hopefully teach you a bit about someone you know who is like me.
I never thought I’d find myself working so much as two jobs at once, as I’d always maintained that one job was one too many. But time makes fools of us all.
It all started with graduation. Yes, graduation. That gilded moment when you’re supposed to move from the low-paid world of “student” and into the high paid world of “career man.” At least that’s what schools tell you when you apply. The reality is that there’s a step between those two stages of life, and it’s more like a staircase when you graduate in the middle of a speculative bust. (On the bright side, sub-prime mortgages sound cooler than tulips.)
When I graduated, I found myself working for the family business. It wasn’t my ideal job, but I had already made peace with the fact that no one was going to pay me ungodly amounts of money to sip drinks from a coconut. About a month after I started there, I was recruited by a friend working at a restaurant. I was a little hesitant to tackle the extra obligations, but I would be working with a good friend, and the looming threat of student loans, debt to mom & dad, car payments, insurance, and the reality that I have to save for retirement all suggested that supplemental income was a good idea.
And soon I was working 50 to 60 hours each week between the two jobs. Sure, they were a bit of a strange mix: Pre-employment evaluations for public safety agencies by day, frying up falafel by night. But what the hell, right? I could make my car payments, and I could afford to go out for beers with the guys. Life was good.
As I soon found, though, working that much is exhausting. I started to forget what feeling well-rested felt like and got used to hammering through, regardless of how tired I was. Ironically, what little R & R time I had was spent engaged in activities that were not particularly restful. When you’re up all night at the bars Friday and Saturday, it’s hard to feel well-rested come Monday.
But I felt it was worth the exhaustion and unusual schedule - I was learning a lot. So, over the next few months as my work situation evolved, I decided to go with the flow. I jettisoned the restaurant job for a job in retail loss prevention. After a year at my dad’s office, I started with Generation Why, where my responsibilities have steadily increased. Earlier this year I began working with a photo company - I shoot photos, do paperwork, and I’ve recently been trying to drum up more sales for the company.
And I thought I was tired before.
Some days I ask if it’s all worth it. I tell myself that I’m developing dozens of different skills in incredibly varied settings. I mean, when you spend your morning telling eight-year-olds how to pose for photos and your evenings telling shoplifters to “gimme my stuff back,” you’re stretching your interpersonal boundaries. Not to mention time management, balancing the needs of different offices, prioritizing, and learning how to say “no.”
But as valuable as developing life skills can be, there are days when I wonder how I’m going to put it all to use. And when I wonder if I’ll ever use it, I inevitably wonder if this is worth it. The long days. The impact on my social life. The amount of time I spend doing things I don’t want to do versus the small amount of time I spend doing the things I want to do.
I’ve never been this exhausted. And while I know that I’m the most skilled, competent, and motivated that I’ve ever been in my entire life, there are days I’d trade it all for one less time-consuming job that pays a whole lot more.
Your turn:
Ever worked a whole lot? What did it teach you? Was it worth it?
Hey TJ… Wow! I’m exhausted from reading this. Although I’m the infamous Gen Xer…I can totally relate to the working, working, working hard, and thinking “where am I going with this?” I think when you’re in your 20’s you think that’s what you’re supposed to do. Until you break. But not break in a bad way (well, okay some people probably break in a bad way).
I was there, up until very recently. Started an amazing company. Worked my ass off for 5 years, then realized I was missing out on life. So now I’m “retired” from that and I’m working on using my talents and skills for other things. I just wrote a post about retiring actually. It’s really cool to have a new perspective on life like this.
Good luck!
I remember working 3 jobs at once–hotel maid, antique shop clerk, and pizza joint–plus some banquet waitressing in my ’spare’ time at this ‘no cars island resort’. (Any guesses where this was?)!
I had fun at each of the jobs because of the people and the shared craziness, and I banked a lot of cash that summer. It also taught me that once was enough, and I find myself juggling lots of balls and interests these days–they’re just not all employment-related!
In 2006 after my divorce influenced move to Chicago I worked 2 fulltime jobs. Over 80 hours a week. Thank gods the 2nd job was double shift weekends and a few hours during the evening during really busy times. The most horrible of it all was driving over an hour north from my house to the “professional” job and then driving back south for a 2 hour commute on the days needed at the “non professional” job. My only time for rest was the days during the week I didn’t work both jobs and that was mainly Monday Tues and Wednesday. It was extremely exhausting. I did that for over a year. Needless to day when the professional day job company took a hit financially and they had to lay off people and I was one of them I was relieved because there was no way I’d have been able to quit either one no matter what. I was scared to quit and be late on any payments again. Having that 2nd job was a blessing in disquise because I then went and started seeking other hourly opportunities with that company in different departments which landed me my promotion I got over a year ago and working a full 40 hours give or take a few with the flow of the season AND it paid more than the professional job I was laid off from.
If I had to do it again I would work a 2nd job but since I met someone new and they work a full job making more money than both of my other ones combined –I’d say that as long as me and him are together and he gets to keep his job all I need is my one!!
I’ve learned that if your swimming in debt and new to an area it can be good. It can be bad requesting off work from multiple places to try and go on vacation!!
Working 2 jobs definatly helped put into perspective what my father went through working 3-4 jobs (4 in the summer) to keep me and him going when I was a kid him being a single father.
Thanks for sharing all.
I am completely intrigued by the “no cars island resort.”
I can relate, I knew a guy who had three jobs once. The first was to carry a 75 pound rucksack through the Da Nang jungle. The second was to find and kill Charlie. The third was to figure out how to do the first two with one arm and a ruptured spleen. Yep, having three jobs sure isn’t easy.
I definitely have been in this position before
It is hard between being torn between wanting to give your best shot to your work, and being exhausted. I think that the best way to stay balanced is to recognize the value in everything.. but try to still eek out some time for yourself. It’s really hard to do, I am a victim of that challenge myself, but it is still an issue.
Great post!