My thoughts on working and studying full time

Some time ago I was at an online university class, and i got lost on my mind if when i graduated i will have enough experience for a first job.

I know internships and entry level jobs exist, but I dont't want to wait after i finished college to make it.

Right now i decide that i will go through some interviews to get a first job. A first formal job not freelancing or internships. I have searched in different companies and i am wonder if i meet all the requirements. In the immense majority of jobs description that are listed, business want people with 3-5 years of experience on similar jobs.

After job searching I know I don’t have enough experience, also project, research are not enough. Also, a full-time job in Panama are 8 hours a day, my university classes are 5 hours. The time is not enough.

Yes, you can work and study full time

Right now i am on my 4th year of 5 years, which also means that the time I begin classes will be different, it varies every semester. For example, on my 3rd year we were always in the morning.

But, based on my research, there’s a high chance that my classes begin at 4 pm or 5 pm (at best). Which let me work from 8am to 3pm. And if classes and work are remote (which there is a high chance that there will be) i can save on commute and make it all the work in my home.

What’s the catch? No time (1 hour between work and study) and i will be with full classes (6 classes per semester), so things can get messy in bad times.

There’s always hope

After these years i have been doing it pretty good with my classes, i got good grades this last 2 years. I have a high gpa and i have been praised for my very good work as an individual either as a team member.

Also i have make improvements on my productivity and my life in general. So i know i could handle at make my best at these opportunities. Things always seem bad at first, but then i find a way

Sacrificies you need to make

The first is the time, i will not have so many time. A full time job is 8 hours, 5 days (sometimes 6) a week, study at top of that seems like a recipe for failure, and pretty much it is. The people i know couldn’t handle well, or without skipping some classes to have more time for their work.

Also i love to do many things, i am known for doing everything that y. Times can get thought and makes me wonder.

If you don’t need it, why are you doing it in the first place ?

I don't need to to work, an income sure can help, but right now i eat three times a day, had no serious financial problems, so why am doing it in the first place ?

Well there are many things going out in life, and a job can advance not only my career but life in general. As I said at the beginning of the article i am looking for experience, the money ,  build my credit score, start investing, taking charge of my life as a professional adult, help my family , start saving for a trip, get me some nice things, etc.

I feel mature enought to handle, but that doesn’t quit i feel a little bit scared if i fail. I know that the success could outperform the risk, also that if all result as a failure, i won’t be missing to much.

Maybe if I fail in one company, i have many others, there are a lot of business hiring tech people.

Well you can do other things as well

On campus, one can go to research, helping professors with their tasks, get some jobs at the university. Why i don’t try it first instead of getting a job ?. Good question and is true, i could do it , just that i find it like the easy way, and the less interesting. I know about some research groups on my university, the thing is that i don’t feel like doing it, i don’t find so much support nor career advancement. Maybe i am wrong but that’s the way i find it.

Jobs at the university are another deal, but usually the pay is very low, and they want me to go to the university that's 1-2 hours of commute everyday, all in covid pandemic, no thanks.

Helping professors is similar as getting jobs at the university but the pay is lower, and have the benefit of knowing people at the university that can recommend you to companies, internships and opportunities for master degrees.

What if you don’t get a job anyways ?

I will continue to work on myself, work on my relationships, hobbies, knowledge and everything that matters to me. I won’t be taking the vacations, or the nice things, etc But i would take the best out of this dead time. As i always do.