Why am I not allowed to work part-time?

[AAAA]

become a consultant...that is what people do who want to work their own hours and who have a skill that is needed. you may get stuck with some seasonally adjusted extra hours, but you can find ways.

teachers are doing job shares quite often these days. it can be done, but you have to be a person they want to keep, and you have to meet the business needs.

[tagtastic]

This is one of many, many reasons I've not accepted a position related to my major (or any "position" for that matter). I play poker online for any amount of hours a week I want, no strings attached.

In fact, instead of being in bed right now, sleeping in preparation for my job that expects me in early in the morning, I'm drunk. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[El Diablo]

Mempho,

I don't understand what you're talking about.

I've hired a number of accountants who work as independent contractors. They make an hourly wage far higher than those who work for an accounting firm and work as little or as much as they want.

Are you talking about something else?

[moorobot]

[ QUOTE ]



Because we've apparently decided that the cons outweight the pros. Europe's economy is suffering under the weight of their entitlement system. Their unemployment rates are ridiculously high, especially in the young male category where double-digit unemployment is the norm. I'm not saying one system is better or worse than the other, but America has chosen to focus on economic growth rather than entitlements. We also seem to believe that personal responsibility is better than having a govt mommy take care of us.

[/ QUOTE ] OH really??!!

Rate ofEconomic growth since 1950:

Belgium: 2.7%
Norway: 2.7%
Denmark: 2.2%
West Germany: 2.6%
Netherlands: 2.2%
France: 2.9%
UK: 2.1%
Canada: 1.2%
U.S.: 1.6%

Unemployment rates in some countries are high like you say, but not in others. It largely depends on what "entitlement" system you are using, and whether or not the government is trying to pursue other full employment policies:

Switzerland: 4.1%
Sweden: 5.6%
Denmark: 5.6%
Austria: 4.4%
Norway: 4.5%
UK: 5.0%
U.S.: 5.6%
Finland: 9.0%
Germany: 9.3%
Spain: 11.3%
France: 9.4%

We can learn a lot of lessons from other cultures and governments. Notice that the countries with the larges 'welfare' or social democratic states (Norway and Sweden) have very low unemployment rates.

[ QUOTE ]
We also seem to believe that personal responsibility is better than having a govt mommy take care of us.

[/ QUOTE ] As the U.S. has cut gov't programs, upward and downward social mobility have gone down relative to European countries i.e. the outcomes we are seeing show that WHO are parents are and how much wealth they had/have decide what we make more so than WHAT we do/ are really responsible for.

[Corpsebean]

Man this thread is good stuff.

Guys, As a young person who has yet decided what they will do after graduation (Psychology Major at UCD), what kind of jobs would be top of the list that would allow a semi-healthy income balanced with freetime?

I do want to go to graduate school, and for the past 3 years thought I would go to Medical School. I've realized now that I really am not looking to make work the focal point of my life, regardless of the income, and have pretty much decided against that route. I didn't want to be an MD for the right reasons, anyhow.

What professions would you guys suggest are worth investigation? Obviously, like many of you, I have a deep passion for Poker, and I would love nothing more than to play it professionally. I want something to fall back on, however.


Sorry about the Semi-Hijack, this thread just really hit the nail on the head of quite a few thoughts that have been running through my mind as of late. I think this community is chock full of very bright individuals and I value the opinions presented here. Thanks.

[MadMat]

Serious question here is 2 weeks paid holiday the norm for you US guys? that really sucks!

No wonder you all want to be poker pros!

[Mempho]

[ QUOTE ]
Mempho,

I don't understand what you're talking about.

I've hired a number of accountants who work as independent contractors. They make an hourly wage far higher than those who work for an accounting firm and work as little or as much as they want.

Are you talking about something else?

[/ QUOTE ]

No, I think that me only having a couple of years of experience and not having a business network built up keeps me from doing this, though.

[Mempho]

[ QUOTE ]
Serious question here is 2 weeks paid holiday the norm for you US guys? that really sucks!

No wonder you all want to be poker pros!

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes....unskilled laborers may even have to work a period of time just to get that.

[Mempho]

[ QUOTE ]
become a consultant...that is what people do who want to work their own hours and who have a skill that is needed. you may get stuck with some seasonally adjusted extra hours, but you can find ways.

teachers are doing job shares quite often these days. it can be done, but you have to be a person they want to keep, and you have to meet the business needs.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is what I'm leaning towards in the future.

[Gunny Highway]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't understand this about American society. Why can't I take a job doing something in my degree field (accountancy) that pays a comparable hourly rate (notice I didn't say that it paid the same....just that it is comparable on a per hour worked basis)? I could get the same volume of work done in 60% of the time anyway because of all the bs. Why is it unacceptable for someone to work in an "educated field" and work less time? I don't understand this...everywhere else in the industrialized world, this is excepted...just not in America.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah. I read this twice and have no idea what you're talking about.