Asking For a Friend | Chapter 46
Advice from Babe to Babe
Navigating schedules is tough no matter how you spin it. This week, the BWH Advice Gurus are here with all the wisdom to deal with crazy shift weeks, nursing night-shifts, and so much more.
This is a tough one. I’d definitely recommend you ask some of your new coworkers out to coffee (or adult beverages) and pick their brains about how they tackled this transition, and ask for any tips and tricks they might have to help you adjust. As for the late-night communication: is it expected that you always respond immediately? If you’re unsure, request a meeting with your supervisor and set clear boundaries about your responsibilities when you’re “off the clock.” Good luck!
—CHELSEA DUDEVOIRE, BWH FOUNDER + CEO
Setting clear scheduling boundaries is an important, uncomfortable stage of every new job. As a rule of thumb, make sure to give any necessary or already-booked days off to HR on your first day. From there, overestimation and clear communication will be your best friends. With freelance clients, I establish boundaries for after-hours communication in my contract (no responding to calls, texts or emails after 7:00 p.m.—sorry!). As for navigating the night-before notice, after you’re there long enough to be known for reliability, take a meeting with a supervisor to ask how this system can be improved. Good luck!
—MARA STROBEL-LANKA, BWH CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Sadly, this is the reality of many jobs. I had the tough realization in my first job out of college just how difficult it was to fight back working more than 40 hours a week, and eventually I just had to learn to adapt. One way to approach is, obviously, to talk to your supervisor. If you can’t ask for certain hours to be off-limits for work, maybe you can at least discuss a flexible schedule. Since your new company is expecting you to be available during personal time, can you schedule personal activities during the day as needed? Hillary wrote a super-relatable piece that touched on this recently. It’s not ideal, but if you love your job, you can adopt a mindset that you’re working when you need to work, and taking the time for yourself when you need it as well—even if it’s not the “perfect” schedule.
—MORGAN PURVIS, BWH INTERN
Ah, night shift. I loved night shift for the camaraderie of it. There’s nothing like the feeling of your whole team working hard to save a patient’s life and then looking up at the clock to realize the rest of the world is fast asleep in their beds.
My blackout curtains were my most prized possession. I also got a sleep mask for the mornings where I couldn’t shut off my mind and needed an extra layer of darkness. Read an actual book for about 20 minutes before you fall asleep rather than scroll your phone. Hang in there! Night shift is often a great opportunity to develop your clinical skills and take advantage of any leadership opportunities available.
—ELIZABETH VORHOLT, BABE #8
While nothing about working night shift ever felt totally normal, this is what I tried to do to make it work: usually I would work three nights in a row and then have four days off where I could convert back to a day schedule and still be able to have a normal life with my friends and everything else. Some people don’t like doing three nights all together, but I found that worked best for me in order to have the most amount of time on a normal day schedule the rest of the week. Blackout curtains are a must and would help me sleep pretty much from the time I got home in the morning until about 4:30 p.m., when I would have to wake up for my next shift. A lot of nurses have fears about gaining weight on night shift, but I tried to just bring a smoothie and small snacks to eat during the night, and that helped me to feel healthier—even though my sleep schedule was so out of whack.
—ANNA PALMER, CONTRIBUTOR
Not having a nine-to-five on your resume doesn’t necessarily make you any less hirable than someone who does. In my opinion, it’s all about recognizing how your job history sets you apart, and being able to communicate that the skills you’ve learned are just as valuable as someone else who might be gunning for the role. Did your two jobs result in your ability to multitask and efficiently switch between “hats?” Did your two jobs allow you the skill set of learning from (and working alongside) folks with many different working and management styles, allowing you to become a better team-player? Find the unique strengths your work history has afforded you that sets you apart, and capitalize on that.
—CHELSEA DUDEVOIRE, BWH FOUNDER + CEO
I think many of us can feel this hesitation, because society puts so much pressure on us to do things a certain way, especially within our careers. However, not only is the workplace—and what’s considered legitimate—changing, but so are the mindsets of the people in leadership and human resources. Being able to juggle multiple hustles in no small feat, and that’s a great skill to have and to share on your resume. Focusing on the skills you’ve gained at each hustle, the time management it takes to manage both jobs and the discipline it takes to do various forms of work (and do them well) are all solid qualities to showcase on your resume—and they’re qualities that are valued in any line of work. Don’t belittle your experience just because it doesn’t fit into the nine-to-five mold. It’s just as important, and you worked hard for it! Highlight what you’ve gained from your past hustles and genuinely express the reasons you’re ready to make the change.
—INA MEZINI, BWH ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
I was insecure about my own resume for too long until someone who hired me pointed out that my multi-job hustle was actually what set me apart. Managing two schedules, incomes, managers, etc., is no small feat, and neither is pursuing two different passions or working two different sides of your brain. Having a track record of working for small businesses, nonprofits or internships is also a good sign you care about the work you do as much as the paycheck it gets you. That’s not only something to be proud of, it’s something to boast about in an interview. Own that!
—MARA STROBEL-LANKA, BWH CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Until Next Week,
—THE BWH ADVICE GURUS
Asking for a Friend is Babes Who Hustle's weekly advice column that asks and answers the work-related questions on all of our minds. Looking for advice and guidance? Hit us with all of your questions below and stay tuned for next Wednesday's edition!
