Working full time

[Turambar]

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Here's the gist - I've just finished registration for a full-time course load (12-15 credits) for my first semester at a local university (mid-low range, lib. arts) I've been accepted to from doing GPA repair at CC. I haven't taken any prereqs yet, and had planned to start them right away. I just learned of the option to pursue a full-time leadership position at my work and I'm torn, perhaps misguidedly. I thought it made sense to ask here.

Currently I work ~30 hours a week in a retail pharmacy. I love my job and I'm great at it, I have tremendous respect for my boss, and as a leader I've helped push my team from new associates to capable workers. I'm cutting back hours to just weekends for my classes, but I may be selected to interview for lead pharmacy technician, a job I've wanted for over a year. It pays $17.50 hourly and is essentially a supervisory position.

The manager wants to interview me and the other most experienced candidate on the team. My competition started around when I did. They are very good, the favorite of managers in recent history because they're reliable and consistent, and they do what they're asked to do with efficiency. I have a better knowledge base, more enthusiasm for training others, positive rapport with patients, and overall a stronger leadership dynamic within the team. I think I'd really stand out during the interview process, not as the safer option but as a more ambitious one. My boss is very careful in their choices, and I am not sure if I would sway their preference, but as it stands I am the only candidate who has proved competitive in our company's leadership assessments and I don't think she'd pull me into this process during class registration if she didn't think I had a real chance.

I've directed my professional growth towards this job for over a year now, now it's in happening front of me just as I'm getting ready to start taking school to another level. It'd honestly kill me a little bit inside to let this go, I see myself as uniquely qualified for many reasons and playing such a small part in my team would be hard on me. But I've got to get going on university, I've strung things along for years and I get really, really down when I think of how far I am from my goal. Should I back off from the lead position or take school slower and explore this new role at work?

 

[Catalystik]

Here's the gist - I've just finished registration for a full-time course load (12-15 credits) for my first semester at a local university (mid-low range, lib. arts) I've been accepted to from doing GPA repair at CC. I haven't taken any prereqs yet, and had planned to start them right away. I just learned of the option to pursue a full-time leadership position at my work and I'm torn, perhaps misguidedly. I thought it made sense to ask here.

Currently I work ~30 hours a week in a retail pharmacy. I love my job and I'm great at it, I have tremendous respect for my boss, and as a leader I've helped push my team from new associates to capable workers. I'm cutting back hours to just weekends for my classes, but I may be selected to interview for lead pharmacy technician, a job I've wanted for over a year. It pays $17.50 hourly and is essentially a supervisory position.

The manager wants to interview me and the other most experienced candidate on the team. My competition started around when I did. They are very good, the favorite of managers in recent history because they're reliable and consistent, and they do what they're asked to do with efficiency. I have a better knowledge base, more enthusiasm for training others, positive rapport with patients, and overall a stronger leadership dynamic within the team. I think I'd really stand out during the interview process, not as the safer option but as a more ambitious one. My boss is very careful in their choices, and I am not sure if I would sway their preference, but as it stands I am the only candidate who has proved competitive in our company's leadership assessments and I don't think she'd pull me into this process during class registration if she didn't think I had a real chance.

I've directed my professional growth towards this job for over a year now, now it's in happening front of me just as I'm getting ready to start taking school to another level. It'd honestly kill me a little bit inside to let this go, I see myself as uniquely qualified for many reasons and playing such a small part in my team would be hard on me. But I've got to get going on university, I've strung things along for years and I get really, really down when I think of how far I am from my goal. Should I back off from the lead position or take school slower and explore this new role at work?

If you want to go to med school, GPA is your top priority. Some can work full-time and still get great grades, but their ECs are otherwise sparse. Some transfer from CCs with a GPA that is already subpar, and know they really, really have to turn things around through major effort. You have to decide what's more important to you.

Options might be to go to school part-time or to wait a year before matriculating, if you get the full-time gig.

 

[Sardinia]

@Turambar You only work 30 hours a week. The reason you don't work a typical 40 should give you the information to make the decision you want to make.

 

[popopopop]

I've been in your shoes OP. It was hard letting go of my higher earning potential so I can score a good post-bac GPA, which I've accomplished and no one can take away from me now. I'll rephrase something my friend told me.

"Turambar, how long will you a physician and how long will you be a pharmacy technician?"

 

[CheusChrist]

Here's the gist - I've just finished registration for a full-time course load (12-15 credits) for my first semester at a local university (mid-low range, lib. arts) I've been accepted to from doing GPA repair at CC. I haven't taken any prereqs yet, and had planned to start them right away. I just learned of the option to pursue a full-time leadership position at my work and I'm torn, perhaps misguidedly. I thought it made sense to ask here.

Currently I work ~30 hours a week in a retail pharmacy. I love my job and I'm great at it, I have tremendous respect for my boss, and as a leader I've helped push my team from new associates to capable workers. I'm cutting back hours to just weekends for my classes, but I may be selected to interview for lead pharmacy technician, a job I've wanted for over a year. It pays $17.50 hourly and is essentially a supervisory position.

The manager wants to interview me and the other most experienced candidate on the team. My competition started around when I did. They are very good, the favorite of managers in recent history because they're reliable and consistent, and they do what they're asked to do with efficiency. I have a better knowledge base, more enthusiasm for training others, positive rapport with patients, and overall a stronger leadership dynamic within the team. I think I'd really stand out during the interview process, not as the safer option but as a more ambitious one. My boss is very careful in their choices, and I am not sure if I would sway their preference, but as it stands I am the only candidate who has proved competitive in our company's leadership assessments and I don't think she'd pull me into this process during class registration if she didn't think I had a real chance.

I've directed my professional growth towards this job for over a year now, now it's in happening front of me just as I'm getting ready to start taking school to another level. It'd honestly kill me a little bit inside to let this go, I see myself as uniquely qualified for many reasons and playing such a small part in my team would be hard on me. But I've got to get going on university, I've strung things along for years and I get really, really down when I think of how far I am from my goal. Should I back off from the lead position or take school slower and explore this new role at work?

Here's what I can tell you, I worked 50+ hour corp job the last three years to support myself while i took 9 credits each semester at a private school. I have a 3.5 for postbacc requirements for med school, and I spent Sat volunteering for clinical exposure. It was hard as hell! But you can do it.

 

[mistafab]

Do not prioritize the job if you cannot get a good GPA - otherwise your investment is a moot point. If you can balance - go for it.

 

[Transmuralmi]

Your grades don't have to suffer just because you work full time. As long as you can manage your time appropriately you may be okay. If you notice your grades start to slip during your employment, than maybe it's time to back down to part time.

As mentioned above, it can be done successfully. I'm another n=1 example that it works. I've been working full time as a paramedic during my last 2.5 years of full time undergrad. My grades actually improved when I began working full time! Those semesters have all been 4.0. I've been doing 12-16 credit hours per semester.

To summarize, I would be inclined to take the job. Just make sure your grades don't begin to slip.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I averaged 70-80 hours per week for the last two years of my undergrad, which included all my upper division courses. My grades in one or two classes suffered a little, but it was unavoidable. I didn't have the choice to scale back my work hours, and I can't say, "Sorry, we can't do this operation right now because I have a DiffEq final."

But I still graduated with a good GPA, and I actually did way better in my courses (almost all As with a B+ and a B thrown in). Just do it.