"Dream" job isn't working out (apply, interview, employer)

[dragonfly0428]

A few weeks ago, I was offered a job that fit exactly what I wanted to do in life. Although the pay was extremely low, I accepted the position.

Now, I'm finding out it isn't what I had hoped for, and being close to 50 years old, I am feeling the agony of working a FT and a PT job. I'm now working for 7 am to sometimes 11 pm - and both jobs just aren't adding up.

I feel bad because I want to just plain quit. I am extremely tired, my body aches, and the job has no health insurance to cover me if I do break down. I just feel I have made a serious error, and am paying dearly for it. I am unable to quit the PT job because the FT job doesn't pay enough to cover minimal living expenses. The salary just isn't enough.

How do I get out of this?

[kodaka]

Well obviously you need to find another job. Start sending out resumes. I would leave this job you just started off your resume. Putting it on your resume or trying to explain the situation in a cover letter will almost certainly lead to your resume being tossed. Save it for an interview when you can explain the situation to a person.

Of course juggling a job search and interviews along with two jobs won't be easy. You may need to decide if you should quit one job or the other. Yes that is a pay cut, but many people live on so little, I bet you can find a way to make it work, especially if it is only for a short time and leads you to a better paying job.

And you need to decide why this 'dream job' is not so dreamy. Did you make a career change and have a misperception of what this new career entailed? Or did the employer mislead you about the work you would be doing? Are you going to apply for other similar jobs or something else entirely? And what explanation will you give in an interview about why you are looking for work.

Also, why are you not getting health insurance from a full-time job? Is the company small enough that they are exempt from offering it?