SMCU Money Masters - Winter 2008 - (Page 11)

chatzky Extreme Jobs As the extra-long workweek becomes more common, employees work to keep the office in check. By Jean Chatzky Have you ever stopped to consider that between the hours you spend in the office and those on the cell phone, the computer and the commute, you may actually be logging a workweek that tops 70 hours? That’s right, 7-0. If so, according to a survey published by the Harvard Business Review, you can consider yours an “Extreme Job.” That’s the moniker coined by Sylvia Ann Hewlett, president of the Center for Work-Life Policy in New York and co-author of the study, “Extreme Jobs: The Dangerous Allure of the 70-Hour Workweek.” Extreme jobs span fields you might expect, such as media and investment banking, but are also found in manufacturing, education and the not-for-profit sector. They typically feature work-related events outside of normal work hours, responsibility for company profits and losses, mentoring and recruiting duties, and a great deal of travel. Interestingly enough, if you have one, you probably love it. These positions also tend to be exhilarating, says Hewlett: 70 percent of these workers love their jobs. Unfortunately, the affair is likely to be brief. Some 80 percent of women who hold an extreme job feel they can’t keep it up for more than one more year, pulled by other responsibilities in their lives. Many men, too, feel they’ll be burned out after three to five more years at their current pace. What’s the solution? First, give yourself a break. It’s not that your work attitude has become “wimpier,” Hewlett says. “It’s that the work model got much worse, and it’s not our fault if we somehow can’t do the balancing act.” Second, use some of the following strategies that can help you cope with the increasing demands: Make the most of your time. Eliminate distractions in the office, so you get as much as possible done during the regular workday, instead of muddying your personal time. Stop cruising gossip and news websites. Try to spot and trash junk e-mail by skimming the subject line. Cancel unnecessary e-mail subscriptions and tighten your junk filter. Draw a line. You don’t have to be a slave to your PDA. What originated as a helpful tool can actually extend your time spent in the office. Say you’re in a meeting, and someone’s Blackberry starts buzzing. They stop to check the e-mail, the meeting slows, and as a result, lasts longer — and this typically happens more than once. Remember this: If there’s a true, honest-to-goodness problem someone will call you, not e-mail you. E-mails can be answered when you have a moment, and that doesn’t mean while you’re driving, or at the dinner table. Let go of the male competitive model. “We’ve been using this model of a career that is continuous, cumulative, lock-step employment, and if you somehow don’t get on that track, you think you’ve failed,” Hewlett explains. What’s the point in shooting up the ladder, only to crash and burn a few years later? It’s better to pace yourself, and know that your only competition is yourself. As long as you’re happy with your position, and the way that you’re balancing work with personal responsibilities, you’ve found success. Jean Chatzky serves as AOL’s official Money Coach. She is the personal finance editor for NBC’s “Today Show” and the author of four books. With reporting by Arielle McGowen. WINTER 08 11

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SMCU Money Masters - Winter 2008 Contents Tech Tips Community Connection What’s Next? Motley Fool: A Tale of Two Borrowers Jean Chatzky: Extreme Jobs Member Tips Money Management

SMCU Money Masters - Winter 2008

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