wow, seems like my friends in Singapore are all being "overworked". Then again, maybe I'm having a biased sample size...accountant, pharmacist, doctor, consultant, lawyer...
i was just reaching out to some friends because i'm returning home to singapore for CNY, but my accountant friend says she's got to work OT for the next 4 months until May, and definitely can't make weekday nights. maybe weekends but not sure, have to check with her supervisor.
my pharmacist friend says she's got to check her weekend schedule, whether she's working on saturday or sunday...
my consultant friend works average 80+ hour weeks. which means 8am - 12am workday is quite usual for him...and even on weekends...
my doctor and lawyer friends are definitely overworked. i don't even need to ask to know that their hours are not theirs, and they work weekends and public holidays as well...
i'm just stunned that everyone i'm asking is actually working on weekends. wow.
for me, i'm working 45 - 60 hour weeks, and that includes travel. so a lot of the travel time i'm reading a book or sleeping, and maybe doing some work but not much. so i have pretty decent work-life balance, especially since i have weekends to myself and don't need to work beyond the usual monday - friday week. i really like it, and this is me being single and away from home and family obligations!
so now i'm concerned, i plan to go home to singapore to have kids and raise a family and also find a high-paying job that has good work-life balance (with better opportunities than what i'm working at now). is that possible? i'm afraid i'll just end up getting sucked into that 80-hour work week lifestyle and end up being drained and leaving the workforce to be a housewife.
i don't mind being a housewife so much, but i realise i'd get bored unless i get to work on something productive, either it's work or volunteer work or taking care of kids etc. and i like having $$$ to spend, mmm. i'm kindof wondering how we can make work-life balance happen in the beginning of our careers, instead of everyone having to go through it as though it's a phase while you're junior, and then you get better hours once you get promoted to more senior positions. i really don't like the idea that we spend 2/3 of our lives doing work we don't necessarily enjoy, and miss out on so many other things in our lives.
maybe i'll end up tutoring or babysitting or ubering or doing something with flexible hours instead of a traditional job. though i do like consulting work, maybe i can be a sub-contractor or work part-time?
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