How exactly is it?
I will be starting a full time job, in addition to my 30 hrs a week at mcdonald’s. I don’t have children or anything to take care of, but I need more money. Am I signing my life away by working so much?
I haven’t, but I knew a few when I was in retail. They always seemed to be exhausted, just kinda shuffling through the day.
I can speak to this a bit. For about a year I worked a full time job (Tech Support) and a part-time job (Chef). Basically 8-4 M-F for the Tech Support and 5 p.m. -1 a.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday at the restaurant. Basically an 8-day a week existence.
Make no mistake, it is really hard. For me, there was a specific goal in mind. I was saving money to buy a condo, and repairing my credit. Having an end result in mind helped a lot. Never the less, you will probably find that work more or less consumes your life while this is going on.
It is vital that you find a routine and that you stick with it. Develop the infantryman’s philosophy, wherein you discover that perfect happiness consists of nothing more that a full belly and a good nights sleep. Pay very close attention to getting adequate nutrition and exercise (I cannot emphasize this point enough!).
I will state that for my part I found that my alcohol consumption went up considerably (self medication) and my personal relationships suffered. If there was not a specific goal in mind, I cannot say that it would have been worth it. There were a couple of times that I had mini breakdowns (crying/laughing hysterically jags).
Having said all of that, I can tell you that testing my mettle in this way has in balance been a good thing. I have tested myself, and have not been found wanting. Be very careful, and take care of yourself. It sucks, a lot, but it can be done. Very best of luck.
I worked teo part time jobs to the tune of 60+ hourts a week after college. But I was young and didn’t sleep o anything, but I lived at home and it was all just money in the bank. It onn’t be easy, but you gotta do what you gotta do. MY FIL worked two fulltime jobs for a number of years to make child support payments, and I know he didn’t like it, but there was no other choice. If you need more money, the best way to get it is a job. Good luck.
I have worked 40-70 hours a week for the last several years, and I think the biggest issues are the hours and whether you enjoy the work.
For about a year, I worked 38 hours at a call center, taught dance about 12 hours a week, worked in my mom’s bookstore one night, and a gift shop on Saturday. So about 65 hours a week, and it didn’t really faze me. The call center hours were very flexible, some days starting early so I could get to the studio by 5, some days starting at 11 when I didn’t have another job to get to. But I really enjoy teaching, and I enjoyed the retail jobs (just sitting at the register usually) so it didn’t feel like I was working myself to death.
Now, I work 8-5 in an office, and do retail inventories on most weekends and some nights and I hate the schedule. No matter what I have to be to the office at 8, and the inventories can run to 1 or 2 o’clock in the morning. The inventory job can also be very stressful.
Good luck! McDonald’s can be a fun job if you work with the right people.
I did it for about 8 months at one point. I averaged probably 65 hours a week or so, 6 days a week. I lucked out in that my morning job was for a company that was slowly going out of business, so I was often able to go home early if needed. I was working that job just for the experience and a resume entry, so every now and then I’d duck out a few hours early and nap before my afternoon job. And my afternoon job, which was the one that paid the bills, was pretty cushy. I mostly sat around for eight hours surfing the web and watching movies. So if you’ve got to do it, try to get that type of arrangement.
Still. After 6 months or so, I was getting really sick of only having one day off a week. It was draining. I was pretty much constantly either at work, going to work, or asleep. I spent my one day off semi-comatose on the couch. I was more than ready for a change when I finally quit.
Short answer: yes.
Long answer: for the past six months, I taught at two different schools, a full time load at each, for a total of 90-100 hours/week. Most days involved waking up at 5AM, teaching, grading, commuting, e-mailing, and getting to bed c. 1AM. Lather, rinse, repeat. The fall was especially hellish; winter, not so much (two of my days didn’t involve a 5AM wake-up).
However, I knew that this non-life was short-lived (I teach on ten week quarters–and I can put up with anything for ten weeks) and necessary (because spring quarter work would be drying up). Both of these made it bearable. That, and a wife willing to shoulder the entire burden on the home-front.
I did work two jobs in my early 20’s between 60 and 70 hours per week. I was saving for an extended overseas trip having already bought a house.
I worked as a travel agent by day and tended bar in a club two or three nights a week. I really enjoyed both jobs and managed the hours ok. My social life outside work was almost non existent but these jobs provided all the social activity I needed, Sundays were spent sleeping through.
It almost worked out not to be worth the effort with the tax I had to pay, but because the work was so enjoyable it was not wasted time.