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Kevin

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  • 2 weeks later...

So I am in a bit of a dilemma and I was wondering if I could get some advice.

I've been on a job hunt for weeks now. Nothings turned up yet, but there's all sorts of possibilities. As of right now, it's looking like I have two options and I'm having trouble deciding between the two. I was hoping for some advice. Keep in mind my situation, baby on the way, college student, planning on going to college full-time this coming fall but also working.

Option 1:

Waiter at Applebees. It's nearby my house, probably a 15-20 minute drive. Seems like a job I would enjoy. Problems I may encounter: I don't know how much money I would get. According to most research I've seen, the average waiter makes $10-18 an hour including tips. But I don't know what I'd make. Other problem, my girlfriend seems set on me pursuing option 2 and seems to find it somewhat ridiculous that I'm considering this one.

Option 2:

My girlfriends father is an engineer who manages buildings. He said he could get me a job in either Baltimore or D.C. (both about 45 minutes from me) as an engineers assistant. Apparently what I'd be doing is helping out, most likely doing routine maintenance and such. Job would probably pay $10-12 an hour and includes benefits like health insurance and such. Problems I would encounter: The distance is not too appealing. Plus, it doesn't seem like they'd be looking for someone either over the summer or part time in the fall as well. It seems like a full time job which would be near impossible to balance with going to college full time in the fall. And I don't want to drop out of college. It also doesn't seem like a job I would enjoy at all.

So there they are. Any advice?

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I tend to agree with you, option #2 sounds like it's full time. This entire situation is very new, and I'd hate to see you struggling trying to balance the two, school & a fulltime job. You'd have to make school partime which isn't the best option. It depends on how much money you'll need. As in your own expenses, plus contributing to your girlfriend's and your own combined expenses (of which there will be many). You still live at home with your parents etc? You may actually find that in the end you need a fulltime job, but I wouldn't rush into it.

There's no reason not to give waiting tables a shot, in my opinion. If (big if) you can bring in an average of 18 bucks an hour, you aren't doing bad at all. I'd figure the conservative side of that myself, and consider 12-13 a closer average. It's going to depend heavily on the number of hours you get, and the restaurant itself (is it a busy location?). I always found with my kids that waing tables & even bussing wasn't a bad job, because you bring money home every day from tips, you aren't dependent on the paycheck.

I dunno kiddo, whatever you decide try to keep your goals (school) and your responsibilities (family) balanced. It's a tough act, but I'm sure you'll manage.

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If you take a full time job right now you'll never finish collage. Life will take over and you just won't get back to it. I've seen it happen way to many times.

If you can get by on the part time job for now, thats what I'd do. Our nearest Applebee's is one of the busiest places in that town. Dinner time is the busiest.

Most restaurant jobs pay min. wage in my experience and your tips are your main income. I know a lot of ppl that support families in the restaurant business so...

Unless your girl wants you locked into a job you'll hate, she should compromise. It may be tight for awhile but in the long run, staying in collage would be your smartest decision.

Just my two cents ;)

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Option 2:

My girlfriends father is an engineer who manages buildings. He said he could get me a job in either Baltimore or D.C. (both about 45 minutes from me) as an engineers assistant. Apparently what I'd be doing is helping out, most likely doing routine maintenance and such. Job would probably pay $10-12 an hour and includes benefits like health insurance and such. Problems I would encounter: The distance is not too appealing. Plus, it doesn't seem like they'd be looking for someone either over the summer or part time in the fall as well. It seems like a full time job which would be near impossible to balance with going to college full time in the fall. And I don't want to drop out of college. It also doesn't seem like a job I would enjoy at all.

So there they are. Any advice?

You say "apparantly", "would probably", "it doesn't seem like" and "it seems like" to a lot of things about option #2.

It seems like you didn't bother to ask your girlfriend's father many questions about the job at all.

He's the one that can tell you the answers that can make your decision an easy one.

You should be explaining your college goals to him, also. Since he's the manager, it's possible that he can get you hours and days that would work with your college schedule.

If it turns out that he can't get you the part-time hours that you're looking for, then you've narrowed your choices down to only one and you've solved your own dilemma without having to keep asking yourself, "what should I do?"

Of course, if the work isn't something that you would like, then you shouldn't take it just because it's your girlfriend's father who is offering you the job.

You should find out from him exactly what sort of maintenance work the job includes to help you make your final decision.

Don't have your girlfriend relay all the information to you, either. Have a man to man talk with your future father-in-law.

It's good for family relations.

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Sugar foot, as an old, old person struggling to finish my degree whilst juggling family life and a career, my advice is don't take anything full time that will interfere with school. Waiting tables is a means to an end. The more personable you are (which you totally are), the more money you'll make. You can probably rake in more in less time doing that than full time at the other job.

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I concur. :beatnik:

School+beingold+payingmortgage+working+raisingkid+supportingfamily = ugh.

on the flip side:

School+whileyou'restillyoung = good future, more options, more happiness, better family life.

So you've got 4 opinions from 4 old broads now... and they're all the same. Life experience is a great teacher, and we've got that down pat. :grin:

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I agree with TeePee... and with Shawna.

Now, you're a family man now. You will probably nee dosme help from your parents too. If both your family and your girlfriend's see how to try to go on with college (for a better future) and with a job, as your family will need a house, food, diapers and such... they will be glad to help.

I hope so... :cool:

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anybody anywhere have a 1-minute +- .vob file they could send me? I have to try out some dictation software and it says it will work that sort of file... I searched on google to see if there's a sample somewhere I could download and can't find anything... :help:

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Thanks everybody. I think I'm leaning more towards the waiting job. I will certainly be going to college. Now the debate is whether I'll go part time. I would prefer not to because it will take me so much longer to get a degree, but we'll see. Thankfully, as far as healthcare goes, the wonderful tax dollars of the American public will be paying for it with our medicare (pending out acception) :)

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You're lucky, they just took that away in Spain. And they' re bombing us with taxes and fees and anything they can do to get money. I'm planning to leave this country, I'll hide in South America. I'll stop by to say Hi to S2V and then continue my southbound trip.

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Oh, I'd never miss such an occasion, Ron... :cool:

Herimann, I plan to go to Buenos Aires. They do pay taxes there and the whole goverment is made of crooks, it's a crazy place to live but it's very cheap for Europeans... and I have some friends there :cool:

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On the occasions that I have wanted to share an mp3 on YouTube, I used Windows Movie Maker. For some reason unbeknownst to me, it now tells me that a codec is missing. I've tried to research to figure out what to do and have come across a lot of people with the same problem but no concrete solutions. So I figured I'd say screw WMM and find another free video editor. After a few attempts, I found one that did what I wanted but after I finished, it told me that unless I paid for their upgrade, my video would have their watermark in the middle of it.

Am I making this too difficult? I just wanted to post a song on YouTube for the Top Ten, for criminy's sake. :doh:

Y'all are smart. Help a sister out, please?

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I used to make video's all the time until my PC started crashing 10P. I also used Media Maker. I've seen that error message before but can't remember how I got around it.

The youngins here helped me out quite abit when I had problems and even helped me learn the program abit. Maybe when Tim or Farin get here they could help you figure it out.

I'm on strike three with YouTube so I don't make vids any more :crazy:

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