<p>I recently got hired as a technology assistant in my school's library. The job basically entails basic maintenance of the various computers/printers/scanners/etc. in the information center, along with software/other computer related issues that any guests (students, professors, etc.) may have. In addition to this there is both a team and general meeting per week, which are 30 minutes each. I am scheduled for 8 hours here, in addition to 3 hours and 15 minutes in the main dining hall, which I enjoy (pretty relaxed, chefs are fun guys, etc.) There is nothing wrong per say with my position, but I feel inadequately prepared on most hardware issues, and I find my boss difficult to read and somewhat unapproachable. In addition, I am extremely anxious towards work now and dread going. </p>
<p>To put it short, my new job is making me extremely stressed and anxious. The hours are scattered all over the place, and I no longer have a day of nothing that I can devote to work/whatever. I work the entire weekend. Granted, the shifts are short, but I feel as if I no longer have large chunks of time to myself. In addition, if I go ahead and quit my position, I have no idea how to go along with it, and how to do it effectively without burning future bridges. </p>
<p>BTW, in my school, work-study money is optional. You can basically do whatever with the money you earned, so this would not effect my financial aid award whatsoever. </p>
<p>Sorry if this post is the most disorganized thing. This has been bothering me for quite some time (I had that nasty feeling in my gut during the strenuous application process, but went along with it like an idiot.) Thanks in advance for any replies!</p>
<p>Does the job end in May? So you have basically 3 months of this job- 8 hours a week?</p>
<p>You know, it may not seem important right now, but after you graduate and you’re job hunting, this job just might help you get your foot in the door somewhere when you’re looking for that first job. I’d stick it out if I were you, and try to get to know your boss. Use this experience to grow a bit. You might ask him for advice or help if you’re having difficulty with something. Are you able to articulate what makes you anxious?</p>
<p>Having worked in college will look good to future employers. Stick it out for 3 more months (one day a week) and next year look for something you enjoy a lot more.</p>
<p>Thanks for the quick reply! Yeah, it ends in May. Thing is, this job is unrelated to what I’m interested (Anthropology/European studies/Russian/Archaeology/etc.) - I only applied because I’m pretty decent with computer software, and my relatives were pressing me to apply for another job in addition to my work at the dining hall for extra money. </p>
<p>My boss pretty much directed me to the tech assistant blog, which has numerous posts about what to do, but I work when she isn’t around, so it’s difficult to get in touch with her. I’m on my own for all of my shifts (there may be something in the other room, but I’m responsible for the room that I am in, and it’s pretty large). I think my anxiety is because of the possibility that I won’t know what to do - especially regarding printer problems, and the lack of free/study time that I have now. I’m currently taking 4 classes + fencing + jazz band, plus two other extracurriculars, and it really adds up. This is my first semester here as well (spring admit), so I am still adjusting. </p>
<p>If I do quit this particular job, I’ll still be employed in dining services, in addition to my part-time job at Target (I’m currently on a leave of absence until May), so it’s not like I will be completely unemployed.</p>
<p>I think I might try to stick it out for this week, but I’m becoming really stressed as my work has finally become substantial. I have an appointment with my adviser tomorrow afternoon, and I’m definitely bringing this up.</p>
<p>Oh, and it’s not just one 8-hour day - I wish it was! My current schedule has two hours on Sunday afternoon, one Wednesday evening, meeting two hours after my Wednesday shift, two hours on Friday evening (then 3 1/2 in dining right after) and two hours on Saturday evening. My team meeting has yet to be scheduled.</p>
<p>I think you should quit unless you can re-arrange your schedule with your boss. A 8 hour per week jobs should not span more than 3 times a week. Don’t let this affect your mental health and study.</p>
<p>This is your first semester? This doesn’t sound like a good situation for you. I can see how the scattered hours would really make it hard to plan the rest of your time and no freshman needs extra stress. I would give your boss two weeks notice as a courtesy and drop it.</p>
<p>I don’t think you should feel like you should be able to fix all hardware. I know because often when I call technical support, sometimes they can fix it and sometimes they can’t. Most of the time, they would just turn it off and turn it back on, or just re-set it.</p>
<p>I personally don’t think your course load and workload are too much. 11.5 hours of work is what I would expect my kid to do. It is a good way to learn time management. </p>
<p>What I would do is to ask your supervisor to give you larger chunk of hours and fewer days. It maybe hard for you to ask, but it is important to know how to negotiate with your boss.</p>
<p>A part time job as a technology assistant looks a lot better than a cashier job at Target or at a school cafeteria.</p>
<p>The lack of study time, the anxiety, the fact that this is your first semester, and the choppy schedule would have me telling my kid to talk to the boss and let her know that 1-2 shifts per week (and give her specific days/times you’re willing to work) are preferred and that’s it. Work study jobs aren’t supposed to be producing anxiety in students to the level you describe, which sounds like a training issue, and imo certainly shouldn’t interfere with your main goal, which is to get an education. Most work study employers are pretty understanding of that when it comes to scheduling…if this one isn’t, perhaps you can pick up a few more hours in the dining hall if necessary. </p>
