Working One Full-Time Job or Several Part-Time Jobs -- Which is Better for Me?
The reality of today's job market is that many of us simply don't have much choice when it comes to whether we should work one full-time job, or whether we should juggle a few part-time jobs. However, if you do have a choice, then good for you! It's critical, though, that you know yourself, as well as your life situation, very well in order to make your choice.
First, look at your life situation, since that's more of an immediate concern than your own personality traits. For example, do you have young children who are in school and will need their mother home with them in the afternoons? If so, then you might think about part-time work which will offer greater flexibility, unless you can find a telecommuting position, or full-time work with incredibly flexible hours. On the other hand, several part-time jobs won't bring in medical benefits, which might be critical if you have children, and so a full-time job along with paying an after-hours day care center, might be the solution you need to look at. It's smart to look at both options with a piece of paper, a pen, and a calculator, figuring out pros and cons in this fashion -- it helps to make sense of all the details.
While you are looking at your life situation, also examine whether or not other people should indeed make a difference in terms of what choice you make. Certainly, children do come first! However, you might have a spouse who has certain needs and wants of his own. Depending upon how reasonable you feel those are, you can either decide to acquiesce or refuse. It's impossible to say for sure what is right for any given person unless she is standing there in those shoes.
Once you have evaluated all of the particulars of your life that have an affect on this decision -- that is, once you have looked at all the "shoulds" in your life -- it's time to think about what would make you happy -- that is, all the "coulds." Have you always dreamed of flitting about from job to job, never being bored, working for a few hours here and a few hours there? Are you self-motivated, and don't mind lots of job hunts? Well, then you might definitely be a good candidate for a few part-time jobs! Keep in mind that you might well have to work and quit a few of them before you settle on the two or three that keep you earning sufficient money while maintaining the schedule you want.
On the other hand, you might well like the security of knowing where you will go five days out of every week. This doesn't mean you are boring -- it just means that perhaps routine is important to you, and that you need to be able to count upon some consistency in your job life. If this is the case, then of course full-time work is best for you. Now, it might be the case that you have to accept a few part-time jobs at first while you search for that dream full-time job -- but always keep your goal in mind and you should be able to achieve it.