Clock Watching - am I too old school?

Somebody very close to me recent started working in the city (London, England for my US friends). Being the first role out of university, all was

and is very exciting for them. So, 6 months in and they are changing jobs which is pretty much par for the course at that age when you are finding out what it is you want to do etc…

However, I received a phone call when the new job offer letter came through and I wanted to take a pulse check and see what my fellow recruiters thought. I will of course give my opinion and let you know the advice I gave.

To put it all very simply what they were worried about was the hours which are 08.30 – 6.30 every day (Wednesday 10-7) and every 4^th Saturday 09.30-4.30pm. With lunch deductions it works out to a 43 hour week. On a starting Salary of £23,000.

Now I looked at those hours and thought they are not bad for City Firms etc… and told them that’s fairly normal what did they expect? “Well finishing at 5pm would be good” was the response. As this is the first role out of Uni etc… (I know I worked all the hours I could to get ahead “back in the day”) it sparked a hint of annoyance that these hours seemed too much?

Have I become to accustomed to long days which are made even longer with social and events we do in the evening to continue the network? Have Generation Y got it right by saying no right from the outset? Does this demonstrate what’s wrong with the youth of today not wanting to give it their all from the get go? Does it purvey the TV culture mentality of “everything comes easy?” I worked and do work very hard to be able to play golf and take time off and travel but I certainly paid my dues

in my formative years.

I am delighted to say that after the initial wobble they accepted the role. But a reality check on the state of the market and the competitive nature for jobs currently was needed.

I know I have asked more questions than given answers or opinions – have I grown too cynical? Are others experiencing the same at present? Should I be reducing my hours! I look forward to your comments! Thanks

Comment by Keith D. Halperin on February 27, 2014 at 4:05pm: Thanks, Chris. Can't speak to the UK job market, but here in America unless the freshers have a few much-in-demand skills, their prospects are grim- hard to get FT jobs of any type (~3 applicants for every open job), and they often have large student loans they need to start paying off IMMEDIATELY. I'd reckon that for many, unrealistic expectations may be dampened by the cold shower of Job Market 2014-20XX....

-kh

Comment by Chris Bailey on February 27, 2014 at 4:34pm: Thanks Keith - The market is not much better in the UK which is why I can't understand why hours should be a factor at present. Obviously there is a limit but I know many many grads willing to work 50hr weeks to ensure a good job and career progression. Companies do take advantage of the conditions but thats a whole other blog!