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What To Do With Time Off


Emojis4Life

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I recently graduated and have this year off. I've been looking for a job but haven't found one yet. I've been keeping busy by volunteering in a lab once a week and continuing my work with a few organizations that I was previously involved in. However, even with that, I have quite a bit of free time and I'm feeling very ... unproductive (it's so weird to go from having no time whatsoever as a university student to having so much time to do nothing).

 

I'm trying to figure out how I can use my time so I'm actually working towards something. Does anyone have any suggestions? It doesn't have to be med-school related (i.e. something to put on apps) but it can be. I was thinking of picking up a hobby or enrolling in some sort of course/getting some sort of license (e.g. First Responder). Would love to know what others have done in similar situations.

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I recently graduated and have this year off. I've been looking for a job but haven't found one yet. I've been keeping busy by volunteering in a lab once a week and continuing my work with a few organizations that I was previously involved in. However, even with that, I have quite a bit of free time and I'm feeling very ... unproductive (it's so weird to go from having no time whatsoever as a university student to having so much time to do nothing).

 

I'm trying to figure out how I can use my time so I'm actually working towards something. Does anyone have any suggestions? It doesn't have to be med-school related (i.e. something to put on apps) but it can be. I was thinking of picking up a hobby or enrolling in some sort of course/getting some sort of license (e.g. First Responder). Would love to know what others have done in similar situations.

 

I'm currently taking a 'year off' as we are in the US for my husband's fellowship and I didn't write my american licensing exams, so I can relate to feeling lost and unproductive.

 

I ended up registering for distance ed courses online (women's studies anyone!?!) as well as volunteering a few hours a week for an organization that I am very passionate about (and they ended up offering me a job this morning!). When I'm not volunteering or studying I'm either walking my pup or playing around in the kitchen, which I love to do and is also much cheaper than eating out as he's getting paid quite poorly down here... And on the weekends we try to explore the surrounding area and to check out the city as we're only here for a short period of time.

 

This could be your chance to get out of your comfort zone. Try to find things that you love to do vs. what you should do (for your med school application). Good luck!! Have fun!!!

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There are so many things I'd want to do if I had a year off:

- enroll in a course in college (it can be in anything really...as long as it teaches you a skill you want to learn. For me, I'd like to culinary course, get a certificate in food security)

- start my own business...of some kind

- read all the books I've ever wanted to read (for self-reflection/managing my life and time)

- join Toastmasters

- get more physically fit

 

When I actually had a year off between my two degrees, I worked more than 40 hours a week and spent a good chunk of time commuting (3 hours each day) :( because I needed the money. But if finances are not a concern, your possibilities are endless!

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Work, workout, prepare for potential interviews. That'll take up a good chunk of your day already haha.

 

Hey, I'm already working out and prepping for interviews. Still looking for work. Obviously, if I were to find full-time or even part-time employment, I wouldn't have as much free time. Any suggestions on types of jobs I can seek out?

 

I'm currently taking a 'year off' as we are in the US for my husband's fellowship and I didn't write my american licensing exams, so I can relate to feeling lost and unproductive.

 

I ended up registering for distance ed courses online (women's studies anyone!?!) as well as volunteering a few hours a week for an organization that I am very passionate about (and they ended up offering me a job this morning!). When I'm not volunteering or studying I'm either walking my pup or playing around in the kitchen, which I love to do and is also much cheaper than eating out as he's getting paid quite poorly down here... And on the weekends we try to explore the surrounding area and to check out the city as we're only here for a short period of time.

 

This could be your chance to get out of your comfort zone. Try to find things that you love to do vs. what you should do (for your med school application). Good luck!! Have fun!!!

 

I'm so glad I'm not the only one in this boat. Congratulations on receiving a job offer! That plus courses plus volunteering will keep you very busy, I'm sure :) 

 

There are so many things I'd want to do if I had a year off:

- enroll in a course in college (it can be in anything really...as long as it teaches you a skill you want to learn. For me, I'd like to culinary course, get a certificate in food security)

- start my own business...of some kind

- read all the books I've ever wanted to read (for self-reflection/managing my life and time)

- join Toastmasters

- get more physically fit

 

When I actually had a year off between my two degrees, I worked more than 40 hours a week and spent a good chunk of time commuting (3 hours each day) :( because I needed the money. But if finances are not a concern, your possibilities are endless!

