Hey! Don't you work at --------- ?

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

As a refresher, I am have two jobs at the moment. One at a games store and one at a sandwich shop. Interestingly both jobs are very close by each other in the same town. This works out great for me as I can save on transportation costs big time.

But it's had an interesting side effect. This isn't a very large area so many customers who know me from the games store will come into the sandwich shop at see me there.

Oftentimes they give me a surprise look and they're like "you work here now/too?"

I say yes.

That's fine, the problem is they often follow with a comment about how I "must be getting tired" or "must be enjoying all the money" or some other comment indicating how shocked they are I have two jobs.

Let's get something straight people. The economy is still in the tank. I am thankful to have one job let alone two. I'm not making a mighty fortune but I am making enough to get by and yes, it is very tiring to work be working 12 hour days back to back.

I can't understand why people think I'm some kind of failure and/or weirdo for having multiple jobs.

[ravevolution]

I did the 2 job thing for about 3 months during a summer. I worked at a high end department store which was a seasonal position and a game store which was my main job. I got hired at both places at the same time and felt the extra money was worth it.

The department store was 1 of 4 "main" retailers in the shopping mall, and the game store was next to that store I was working at. So I would work a few hours at the department store in the morning and afterwards walk into the mall and around the corner into the gamestore go into the back stock room and change my shirts to start my gamestore job duties till the end of the night.

Course I got "don't you work at?" question and the "you must make lots of money" with odd looks. Course at the time it was like many years ago and the economy wasn't in the funk it was, but I was a 2nd year college student. And like I said before the extra income from the department store was nice.

ATM I'm just glad to be working and earning an income, course it's not the desired field I want to be in and the job has it share of issues that at times can outway the perks.

Many people have multiple jobs, people who are wierded out by that are the jealous types on the inside that they aren't doing the same. They also don't realize that having a single job is not enough to pay for the expenses that life has and that some need to take on a second income.

[Midorikawa]

I can't understand why people think I'm some kind of failure and/or weirdo for having multiple jobs.

You're a...failure for having 2 jobs when many people in america don't even have one? ...or are you a failure for doing what needs to be done to make ends meet? I never understood that one. To be frank, good for you for having the good sense to work 2 jobs if 1 isn't enough, and shame on anyone else who says otherwise.

[bainsidhe]

I used to have two jobs and the extra income would be helpful, but the stress was making me ill, so I dropped the p/t job. I don't recall anyone suggesting I must be rolling in the dough. If I was, why on earth would I choose retail and all those hours?

As I think on it, it may be how one interprets their comments, regardless of the actual meaning. I got a lot of the "you poor thing, working all those hours" and "that must be tiring". Yes, yes it was, but paying down debt and staying solvent was worth it. Usually it was from someone trying to sympathize with my efforts, so it never bothered me. And I suppose I did have a few "must be nice to get ahead" comments, which I always interpreted as getting ahead of my bills and paying down debt. Again, it's just how I interpreted it.

As for the folks who gave me a I'm-better-than-you look and in their most charitable voice tutted and said "Oh, so you don't have any saaaavings?" when they find out I'm working two jobs....fuck you. I'm employed, keeping current on bills and both myself and my cat are well fed. That's better than many and I'm grateful for what I've accomplished.

So OP, don't let any of the comments get you down. You had the foresight and ability to take the necessary steps for your finances. So good for you and I wish you the best.

[KellyHabersham]

the problem is they often follow with a comment about how I "must be getting tired" or "must be enjoying all the money" or some other comment indicating how shocked they are I have two jobs.

I used to get similar comments from people whom I talked to online, only it would be them commenting on how I "must have a lot of energy", and they'd be thinking that I was obsessed with work.

[Primer]

It's been only the past four years that I've NOT worked at least two jobs. For few years there, I was working four jobs at once. I had NO life, but wound up with enough in the bank to pay $15K cash for my truck, put down $20K on a house, and still have $20K in reserve. I'm glad I did it then, as I sure could NOT do it now!

[Food Lady]

I don't think it's so much that they look down on you but are genuinely shocked because they've never had to work hard in their lives. Or they're nice, genuinely-concerned people.

[Seshat]

I think Food Lady has it.

I suspect almost the people who comment are in one of those two categories.


... I, on the other hand, envy you the energy. But that's because my disabilities sap mine. I would be literally incapable of it. (As in, it would hospitalise me to try.) But I still admire your determination to 'get ahead' in the 'paying down debt, becoming financially sound' sense. Good for you.

[Shalom]

But it's had an interesting side effect. This isn't a very large area so many customers who know me from the games store will come into the sandwich shop at see me there.

Oftentimes they give me a surprise look and they're like "you work here now/too?"

I remember a story, either from Cudahy's Under The Sidewalks Of New York or Fischler's Uptown, Downtown, about a priest who also had a part time job with the NYC Transit Authority as a non-revenue motor operator (running work trains, etc.). He showed up for one shift a little early, and the token booth clerk asked him if he could work the booth for a few minutes so he could go to the restroom or something. As he's selling tokens, one of his parishioners comes up to the window. He sees the guy's face suddenly get this big question mark above it, like he'd seen him before but couldn't remember where.

The clerk comes back, he goes into the yard, fires up his diesel locomotive and goes to work. As he passes the station platform, he has to stick his head out the window to hit the button that tells the towerman which track to route him down, and this guy is standing there waiting for a train. Sees him again, and now he's got an exclamation point.

The priest told the author that if this guy had had a guilty conscience about anything, he probably thought he was seeing his priest's face everywhere...

[Catwoman2965]

I've had 2 jobs for the last 5 years and when customers at my PT job find out its my 2nd job they all exclaim "wow, i ahve to give you credit, i could NEVER do that" Well yes, if you needed the $$, you certainly could! As I do. I'm lucky in that both jobs offer a lot of flexibility

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

I've had 2 jobs for the last 5 years and when customers at my PT job find out its my 2nd job they all exclaim "wow, i ahve to give you credit, i could NEVER do that" Well yes, if you needed the $$, you certainly could! As I do. I'm lucky in that both jobs offer a lot of flexibility

Same here. Also my managers at both jobs are very understanding of my situation and awesome to work for.