@willtomlinson You've made your point, and I get it. I think the key difference between you and Jeffrey is that Jeffrey treats a job as the beginning of his career.

I still remember back in the '90s(my fathter did that), people used to write very long letters to managers, instead of sending copies of resumes randomly as they do nowadays. If my work is seen by HR, I think 20 hours of work is worth trying. But the question is, how do I even get HR to notice it?

The issue is no longer just about the number of hours worked, it's about efficiency, value output, and creating a signal of differentiation.

@JeffreyWay Totally agree with Jeffrey. 20 hours is too much? If i'm the manager and knowing that's your atitude, I will not give you opportunity for sure.

@willtomlinson Putting effort into getting the job you want is absurd? What are you talking about?

Do you really want to entertain the possibility that the 15 year old bus boy is putting more time and effort into getting a job than you? He/She has to:

• 1 hour: Shower, look presentable.
• 30 minutes: Travel to/from restaurant.
• 20 minutes: Fill out application.
• 10 minutes: Wait for manager to call you in.
• 20 minutes: Interview with manager.

We're already at 2.5 hours. What do you think @willtttomlinson? Should you spend 2.5 hours applying for a six-figure job that you'll be at for potentially years?