 

Hmm I suppose you're right. I'm taking dance classes but that only takes up one day a week (and not even a full day!) The thing is, I'm trying to find something that will be practical and will either add to my experience for medical schools or add to my profile for graduate schools/future employment. I'm trying not to do things willy-nilly. 

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What types of jobs have you had in the past? I always really enjoyed my times as a student working part time and summer jobs in things like retail and labour. It's a very different type of work than school work. In some ways it can be more difficult because you have people watching you constantly and sometimes you get talked down to and have to put up with crap. But, on the other hand, it's less intellectual and gives you a chance to clear your head. I find it refreshing to work on my feet and with my hands compared to desk work. It's also nice to feel useful but at the same time you are not the person in charge or the one making decisions. 

Anyways, that's my take on it. I would look for a part-time low skill job if I were you. One of the more productive avenues I think would be taking a hosting or busing job at a restaurant with a view to becoming a server or bartender. Serving and bar-tending are both great skills to have in the future. If you find yourself between jobs or just needing a break, it's something that you can go back to and make pretty decent money when you include tips. You also get to meet lots of interesting people and learn a lot about people and life from chatting with the customers. And in a lot of places, you will have great coworkers who are fun and it can be fun just to be there, and also a chance to boost your social life if you hit it off and hang out outside of work. 

Don't get me wrong, it's also a pretty demanding job. But, that's a good thing because you will be stepping outside your comfort zone. If you are shy at all, it will force you to become more outgoing. If you end up in med, any time you spend serving will be priceless. Learning how to juggle all your tables while dealing with the kitchen and the bar while trying to make sure that you are there with what people want when they want it? These are soft skills that would pay dividends in residency I'm sure.

Or, if you want something a little less demanding, be a cashier, lol. I always loved cash. It's such a nice straightforward routine. It's like meditating, lol. 

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What types of jobs have you had in the past? I always really enjoyed my times as a student working part time and summer jobs in things like retail and labour. It's a very different type of work than school work. In some ways it can be more difficult because you have people watching you constantly and sometimes you get talked down to and have to put up with crap. But, on the other hand, it's less intellectual and gives you a chance to clear your head. I find it refreshing to work on my feet and with my hands compared to desk work. It's also nice to feel useful but at the same time you are not the person in charge or the one making decisions. 

 

Anyways, that's my take on it. I would look for a part-time low skill job if I were you. One of the more productive avenues I think would be taking a hosting or busing job at a restaurant with a view to becoming a server or bartender. Serving and bar-tending are both great skills to have in the future. If you find yourself between jobs or just needing a break, it's something that you can go back to and make pretty decent money when you include tips. You also get to meet lots of interesting people and learn a lot about people and life from chatting with the customers. And in a lot of places, you will have great coworkers who are fun and it can be fun just to be there, and also a chance to boost your social life if you hit it off and hang out outside of work. 

 

Don't get me wrong, it's also a pretty demanding job. But, that's a good thing because you will be stepping outside your comfort zone. If you are shy at all, it will force you to become more outgoing. If you end up in med, any time you spend serving will be priceless. Learning how to juggle all your tables while dealing with the kitchen and the bar while trying to make sure that you are there with what people want when they want it? These are soft skills that would pay dividends in residency I'm sure.

 

Or, if you want something a little less demanding, be a cashier, lol. I always loved cash. It's such a nice straightforward routine. It's like meditating, lol. 

I agree! Haha it's so great to hear someone else enjoys public service work. I actually miss being able to just work at a nice clothing store part time and dress people up and watch how much you can make someone's day. Now I feel obligated to work in research part-time during the year.

 

I feel that everyone should work in public service at some point in their lives. The difference it would make in how we treat servers, etc would be unbelievable I think. It teaches you so much more about how exhausting a 9 hour shift with 2x15min breaks off your feet is, how reliable you must be having breaks clocked to the minute, than any NSERC USRA ever would

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What types of jobs have you had in the past? I always really enjoyed my times as a student working part time and summer jobs in things like retail and labour. It's a very different type of work than school work. In some ways it can be more difficult because you have people watching you constantly and sometimes you get talked down to and have to put up with crap. But, on the other hand, it's less intellectual and gives you a chance to clear your head. I find it refreshing to work on my feet and with my hands compared to desk work. It's also nice to feel useful but at the same time you are not the person in charge or the one making decisions. 

