Work and time differences

[Zephii]

So, seeming it looks like we're going LD again, I need to think of how to manage our time difference, and what job would best help me to do that. I thought maybe we can share ideas because this might be helpful to others, especially new LDRs who might not have the swing of it yet.

Our time difference is 5 - 7 hours as long as you don't pay attention to the fact Australia is one day ahead. What this means is that at 9am in Canada it's 2am in Oz. Obi works an 8.5 hour day with a 3 hour total commute. He get's home at about 7pm so thats.... Noon my time. Ugh. How did we manage this before?

So work wise, I need a job that isn't 9-5, because 5pm for me is midnight for him and the man needs to sleep occasionally.

What jobs can I look at that start early early in the morning/don't go til 5pm?

I know housekeeping days average 6 hours, so I'd be off at roughly 10pm his time, which is better but still not good, but I think I'd rather die than go back into housekeeping. I don't want shift work that's constantly changing, ideally it'd be a job I could keep when he finally get over here too (but if it isn't I'll deal I guess).

Bakers work in the early hours of the morning, maybe an apprenticeship?

I just can't think lol. What other jobs would I be off early enough to actually talk to him?
Share your experiences? Or am I the only weirdo that fits her job around her LDR instead of the other way around?

[snow_girl]

I totally worked jobs that would make it easy to talk to my SO. I worked at 9pm-3am stock job and then would speak to him during the day when I woke up. What about at a coffee shop? Those places are always open early. Back home you can make alright money delivering newspapers, I know it sounds like a 12 year old thing to do but its an early morning job and if you get a big area the money is more. I haven't done the time zone math but if you worked evening shifts at a restaurant you would have the days free if that works.

[Dziubka]

My mum's a nurse and granted she works shifts, but when she has the morning shift she's off at 2:30pm. She works at an old people's home. I don't what jobs you're looking into but hospitals or retirement homes, should be able to offer times like that.
Oh and like snow_girl suggested: stocker! That's usually from the late evening to the early morning.

I used to work at a call centre that did different kind of surveys and my hours were 5pm - 9pm, because that's apparently when most people are home. It wasn't such a bad job and considering you didn't need any real qualifications the pay was very reasonable.

[Zephii]

I'm glad I'm not the only one!

Coffe shop could work I love the smell of coffee, and I have some (very limited) experience with cafe work. I'll put it on my list of options! Newspaper I would totally do, at home it's not a kids job, it's illegal to work if you're not 14.9 years old but I think I'd probably need a car which wont happen for quite some time.

Night work wouldn't work for me, because our biggest "link" is sleeping together. Plus that'd be hard on the other people I'll be living with, as they both have day jobs. I try to be considerate ^^;

---------- Post added at 11:34 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:32 AM ----------

Stocker is going on the list too Though I'm not sure how cut out for that I am
.. I'd need training/schooling to work at a hospital wouldn't I? I have no degree in anything. It's all blue collar stuff for me.

[Dziubka]

The place my mum works at always has some untrained people working there. Usually they're waiting to get into medical school, but it's not a requirement or anything. Plus someone who's waiting to get into medical school mostly doesn't have any qualification apart from HS diploma either. Actually it's probably more because they're intrested in that kind of work. If adult diapers and Alzheimer's don't scare you off, you can apply at retirement homes.

[Zephii]

It can't be that much worse than housekeeping. >.> Poo is poo. It's going on the list! I would never have thought of it.

[lucybelle]

Everyone has given some great ideas, the only one I could think of right now is lifeguarding. You do have to be trained but that's like a week-long thing. Pools open at like 5am to let swim teams practice early. If you're a good swimmer, try lifeguarding?

[13000km]

How about babysitting?

[Zephii]

How about babysitting?

This is what I did before I came to Canada actually. But, it pays poorly. I need a real full-time job I can support myself/us on.

Lucybelle, I fear this is very unAustralian of me but, I can't swim. At all. I took lessons for years, but I just suck lol

[MadMolly]

Zephii, I know it sounds weird, but bakeries in supermarkets are actually not bad jobs! You start at 3 or 4 in the morning and you're off around lunch time or earlier. Not sure how that would fit into your LDR schedule but it's another option to look into!

[Zephii]

3 or 4 in the morning would be perfect for me. Have you done that job? I'm always scared trying new jobs lol

[MadMolly]

It's pretty much the only job working with food that I actually enjoyed haha. It was a LOT of fun and you get to sneak home free food if the boss isn't looking. lol. early mornings are actually not that big of a deal. Try at Coles, Woolworths etc. The pay isn't TOO bad for a supermarket job either...

[Zephii]

oh and I'd get the discount card for being an employee too. Yay cheaper shopping. ^^;

[Zapookie]

My friend works at woolworths and does the evening shift, 4:30pm to midnight. I think she gets around 18 dollars an hour and she's 20 years old.... I know being a check out chick isn't ideal but if its only a temporary thing, then maybe it might be okay?

[Zephii]

I've done check-out chicking before, it's seriously not the end of the world. I'd rather not do it again though, because there are long periods of time you're idle and I can't stand that, I need to be working constantly. But a job is a job, it just needs to have the right hours.
$18 bucks an hour sounds great because I've been working for $12 over here haha!