Hi, everyone!
Just want to start off by saying how fascinating it has been finding this site. I'd never before been remotely interested in financial matters, considering them something for posh people. But seeing them framed (by pleasant, down-to-earth people!) in the context of sensible living is changing that.
So, thought it couldn't hurt to ask.
Anyway, nearly age 25 now. Currently living in the UK with a year left on my visa - prior to this, was studying and working in the USA.
Upbringing, observations, and general nature have always led me to equate work with success. Paid my way through Stateside uni and all that.
First job out of school was a temp role as a sort of clerical role in a hospital, mostly doing data entry - take procedures from patient profiles, use a little booklet to convert them into ICD9 format, and re-enter them into a different database.
In my second week, I prototyped an automation script to the department director. Finished the script by the end of the first month, put in a polished UI and idiot-proof instructions by the end of the second. Within four months, had cleared up what had been presented to me as a year's worth of backlogged entries, and had turned daily database maintenance from a four-hour job into a 30-minute one.
In short, I sort of ended up eliminating my own position. Had been hoping to transfer onto the wards or into a lab, but instead they said I was now redundant. Really regret idiot-proofing the script, now...
Anyway, a while after that, moved to the UK on a work visa, and started as a tech at a research clinic. On paper, my job is just to perform checkups on people, but have been bending over backwards to stand out.
Also working as specialist/representative for a fairly complex trial, gave a study talk in front of the whole department (which is usually the job of a physician or manager), and have been maintaining the company site on the side. Also custom rewired the instruments the ward nurses are now using, and have been coordinating repair/calibration of the stuff I can't fix.
Also, recently have begun volunteering for the odd night shift on the ward in between my usual day shift - counting in lunch breaks and 6 hours' sleep, that means 32 hours spent at work from arriving to leaving.
Between these extra roles, voluntary night shifts, and arriving 30min early every day, I've done about 140 hours over the last 3 weeks, at what is supposedly a 40-hour-per-week position.
Not meaning to sound resentful or arrogant. Just really want to make a mark. Plus, well... I sort of did eliminate my own position at my first job, and have essentially been juggling the roles of three people at the second.
Also managing to live extremely cheaply, especially by London standards. Managing to put away about 2/3 of each month's income, while still living a decent life. 11 months after arriving as a broke immigrant, have about 2.5x the savings of most of my peers, including the ones who live nearby with their parents.
Yet something doesn't feel right.
At the first job, I basically coded away my own position and was laid off as a thank-you - granted, as a temp, it was inevitable, but could have spent 4-5x as long getting paid and trying for permanent transfer if I'd only sat back and gone through the motions like a good drone.
Currently, at the clinic, have taken on three peoples' worth of roles. However, getting the second-lowest pay of my life (lower than construction work during uni!), and requests to be formally promoted to the roles that I'm already performing have been casually dismissed - 'ask once you've been here 18 months', they say, regardless of the fact that my visa will nearly be up by then.
Meanwhile, many colleagues stroll in late, leave early, and spend half the day texting, with no functional difference between us. Some of the ones with Master's degrees have started with higher status than I hold after nearly a year of running myself utterly ragged.
Basically, it's starting to feel like initiative and dedication don't matter that much. Loads of peers are doing just as well for themselves while putting in a fraction of the effort, and saving 66% of your income doesn't seem to accomplish much when that income is peanuts to begin with.
Feels like everything has been a waste of time, and that I could accomplish just as little by pissing everything away on fun.
Granted, didn't do any favours by moving to the UK - lost most of my US savings that way.
Plus, they do say that a Master's carries massive weight in the sciences. But I can't afford to do a MS without spiralling into the same cycle of debt that many friends are trapped in. Plus, accruing debt in £ and paying in NZ/AU$ would be devastating.
Don't really know what else to do. Don't think I can work much harder, and my expenses are already lower than is probably healthy. Am I just being impatient? Or do I need to make a change somewhere? Would the school debt be worth it later on?
What are your thoughts? Can't be the first person to face this sort of situation.
P.S.: Ugh, sorry for the massive text-wall. If you're reading this, thank you for pressing on through to the end.