Deciding between two courses of action
 

So although these are part time jobs, I would like to gain some insight into a situation I am in right now.
First off, a bit of background info about myself. I am going to uni next year and will be a full time student. It would be nice to save up some cash so I am more secure financially for tuition I may have to pay for in the near future. At this point, 2-3 years of education will be paid for on behalf of my parents, so I would think I am pretty much set to go. I will be attending ubc and live far away so I will be a commuter.

Starting September I will be doing a 5 course load, which will tax away at my schedule. And although most of my education will be paid for, it wouldn't hurt to take up a job and save some money for spending as well as tuition money for use in the near future.

I am currently working two part time jobs, but I will only be able to keep one, as my school schedule permits me to do so. So my question then is, which one? Which one will be better to me in the long run in terms of learning, experience, and convenience?

I will highlight advantages and disadvantages of both.

Job A: advantages are- store is big and is a corporate giant. I earn 50 cents more. This job involves more customer interaction which will be of use to any career based off networking, I have been on this job for slightly over a month so am familiar with it's atmosphere. They will let me work on days I am free. The job is hard to get and is quite impressive on a resume
Disadvantages- requires me to work 12 hours/week, which may or may not be manageable.(let me your opinion), manager is a bit strict in general, the workplace requiresme to spend 30 minutes of commuting

Job B: advantages are- store is close by where I live and requires only 10 minutes of walking, the job is pretty chill, manager seems pretty friendly(however I am new, so this may change), the hours are VERY flexible, only requiring me to work 8hours a week on days I am free which will be good for school. Customers are nicer and tend to be less frustrated since this store is smaller.

Disadvantages: customer interaction is minimal in comparison to job A, but still exists. I am new, and am not as familiar with the environment. I get paid less 50 cents than the other job.

Now weighing the ups and downs of both jobs in contrast to my personal needs, which job should I stay with, and why? Job A or Job B? I will make a decision upon the guy who is most able to persuade me.

Thanks!
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kids have it easy these days.

:facepalm: I suggest you consult with your mother.
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Hahaha. U guys are pretty funny. If you have nothing better to say, please gtfo.
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i would rather take job b because with a 5 course load at ubc, its going to be tough managing a part time job.

either way you are going to quit one of the jobs so why not hook a brother up a job :thumbsup:

Job B

More chill, less commute. Who cares about customer experience. In the long run, a job on your resume is still a job, and the fact these are probably both entry level jobs, once you finish school, they won't mean much other than a reference for your resume.
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Job B

The first 2 years of university are the easiest although it may not seem like it. Take advantage of it and maximize your GPA as much as you can. Don't be like me and realize how important your grades are later in your 3rd and 4th years where course content become more difficult and competitive lol. Otherwise you might have to look for unnecessary GPA boosting course that are a waste of your time. Job opportunities will come to you if you do well in school. With good grades you can get into programs and if you work hard enough you may even get recommendations from professors. Those are more valuable than whatever job you have in your first year. Focus on studying first then find the awesome jobs later ;).
Good luck in whatever choice you make.

Job B

Taking a heavy five course load at UBC makes having a flexible manager potentially invaluable, time will be your most valuable commodity over the next few years.

Seriously, you're going to make a decision regarding your personal life based on someone persuading you from RS??

This sort of decision is only you can make on your own, and you know yourself the best. I hope some of your university courses include on how to think critically and be decisive, because you will need to make these kinds of decisions all the time when you get older.

I also find that, when i take up a job, it usually helps me manage my time better. For me, more time constraints = more focus and less fooling around. Most of you lean toward job B, which was what I had in mind before, so you've solidified my intentions.

Thanks for the opinions guys, except for a few people who decided to be all smartass and rude. In the end, i know that the final decision will be made by me, but it wouldn't hurt to listen to some people who may have gone through similar situations in their past, giving me a chance to seek into how they dealt with it. I will be coming to a conclusion on tuesday.

Unless Job A could lead to a possible position in the future for a field you're studying for, stick with Job B.

FYI I took 5 courses in a semester once (my first semester) and never did it again.

IF it was me, I'd go with JOB B.

Sure where you work now looks impressive on a resume, but lets be honest, you wont ALWAYS be able to go to school fulltime.

There's plenty of time to join a corporate giant again later on AFTER you've finished school.

Hard earned money is going towards your education, dont mess it up

To be fair, it is just him asking a large pool of individuals (who are generally older and should be more wise) their opinion regarding two part time jobs. It is like asking a guidance counsuler what career you should find yourself in. It doesn't mean you will follow the advice to a tee, but it at least gives you some insight to what should be done given these specific set of circumstances. Given some of the responses in this thread, there is some good sage advice here.

And for god sakes we have an entire forum section on relationship advice, how is this any different?

Take Job B, but having a 5 course load might be too much. The first two years, not sure where you are going, but UBC is a bitch and you will your energy to focus on school. The first couple of years might not matter as much as long as you pass. But the last two years will be the most important as typically post-university looks for the last 120 credits TAKEN.

What's with the smart ass comments?

Obviously it's his personal life and he's asking advice. You can say the same thing about those in the financial forum, relationship forum etc. If every reply were "it's your life, you know best, figure it out yourself" then we probably won't needs these forums.

OP clearly lacks decision-making skills, but he is probably 17-18. I bet the majority of us were just as 'noob' when we were his age. He's never attended university, how is he supposedly to know exactly how much 5 courses load would feel like?

OP to answer your question, it comes down to what ever you are comfortable with. 5 courses where you don't have much exams and only one major paper due at end of each semester could be very different from 5 courses that have courses with 2 midterms and a brutal final.

Thanks. I am very much a noob which is why I want to consult with as many different kinds of people as I can. The internet is a valuable resource.

With that being said, I would just like to point out to you guys that although job B may be more flexible for time, I hardly get an enriched experience within the job since all I do is stocking. I'm also not as fond of the people that work at Job B, and I have alot of friends at Job A that I am comfortable working with, which in turn, gives me a more comfortable working atmosphere. With Job A, I get to deal with customers and allow me to develop my people skills, and this skill will definetly be an asset to my career in the future as a physio where I would be required to deal with different kinds of people.

Job A > 12 hours per week + transportation time
Job B> 8 hours per week

the thing is that, I do other activities on top of working, such as instructing martial arts and I also plan on joining a few other clubs as well. If I take up Job A, I won't be able to do these things. However, the skills i can get from Job A can be equal if not better than the kind of experience I can gain from the activities I join.

How many hours a week did you guys work when you went to school?

instant needles, I apologize for my smartass comments.


I will help you out.

-Could you explain in detail what is it exactly you do in Job A and B?
-What you are taking in university.