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fromKCtoAZ t1_iydhtj7 wrote

Reply to comment by RoyalHaza in 2nd job at 18, worth it? by RoyalHaza

I agree with other folks’ sentiment that your best path forward is education or training to increase your current wage. Why work 60-80 hours if you can get paid the same for 40 hours of work?

That being said, if you find an opportunity in the evenings or weekends that works for your schedule, you can take the money and invest it to improve your chances of getting a home sooner (or just grind and save if you are low risk).

Part-time work can have some good upsides - meeting new people, trying new things, gaining connections, etc. It’s not as big of a deal to walk away from the work if it’s too much or you find something better because it’s only part time.

I started out at minimum wage ($7.25 US) working for the parks and rec department in my home town. I ended up working for them part time/seasonal for seven years. I became an evening site manager making $10/hr and a volleyball referee making $15-$16 per hour. I did the evening/weekend work all through college because it was a laid back gig, and I could study and complete homework while I was there.

I ended up boosting my weekend pay to $20/hr in the winters helping a soccer league that was using our facilities. I also went on to referee volleyball at the high school and club games making $18-$24 a match.

I have not actually used my college degree throughout my career, but I was in a good position to buy a house at age 26 even though I wasn’t making a ton of money.

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