Do you like a set schedule? Or would you prefer rotating shifts – something that varies from week to week or day to day? Would you mind working some weekends and holidays, or would you prefer the typical 8-to-5 work week schedule?

Back to our example of the neurosurgeon: A neurosurgeon right out of residency may work upward of 60 hours a week. Our neurosurgeon gets to go home when the work is done, not when the clock reads 5 p.m. At times, our neurosurgeon will also have to be “on call” – available to report to work on a single moment’s notice. That includes holidays, weekends and if need be, even the middle of the night.

As you are researching careers on SDMyLife, check out the “Day in the Life” feature, which walks you through a professional’s daily activities. It is broken down by hour and is fairly close to the schedule you could expect to encounter in the workplace. As you read through the questions-and-answers and job descriptions, you will also be able to find additional information about work schedules.

Once again, if you decide something doesn’t sound like you, you can click to find a list of related careers which may have more regular hours to suit your need for more structure. For example, a pathologist must complete a comparable amount of schooling and sits on a similar pay scale, but doesn’t usually require the late nights and weekends like our neurosurgeon would.