<p>Just curious, why were you relatives pressuring you to get another job? Were you relying on them for spending money?</p>
<p>The reason those other jobs are not stressful is because they do not require a lot skills. Going to college is more than just academic. It is a time of transitioning to adulthood. Doing well in school is important, but ability to balance multiple priorities is also important. </p>
<p>If you couldn’t do the job, I don’t think you would have been hired. I would say stick it out until May, unless you are not doing well academically.</p>
<p>Extreme anxiety and stress is both unhealthy and unproductive. Diminishing one’s ability to study and learn vs. earning $50 extra a week in a field the student has no interest in (and apparently no training/aptitude for) is not using good judgement, imo. This is especially true for a student in the first year/semester of college at a school where the standards are high. There are already multiple priorities and time demands in this student’s schedule, so I don’t get the impression that’s the issue. I believe this simply isn’t the right job for this student…and we’ve all been there before! If there’s another option, and it sounds like the extra money isn’t really a factor, I think she should take it in a heartbeat rather than try to suffer through it.</p>
<p>Well, yes. You didn’t mention this in your first post. That’s a lot on your plate, especially for a new student, and I do think you should pare back you schedule somewhere. You really jumped in with both feet, didn’t you! ;)</p>
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<p>I also didn’t understand how scattered the hours are. That does make a difference, and I’d request that you have maybe two 4-hour shifts instead. </p>
<p>With everything you have going on, I can imagine why you’d feel stressed. College is about balancing your priorities, as you’re finding out. Of course it’s not the end of the world if you quit the job. It’s the easiest way out, probably. But I do think it’s in your best interest if you can stick it out.</p>
<p>I’ll admit that my thoughts are colored by the fact that my own daughter is having difficulty explaining her weak work history to her prospective employers, and knowing it would be a lot easier for her now that she’s out of school if she had worked at a challenging job while in college. She had a great time, though, and graduated summa cum laude from a prestigious school. Yet, when she interviews, the first thing they ask about is work history. Oh, and she’s an anthro/archaeo major with many months of great field work and teaching experience under her belt. But office work–nada. And it’s hurting her when trying to get her foot in the door in the working world.</p>
<p>My relatives were pressuring me into working more because I was <em>only</em> working 3 hours in dining. I do plan on getting another work-study job in addition/replacement of dining next semester (there’s a job fair in April with way more jobs open, as most jobs don’t open up for the spring semester).</p>
<p>During the hiring process, I had to complete five assessments, but they were all software-related (photoshop, word, dreamweaver, etc.). I am extremely good with software, but kind of bad with hardware-related issues. I don’t mind asking help regarding this, but my boss really dislikes us contacting her for help with stuff we should know. </p>
<p>I’ll try to see if I can consolidate my hours today, but I really doubt it, as I got the remaining shifts that no one else wanted. I’m just unsure as to how to approach my boss and give her my two weeks notice. Do I just tell her that the job isn’t really for me, and that I have been experiencing lots of stress and whatnot due to it? </p>
<p>Again, thanks so much! I’d really like to start enjoying college again.</p>
<p>My daughter has worked 12+ hours a week since she was a freshman. Her ECs are ballet, sorority (chair for various events), student council, and she is now a head TA. Even though she didn´t need the money from work, I insisted on her having a part time job while in school. It is for the precise of reason getting a job later. </p>
<p>D1 had a job every summer while in college, and each one of her job was a building block for the next job. What made her stand out when she looked for that important junior summer internship was her work experience (her GPA was below average relative to other applicants), and she ultimately got a full time offer.</p>
<p>In my opinion, everything OP has stated about the job (difficulty) could be worked out. Her boss is not being particularly unreasonable, just not very communicative, and hours are not overwhelming. Most college students do not have the luxury of having a whole day with nothing to do but schoolwork.</p>
<p>One of my daughter´s friends, who is an engineering major, is having a hard time getting a full time job because lack of work experience.</p>
<p>If you can get your shifts so you only have to work two 4 hour shifts, particularly if one of them is directly before or after your meeting, it sounds like something that could add an attractive aspect to your resume. Having to work 4 separate days plus having two additional meetings sounds like a lot to add to a full schedule. </p>
<p>I also enjoyed working in the cafe when I was a college but forgot to list it on my resume much of the time as I didn’t think it added much (was a nice way to meet the people who ate in our dining complex).</p>
<p>Sounds like a good idea to go to the job fair to scout about for fall jobs. Good luck! Hope you can get your boss to be more reasonable about your scheduling. Working such short hours over so long a period sounds stressful to me.</p>
