Am I being stupid?

TheEffect · 12 July 2009 at 6:49PM

Basically, I work at a cinema serving popcorn and food. I've had this job for 4 months and work part-time (usually weekend and some weekday nights).

I got another job a few weeks ago as a teaching assistant monday-friday.

Now the cinema job works around the other job, and the hours are very flexible.

I've been considering quitting the cinema job as working until 12.30am then getting up at 7am for the TA job was getting really stressful, also I never had any weekend. I was just working 7 days a week, doing a lot of hours.

I went and spoke to my manager at the cinema and said I am quitting because I've got the job. She told me that instead of quitting, why don't I change my hours so I'm working only weekday nights, then I have the whole weekend.

I'm really not sure what to do. It's not only the hours, I'm working a lot, plus the kids from the TA job see me working in the cinema and laugh/mess around/constantly make it a topic in the classrooms.

What would you do? Any advice is appreciated.

samr_2 · 12 July 2009 at 7:41PM

School holidays start in a week so I'd at least keep the job til they are over.

Are you a TA in a primary or secondary school? If it's a primary then I wouldn't worry too much about the kids reaction. If it's secondary, I'd probably give up the cinema job if I could afford to do so.

So, I would have thought the most important question was 'do you need the additional money?' TAs don't earn much and they don't get paid for the long holidays - a time when you could possibly get extra hours in the cinema?

TheEffect · 12 July 2009 at 7:52PM

samr wrote: »

School holidays start in a week so I'd at least keep the job til they are over.

Are you a TA in a primary or secondary school? If it's a primary then I wouldn't worry too much about the kids reaction. If it's secondary, I'd probably give up the cinema job if I could afford to do so.

So, I would have thought the most important question was 'do you need the additional money?' TAs don't earn much and they don't get paid for the long holidays - a time when you could possibly get extra hours in the cinema?

It's a secondary school. I'm on a gap year and therefore do not need the money, I'm just saving up really. I don't have any outgoings, apart from a mobile phone and a few others bits. I can definitely afford to give up the job.

I'm on £200 a week after tax, doing the TA job. I get paid 3 months of the year for being off (including this 6 week summer). While I get paid, I've actually worked the hours, as they work out how much you've earned over the whole year and then pay that each month.

samr_2 · 12 July 2009 at 8:07PM

Well if you don't need the money, I would give up the job - after the 6 week holidays.

TheEffect · 12 July 2009 at 10:04PM

Thanks for your input. Can anyone else give any comments? Thanks

Sharon87 · 12 July 2009 at 11:58PM

As someone doing the same job (cinema) i say quit - unless you get free cinema, then work one shift a week (one of the weekends), then you can still get the benefit of free cinema

I intend to do this when I find a job more suited to my career.

TheEffect · 13 July 2009 at 12:58AM

Sharon87 wrote: »

As someone doing the same job (cinema) i say quit - unless you get free cinema, then work one shift a week (one of the weekends), then you can still get the benefit of free cinema I intend to do this when I find a job more suited to my career.

Well as it's an Odeon, I get unlimited entry myself, plus 4 free tickets a month for friends and 50% discount, but to be honest, in the 4 months I've worked there, I've gone to the cinema .... twice.

I definitely wouldn't stay for the perks, as they're not really worth it for me!

ceridwen · 13 July 2009 at 7:13AM

I'd definitely give up the cinema job - perhaps, as others advise waiting till the end of the school holidays to do so.

A teaching assistant job is more worth hanging onto than a cinema job - and anyway - you're working way too long hours to have a life at present...

TheEffect · 13 July 2009 at 1:49PM

Thanks for your comments!

mountainofdebt · 13 July 2009 at 5:15PM

Hi

I remember you posting a few weeks ago and I would be concerned that you now appear to be wanting to give up a job that you like in favour of a job that you appeared to hate - has the situation changed so much that you would stay as a TA until you go to Uni?

If you give up the TA position (which you were hinting at before) and have given up the cinema job, what would you do with your time? A year is a long time to waste on basically doing nothing. For me, as a mum, I would be advising my son to sort out what he wanted to do with this time and then decide what, if any jobs to give up.

The other thing that springs to mind is that whilst you may not need the money from the cinema job, if you are saving it up for Uni then the more you can save now, the less stressful (more enjoyable?) the first year of Uni could be. This would be my over-riding thought when it is raised in the classroom - when it is, instead of getting defensive about it, perhaps it would be an idea to bring in the subject of student debt?

TheEffect · 13 July 2009 at 5:27PM

Hi. Thanks for your reply. Things have changed a lot in the last few weeks (as unrealistic as that sounds). I've found the TA job a lot more interesting and fun. I've started to get to know the kids and it's been much easier.

From speaking to other people, and having a long think myself, I've decided to hand in my notice tomorrow at the cinema. I'll work my notice there.

Am I being stupid?

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