 

Anyways, that's my take on it. I would look for a part-time low skill job if I were you. One of the more productive avenues I think would be taking a hosting or busing job at a restaurant with a view to becoming a server or bartender. Serving and bar-tending are both great skills to have in the future. If you find yourself between jobs or just needing a break, it's something that you can go back to and make pretty decent money when you include tips. You also get to meet lots of interesting people and learn a lot about people and life from chatting with the customers. And in a lot of places, you will have great coworkers who are fun and it can be fun just to be there, and also a chance to boost your social life if you hit it off and hang out outside of work. 

 

Don't get me wrong, it's also a pretty demanding job. But, that's a good thing because you will be stepping outside your comfort zone. If you are shy at all, it will force you to become more outgoing. If you end up in med, any time you spend serving will be priceless. Learning how to juggle all your tables while dealing with the kitchen and the bar while trying to make sure that you are there with what people want when they want it? These are soft skills that would pay dividends in residency I'm sure.

 

Or, if you want something a little less demanding, be a cashier, lol. I always loved cash. It's such a nice straightforward routine. It's like meditating, lol. 

 

 

Maybe I'm overly cynical, but from the experience of friends and family members, good luck getting a serving job (even a hosting one) if you're not of a certain height, type and build.  Which, in my hometown, seems to be (for women), 5'8", 110 lbs and blonde.   :P

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Maybe I'm overly cynical, but from the experience of friends and family members, good luck getting a serving job (even a hosting one) if you're not of a certain height, type and build.  Which, in my hometown, seems to be (for women), 5'8", 110 lbs and blonde.   :P

I think you are from out West? You guys invented that place Earl's right? LOL

 

But yes, it's definitely true in downtown Toronto I think. It seems like most of the people serving there are just doing it between modelling gigs. ;) 

 

Anywhere in the suburbs though, I don't think that looks matter too much outside of Hooters and all of that. If you go to Etobicoke, or Markham or Mississauga or wherever, the servers mostly look like regular people to me. 

 

Looks aside, it's not an easy job to get. Any type of customer service job though, I think is a good experience. 

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I think you are from out West? You guys invented that place Earl's right? LOL

 

But yes, it's definitely true in downtown Toronto I think. It seems like most of the people serving there are just doing it between modelling gigs. ;)

 

Anywhere in the suburbs though, I don't think that looks matter too much outside of Hooters and all of that. If you go to Etobicoke, or Markham or Mississauga or wherever, the servers mostly look like regular people to me.

 

Looks aside, it's not an easy job to get. Any type of customer service job though, I think is a good experience.

Ha, yes I am. But not from the big city. And I was actually thinking of earls. :P

 

I'll just always be bitter on behalf of a family member who is gorgeous, fit, and social but couldn't get a job anywhere. Some of them actually even set a height limit in their ads. Is that even allowed??

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I'll just always be bitter on behalf of a family member who is gorgeous, fit, and social but couldn't get a job anywhere. Some of them actually even set a height limit in their ads. Is that even allowed??

 

Yes it's allowed. The precise rules may vary from province to province, however, generally speaking, employers can hire whom they will, based on criteria set by the employer. The only restrictions are that employers generally cannot discriminate on the basis of certain characteristics as defined by legislation.

 

For example, in Ontario, the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination in employment is set out in Section 5 of the Human Rights Code, reproduced below:

 

5. "Every person has a right to equal treatment with respect to employment without discrimination because of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, record of offences, marital status, family status or disability."

 

Additionally, employers generally can discriminate on the basis of one of the listed characteristics if such characteristic is a "bona fide occupational qualification". Thus a football team can refuse to hire a paraplegic to play quarterback. A theatre company can refuse to hire a middle-age man to play "Annie" in the musical of that name.

 

Beyond what is set out in the legislation of the province in question, the employers are free to set their own hiring criteria. There is no law requiring the criteria to make sense.

