I have four jobs. My parents think I’m crazy. My friends think I make no time for myself (or for them). However, according to a recent article from the New York Times, I am normal.
Hannah Seligson’s article “Job Jugglers, on the Tightrope” follows several esteemed college graduates who have four or more jobs. These recent grads come from reputable colleges across the country, such as American University and the University of Chicago. They all have well-worked for jobs, even at prized organizations such as the Smithsonian Institute and Julliard. Unfortunately, the amazing jobs they have are part-time and don’t provide the hours or benefits that a full-time job would.
Seligson says, “Some of these workers are patching together jobs out of choice, but in many cases, necessity is driving the trend”. For me this is part necessity and part choice. I love all my jobs too much to quit any of them, but I also need the money to put myself through college. Carl E. Van Horn, director of the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers, shares “Young college graduates working multiple jobs is a natural consequence of a bad labor market and having, on average, $20,000 worth of student loans to pay off.” No longer are we in a time where college grads are guaranteed 9-5 jobs in their area of interest—complete with a package of benefits and a chance for lifetime employment. This phenomenon of being mal-employed (working in jobs that don’t require college degrees) and having multiple jobs has become a norm. Our generation is marked by stories of grads like the 23-year-old who graduated magna cum laude from American University that is working part-time at the Smithsonian Institute, but must nanny on the side to make ends meet. According to federal data, “last year, 1.9 million college graduates were mal-employed and had multiple jobs, up 17 percent from 2007.”
I’ve always seen my personal juggling of jobs as a temporary phase of my life. “Just trying to get through college!”—I tell people. Being realistic, I know I’ll burn out at some point if I continue to work jobs back to back. After looking at this article though, I was a little afraid of my chances to find my post-graduation, full-time dream job. However, Seligson eased my worry by pointing out that job jugglers, “offer an attractive skill set: they are expert multi-taskers, hyper-organized, and often very knowledgeable in technology”. This is so true. People often ask me how I can work at three jobs in one given day and remain sane. The key to staying sane as a job juggler is organization skills. I’m a fan of color-coding and labeling everything. I also have three ways of reminding myself where I need to be: Google calendar, a day planner, and a calendar I keep in my home. Apart from organization, I am a firm believer in loving my jobs and finding the right fit. I have found that having a passion for the places I choose to work at makes all the difference in how I feel about working so often.
Now the purpose of this blog entry wasn’t to scare you, just to keep you aware of current trends in the job market. Realize how difficult job hunting may prove to be and be prepared. If you find yourself in the position of being a job juggler, know that you’re not alone, perfect those organizational skills, and you’ll be ready to take on the world. Your skill-set as a job juggler may set you up for promising full-time jobs in the future.
Written by Lissy Richards