Okay, so as most of you know, I've been teaching as part of my grad-school work. Well, that pays crappola, so I started applying for part-time jobs. I was hired as an office assistant two weeks ago, and do that on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10-4 and every other Friday afternoon (total of 12-16 hours a week). I also got a job as a part-time cashier at a Linens n Things, which I'll be starting on Monday. That will have me working evenings and weekends (not sure of the exact schedule yet), but no more than 20 hours a week. My teaching schedule right now is 8-10 and 3:30-5:30 on Thursdays and 9-11 on Fridays. In late April, that responsibility will end, and I'll have that time to work at other jobs, but I may be teaching in the mornings, Monday-Thursday, during the summer term, starting in June (if the department can't find an instructor with a PhD).

Here's the issue: I have an interview at a Dressbarn tomorrow morning (scheduled the interview yesterday, got the confirmation call about the Linens n Things job this afternoon). Assuming that I'm offered the job, should I take it, considering every thing else I have going on? On one hand, I think, "Yes, I can do that, it's not that many hours. Plus, it'd be good insurance if I wind up hating one of the other jobs." On the other, I think, "Holy crap! :redface: WAY too many pans in the fire! What if I do get the summer teaching position? What'll I do, teach mornings, do the office thing in the afternoons, and then alternate nights and weekends for the other two?! And somehow get my thesis finished in the few hours I have left? You idiot!"

I know it's a lot, but I'm bored off my ass, broke, and trying to save money for plastic surgery. Plus, I tend to work best under pressure and stress. I'm hoping this will motivate me to get my thesis finished. I've found out the hard way that if I don't have a lot to do, I tend to put off doing the stuff I DO need to do ('cause, you know, there's plenty of time), and nothing at all gets done.

I say that you're young enough to do it, go for it. You don't have any other obligations, do you? No kids, family or organizations that you need to devote time to, right?

If I could go back, I'd have done something like that. As long as you know your limit and are willing to back out of an obligation if it gets too much, and not put your thesis on the back burner. But, you present yourself as someone who knows their limits, and you seem like a good judge of yourself.

I'll think you'll be fine. Especially if you're bored now. You'll never know what can fill that time best, unless you start plugging stuff into that empty space.

Do it! Glouster is right, seize the opportunity even if it'll leave you dead tired. Old eating habits are like zombies, they just dont die.

In fact I have decided to load up on the part time jobs for the same goal of saving for plastics.

Try it, you can always quit later.

I would do it, but then I'd have to admit that I do often overcommit myself and end up a blubbering mess.

If you really cant handle it, quit a job. Simple. But you wont know till you try.

I would do it provided that you can handle the crazy schedule. Good luck saving for your PS. Julie

Laurend, if your pay teaching is anything like mine was, then you'll make more at Dressbarn. Plus you post about the stresses it causes, and there's only so much stress you're going to have at part-time retail. So why even consider the summer teaching, instead of just taking the Dressbarn job (They have cute clothes! Think of the discount!) and having one less thing (teaching) to worry about?

Had the interview this morning. It seemed to go very well, so I may have four part-time jobs in a couple of days.

Laurend, if your pay teaching is anything like mine was, then you'll make more at Dressbarn. Plus you post about the stresses it causes, and there's only so much stress you're going to have at part-time retail. So why even consider the summer teaching, instead of just taking the Dressbarn job (They have cute clothes! Think of the discount!) and having one less thing (teaching) to worry about?

I'm seriously considering not teaching this summer. It's not a hard offer yet, though, since the department has to give the position to an instructor with a PhD if there's one available. It'll only be open to grad students if there isn't a PhD that wants to teach it. If I do get offered the position, though, I feel almost obligated to take it, since doing something that's roughly in my field will look better on my professional resume than retail would. Plus, if I ever decide to try to get a lecturer position at a junior college or something (god, I hope it doesn't come to that), most of them require at least two semesters of lecture experience. This is my sixth semester teaching labs (granted, most of what I do is lecturing, but it still doesn't count), but I only have one semester of real lecture-class experience. I would prefer not to teach, but it might be better for my long-term career goals.

I dunno. If I do get offered the Dressbarn job, I think I'll take it. I'm just not sure if I'll teach this summer or not. Of course, the conflict is moot unless I actually do get offered both the Dressbarn and teaching jobs.

Would the Dressbarn job (thinking in terms of commission sales) be better than one of the other PT jobs, if all of them is too much on your plate?

Would the Dressbarn job (thinking in terms of commission sales) be better than one of the other PT jobs, if all of them is too much on your plate?

Not sure. I'm not even sure I'll be getting commissions in the first place. Both of the retail jobs will be starting at $7.50 an hour, but I won't be getting very many hours at Dressbarn in the beginning, only about 10-12 a week until some of the other people leave (several college students going home for the summer, someone considering staying home with a new baby, etc.). I've never done retail before (heck, these are my first "real" jobs, other than teaching and my internship in 2004), so I may despise both of the retail jobs.

The Dressbarn and the Linens n Things are literally next to each other in a strip mall, so I could probably arrange my schedules so that I could go directly from one to the other on the days that I have an entire day to work.