<p>@oldfort - I think it is the placement of the hours, rather than the amount that is giving me issues. Last semester I frequently worked 15+ hours at Target while taking a full load at the local community college. This wasn’t a problem, as my shifts were frequently 5 hours, instead of 2 here, 1 there, etc. </p>
<p>If I were to drop a job, this would be the only one that I could drop. First-years here must work at least one shift in dining for their entire first year, so that option is out. </p>
<p>I definitely plan to be employed in a place other than dining next fall, so it isn’t like I am planning on dropping all work-study jobs ever. Just this one. I’m actually eying a position in the archives, which wouldn’t entail ridiculous hours and difficult printers.</p>
<p>This is pretty typical of adult life. For example, you can’t delay doing your taxes until you have 5 hours of uninterrupted time. Sometimes, you have to start a job and then come back to it.</p>
<p>You have to train yourself to make use of the little scraps of time that you have–an hour here, 2 hours there. It’s a great skill to have. </p>
<p>Some of the best advice I got from someone was–“You’d be surprised what you can accomplish in 15 minutes.” </p>
<p>Application (since laundry is on my mind): we all have these little scraps of time–10 minutes before you have to leave for an appointment,etc.–and we often don’t make use of this time productively. So, if I start folding the laundry for those 10 minutes, even though I don’t finish the job, the next time I have 10 minutes free that otherwise would be wasted, I fold some more clothes. By the end of the day, the clothes are folded–if I waited for a free 30 minutes of uninterrupted time to fold clothes, the clothes would still be in the basket.</p>
<p>If you can’t get your workshifts changed to two longer shifts, then you might try to rethink your need for a whole day of uninterrupted time.</p>
<p>I think that’s a very sensible plan. The issue is the fit of this particular job, the ridiculous schedule, and the toll it’s taking on you, not whether you can work 10-12 hours a week in a different, and perhaps more valuable, position.</p>
<p>While some people believe that forgoing study time in order to do these little work experiences is valuable, as a long-time HR manager I would disagree. The student who has a sub-par gpa and lots of random, non-applicable work experience would rarely have an edge over someone who excelled academically and has relevant, or at least interesting, internships and professional recommendations…even if the cumulative amount of work experience was less. Of course, that only goes so far in securing an interview and then it’s usually the strength of the applicant’s interview determines who gets offered the position. Unfortunately, the interview is where many good applicants fail to close the deal and sometimes young people who have tried many different jobs end up with the confidence to explain how their scattered skills will be assets, but many seem to just stall and stammer through it. For the students that can manage to do it all and keep their grades high enough to secure more relevant awards and experience, that’s not an issue. </p>
<p>As always, it depends on the individual and what the potential employer is looking for - the companies I’ve worked for, both large and small, couldn’t have cared less about whether they worked in a dining hall or a computer lab or didn’t earn a dime, as long as it was evident that they were doing something productive and worthwhile with their time! The grades, internships, awards, recommendations, and relevant, albeit unpaid, work experience were far more important for new grads and some of our best hires had barely a year of paid experience. YMMV</p>
<p>Adults can often improve logistics to better balance their lives. A job where you have only shorts amounts of work per day is inefficient for you. There’s prep and travel time for the job. Could you get the eight hours in two or three days? My son likes to have the same work schedule every day so that he doesn’t have to think too hard about where he has to be every day.</p>
<p>A lot of IT work items are basically getting something working. Your boss is right in that you can often figure out how to get something working by going on the web - it’s just that it sounds like you are constantly doing something new. Those skills are expected in certain jobs - basically figuring things out with no help.</p>
<p>The shifts are basically set for the semester, so I can’t exactly squish my seemingly random hours together, as those shifts are already taken. Most of the shifts are either 1 or 2 hours, too, and I don’t think that back-to-back shifts are allowed, unfortunately. </p>
<p>I have a shift later this evening, so I’ll try to discuss stuff with my boss then. If she isn’t there, I’ll send her an email.</p>
<p>I would not take a job that had all 1 or 2 hour shifts strung together for 8 hours. It is unreasonable and really sounds like it is detracting from your academics. With regard to work experience, our D had her 1st paid job the other summer, where she worked at public TV, transcribing 12 hours of interview tape with a lot of mumbling. It was painful and took a LOT of time, but it was over the summer stuck with it & finished the job. They liked her so much, they offered to hire her the next summer as well, but she declined. She did walk in & get hired on campus because that job was relevant to the job she was trying to & did get.</p>
<p>I agree that it makes sense to see whether your boss is willing & able to do anything to improve your schedule or give notice that you need to quit this job. Be sure that for your next job, you look into scheduling BEFORE you accept it, to avoid a similar problem. </p>