[MotoSook]

When I was fresh out of college, I lived in an apartment by myself, three states from my childhood friends and from my family. It was great. The routine was: work, work late, go home but stop in at the local pub for beers, pool and a burger (maybe a babe), go crash after the bar closes, go back to work.

I put in a lot of hours and was usually in the office on Saturday afternoons, which was a good thing because my boss was usually there. I got lots of merit points and got a 10% payraise w/in 6 months. I learned a lot and they gave me lots of trust and responsibility! Left the company after my new position in the post merger company didn't leave me time to for bars, pool, burgers and babes (not even a little bit)...landed better jobs after that...now I am working my butt off again, but I'm stretched between personal life and work. I'd take a 20% pay cut to work strickly 40 hours and not stress when I get home. But today's professional environment demands that you work 2-3 times what you are paid...profits, profits, profits!

The point...go get the job that pays well and teaches you a lot. Sacrificing your personal time when you're young is acceptable in my mind. But don't let it spill into your mid-years....try....try very hard. Ask yourself if you want to be that 40+ year old guy in the cube next to you when you are 40+ yrs old (no offense to the 40+ yr old dudes)....most decisions come easier when you are face to face with your future...it's easy to motivate yourself if you look down the road far enough. There were guys in their 50's doing what I was doing when I was 2 years out of college....

Your friends working late hours for big firms may be learning something you are not. With their credentials, they may be able go further than you...but then I don't know your case exactly..you will have to compare your position to your buddies'. Good luck.