One of the biggest things that was highlighted for me when I started college four years ago was that future jobs want to see consistency on my resume. That is, sticking with clubs, college jobs, and opportunities for all four years if possible. Back then it seemed totally manageable, but now? I know so much better!
I began working at one of the dining halls on my campus back in March of this year to get some money for the summer. The pay was alright (thanks California’s $15 minimum wage), and when work wound down for the summer I really thought that I could keep this up until the end of fall quarter. I figured I’d make money for the holidays and then put in my two week’s notice in December, because I won’t be in the state come January.
That changed two weeks ago, when on a whim I decided I wanted my nights back, and to free my feet from my no-slip, one-size-too-small shoes once and for all. And it was as simple as sending an email. This sweet sense of peace washed over me that I would no longer have an unpredictable schedule from week-to-week.
Don’t get me wrong, although dining hall jobs do get a bad rap, my time working there wasn’t bad. I was simply tired of the hours, my feet aching after five hours in a loud dishroom, and just barely having the energy to shower off the food scraps after getting home. And the best part is, I don’t feel guilty. I know that more people will come in to take my place and keep everything running.
The best part of quitting has been the realization that I don’t owe any job anything at the end of the day. So many work environments these days put a very heavy emphasis on “we’re just like a family” — a very toxic idea that has come to loosen the boundaries between work and personal life that have been more rigid in the past. I was told that I would make friends at my dining job, and while I did enjoy befriending co-workers during my shifts, more often than not I simply felt like I was going to work just because I needed a paycheck. Which I do, but I already have two other jobs that mean more to me than making someone’s evening salad. There’s really no reason to stay at a job that makes you feel tired (in my case, it was because of the physical demands of the work, not the people! The people were just lovely). Ultimately, knowing that my absence is okay and that the world will not end has opened up a lot of peace for me. By the time this article is up, I’ll have worked my last shift.
If you’re currently working at a college job and thinking that you need to stick to it in order to look reliable on your resume, if you can afford to quit it, do it. It’s not worth your mental health, your personal time to relax, or even just your peace and quiet to stick to something in college that you don’t totally love. If you have the means to quit, quit, be it a job, a club, just about anything. You (hopefully!) will feel a lot lighter when you do.