Originally posted by: Special K
Originally posted by: Gibson486
It depends.....
If you are there just to work and get a paycheck, then yeah, 40 hours a week is doable. Just do not expect to be noticed.
However, if you want to make a career out of your job, then the 40 hr work week is dead.
So, answer this question, you want a career or a job?
How many hours a week are YOU willing to put into your job?
Also hours worked per week matters very little when the company can cut you at a moment's notice.
You have a good point....it's how many hours you need to put in. However, in certain industries, 50 hrs in the norm (CPA, Consultant) for a pay of 40 hours.
As for me, I am at the point where I really just want to leave my job. When I started it, I wanted to make a career of it. The pay would end up great, the job is not too hard, and I get to get out of the office now and then. now it's meh. 40 Hr work week? No way. I have to stay utilized for a certain precentage of my 40 hours (something like 85%). Infact, i had to work this week end in preperation for another project. Does not seem tough, right? Wrong....realize this...meetings that are not part of a project that have been opened...non billable. If I have 5 hours worth of meetings in a week for a project that is in the proposal mode, I am already in danger of missing my utilization goal. I have to compensate hours somewhere along the line to make sure my utilization target is not missed. So i worked 40 hours, but only 25 was billable....guess what...I have to work more to bring my utilization up to 85%. I have to work 11 more hours just to meet my goal. This is the life of a consultant....it blows!
You may say, "Well, you chose to become a consultant, that was your career choice"! Nope. Wrong. While other professions with salary do not have utilization, you still need to have the attitude of my work day ends when the job is complete and everybody is happy. If you want to make a career out of your job, you can't just stick to the 40 hr routine. You have put in as many hours as you need to put in and lots of times, that means working during your free time.