How to overcome the challenges of a night shift job for college students

Up All Night: Now that you have a real job, why are you still pulling all-nighters? You’re on the night shift, baby.

Since a college student’s schedule often involves things like No-Doz and VH1’s Insomniac Music Theater, landing that first nine-to-five job has some appeal.
But what if after four years of blood, sweat and all-nighters, you find that the first real job you’re offered will keep you on a crazy schedule? Should you move back home and hold out for something better? Or is it possible to survive the real world with college-like hours?

The challenge can come in the form of an overnight position at a hospital or newsroom. It might also be a job that entails attending weekend events like business conferences or media junkets. Whatever shape it takes, when your first job requires you to trade in your pillow for coffee or your weekend wear for a coat and tie, you might feel like you’re back in college: working past sunrise, doing more than you’re getting credit for, and losing control of your personal time.

Take advice from a couple of recent grads who found that “normal” real-world jobs aren’t necessarily easy to find.

Find the Silver Lining
There’s good to be found in every situation, right? Well, even if you don’t believe that, it might help to convince yourself of it if you plunge into a less-than-ideal work schedule. Kerry Miller, an Indiana University graduate, didn’t mind being an overnight assignment editor at an L.A. news station. “I was excited at the opportunity because it’s not common that someone gets their first broadcast-news job in Los Angeles,” says Miller, who after eight months of working from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. was finally moved to the day shift. “I knew it was temporary and I needed a place to start.”

Bill Reese, a Berkeley grad, knew he’d be giving up some weekends when he took a job as an account executive for a sports public relations firm, even if he wasn’t aware he’d be putting in 12-hour days at events like the Super Bowl and boxing matches in Atlantic City. But he says the flip side of his often-hectic weekend schedule is a very predictable 9-5 work week.

Furthermore, Reese knows that without commitments to a wife and family, this is the time when he actually can spare his weekends. “Schedule-wise, I think this is pretty good at this point in my life,” he says.

Keeping sight of an abnormal schedule’s advantages can help you keep your cool, just like remembering “I’m only in college once” helped you through sleep-deprived days and random Saturday nights spent writing thesis papers.

And even if you can’t find a “pro” among your list of “cons” when analyzing your new job, have faith that the advantages might be found in hindsight. After scoring the day shift at the news station, Miller realized he had gained valuable experience during the night hours. Although there are three assignment editors at his station during the day, Miller had been on his own at night, making split-second decisions about news coverage and assignments. “I actually learned really good news judgment and had more responsibility,” he says.

Running on Empty
Even the most health-conscious college student sometimes finds it hard to eat healthily and exercise regularly. When your new job has you up at dawn or on your feet all weekend, it can be just as difficult to stay healthy, even though you actually have money to join a nice gym and to buy foods that don’t come in cans or cardboard boxes.

Remembering to eat even small meals at regular times is essential, says Miller. While working the graveyard shift, he established three mealtimes: between eight and nine at night; at three in the morning; and once before bed around 8 a.m.

“When I got out of work the only thing open was Taco Bell,” Maller says. But even though it wasn’t the healthiest of options, it was better than being too tired to prepare something and not eating anything at all.

For Reese, the worst thing about his job is finding time for errands like picking up dry cleaning. “The real shock after college was not having any free hours in the day,” he says.

Since stress is a sure-fire way to bring on insomnia or a tension headache, it’s important to remain calm. Reese suggests keeping in mind that your time off is your time. Unlike college, you don’t have papers or tests hanging over your head on Saturdays. So if that’s the only time you have to buy stamps and go grocery shopping, remember that it’s better to be picking produce than cramming for Econ.

Getting less stressed about when to do the little things will take a load off your mind, ease your blood pressure, and help you get a good night’s sleep when you can.

Welcome the Changes
Like anything new, your first job will take some getting used to. And if your introduction to the real world is marked by setting your alarm for 6 a.m. on Sunday, it might take a little longer. But be open to changes.

Willingly give up some of the control you might have had in college when it comes to personal time. “Work is definitely a change because you can’t schedule work the way you can schedule classes,” Miller says. You have to become skillful at planning, when in college it was okay to often fly by the seat of your pants.

Also, give your body time to adjust if you have to shift your schedule. Even though Miller remembers feeling like he had “permanent jet lag” when he worked all night and slept all day, “you just kind of adapt,” he says.

The best thing about a first job you don’t absolutely love is that, chances are, you won’t have it for long. Few people remain at one job for their entire careers, so accept the changes your body might be forced to make in the first round of your professional life.

“In your first job, you’re definitely going to make some sacrifices,” Miller says.

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