 

Note: if one is applying to work in a federally-regulated industry such as banking, airlines or the federal civil service, then the federal legislation rather than the provincial legislation applies.

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Yes it's allowed. The precise rules may vary from province to province, however, generally speaking, employers can hire whom they will, based on criteria set by the employer. The only restrictions are that employers generally cannot discriminate on the basis of certain characteristics as defined by legislation.

 

For example, in Ontario, the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination in employment is set out in Section 5 of the Human Rights Code, reproduced below:

 

5. "Every person has a right to equal treatment with respect to employment without discrimination because of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, record of offences, marital status, family status or disability."

 

Additionally, employers generally can discriminate on the basis of one of the listed characteristics if such characteristic is a "bona fide occupational qualification". Thus a football team can refuse to hire a paraplegic to play quarterback. A theatre company can refuse to hire a middle-age man to play "Annie" in the musical of that name.

 

Beyond what is set out in the legislation of the province in question, the employers are free to set their own hiring criteria. There is no law requiring the criteria to make sense.

 

Note: if one is applying to work in a federally-regulated industry such as banking, airlines or the federal civil service, then the federal legislation rather than the provincial legislation applies.

Yes, exactly. Thanks, I haven't been on my laptop with the wonderful full keyboard much this week. 

 

I've had a lot of people approach me wanting to sue for unfair hiring practices that didn't relate to anything under human rights legislation. It's interesting that it's such a common misconception. 

 

Another thing is that I've been asked whether I have children (i.e. family status) in job interview with senior litigators more than once. I actually don't have children, but being asked that question tells me the lawyer asking it is either shockingly incompetent, or more likely, an asshole who I wouldn't want to work with let alone for

 

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Yes, exactly. Thanks, I haven't been on my laptop with the wonderful full keyboard much this week.

 

I've had a lot of people approach me wanting to sue for unfair hiring practices that didn't relate to anything under human rights legislation. It's interesting that it's such a common misconception.

 

Another thing is that I've been asked whether I have children (i.e. family status) in job interview with senior litigators more than once. I actually don't have children, but being asked that question tells me the lawyer asking it is either shockingly incompetent, or more likely, an asshole who I wouldn't want to work with let alone for.

 

Yah I vaguely knew that it's allowed. Whether it should be is another question though. I'm not sure how height or blondeness contributes to your ability to be a waitress. Attractiveness, I guess, yah.

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Yah I vaguely knew that it's allowed. Whether it should be is another question though. I'm not sure how height or blondeness contributes to your ability to be a waitress. Attractiveness, I guess, yah.

This is a pretty big can of worms that I do not feel like opening right now, lol. 

 

Hiring practices are notoriously unfair. There are so many issues and so many problems that come up. Maybe that's why the only legal remedies are under human rights legislation. Everything else, however unfair, is difficult to set rules about. 

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Yah I vaguely knew that it's allowed. Whether it should be is another question though. I'm not sure how height or blondeness contributes to your ability to be a waitress. Attractiveness, I guess, yah.

It's the aesthetic of a particular restaurant. It's not always about blonde or height, it's about whatever atmosphere the managers want to create so the place makes money and they can keep their jobs. It's more about presentation than anything. 

 

And honestly, having waited tables for hundreds of hours, it's in your best interest to look nice at work because you will always get more tips. Even at little family diners. That's just life.

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It's the aesthetic of a particular restaurant. It's not always about blonde or height, it's about whatever atmosphere the managers want to create so the place makes money and they can keep their jobs. It's more about presentation than anything. 

 

And honestly, having waited tables for hundreds of hours, it's in your best interest to look nice at work because you will always get more tips. Even at little family diners. That's just life.

 

 

Yah, I was talking about people who look nice, and are attractive, but not the the "aesthetic". I get that it's legal, I'm just not sure it should be.  Except for modelling or whatever.  

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I sense a very active thread is about to ensue.. 

 

 

 

haha, I really didn't mean to start a controversy!

 

P.S. though, I hate the justification of "it's just life" (almost always).  You can apply that to literally everything.  Doesn't mean everything in life is perfect how it is and we shouldn't ever criticize it or try to change it.

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