As the new semester starts up, I know for a fact that there will be many new first-years roaming around campus trying to figure out who they are outside their home, or trying, and failing, to find their classrooms (we’ve all been there).
However, there is one thing in particular a lot of us who just moved to San Juan are beginning to look into, and that is a part time job. Now, I know that not everyone needs one, but for those of you who, like me, have been economically forced into finding a job, fear not! I will try and give you some tips and tricks that helped me, some things I stayed away from, and some things to look for to hopefully make your job hunting just a smidge less overwhelming.
So, let’s get into it! Here are some red flags you should look out for while job-hunting:
- Not having a salary display
If the starting salary is not clearly displayed anywhere in the job description, say hello to your first red flag. Words like “attractive salary” might be thrown in there for good measure, but nine times out of ten, those are just pretty words trying to lure in unsuspecting victims. I know this for a fact because last semester was my first time job-hunting and, as a lot of us tend to do, I sent my resume to many places, not really actively looking for any red flags. This is how I ended up being called up for an interview and being asked to sign a contract on the very same day. Which is precisely when I found out I was going to be paid the absolute bare minimum. I signed the contract, because of some misplaced sense of duty, and I ended up severely regretting it. Don’t make my mistakes, kids.
Instead, what you should look for is places that have clearly stated somewhere in the job posting how much they plan to pay you. These places generally do this because they pay more than minimum wage and see their paying wage as one of the assets to working there. Now, this isn’t to say that places that pay minimum wage are less than but, let’s be honest… In this economy, we all want to be paid more, not less. Mind you, if there is a particular place you wish to work at, and they don’t specify their salary, you can always just go up to one of the employees and ask. In my experience, they almost never mind, and they even tend to give you some advice.
- Bad Work Environment
By work environment, I’m talking about management and your future coworkers. Is this place you’re considering a good place? Do they treat their employees fairly? Are they understanding? Are your coworkers happy? Do they like to work there?
These are all questions you should be finding out the answers to. Because when you’re busy studying for your college classes and have to go to work at a place that literally sucks your soul dry, no one is happy. Mark my words:
You don’t need to work at a place that you absolutely love, these places are few and far in between, but you should definitely work at a place that treats you fairly.
So, my advice? Talk to some of the people that work there. They are usually very candid about their work experience. When I first started working at the minimum wage place I mentioned before, my coworkers told me they hated it there and that I should run for the hills. While they did say this somewhat jokingly, a joke is never far off from the truth.
- Bad Location
Always look into where exactly you’re applying to work, because location is very important. Sometimes it’s better to choose a lower paying job if it’s within walking distance of where you live, because the amount of money you would be spending on gas and food to get to another place may make the lower paying option suddenly more attractive. Also, if you have to drive to your job, as most of us do, inquire into things like traffic in the area and rush hour. It’s always better to know more, not less.
After my bad experience during my first official job-hunt, I quit after two weeks. I did so with a job interview lined up at a great company that paid me almost twice as much as my last one. On the day of the interview, I talked to the employees there and asked them about their experience, and they all talked positively about their time working there. I came in already aware of my salary expectations, so I received no shocks or surprises and I came across the job opportunity by asking friends in my faculty.
If you are currently in a situation similar to mine last semester, always know that there is no shame in doing what is best for you. If you don’t look after yourself, who will?
I know not everyone has horrible experiences with their first jobs, but this is just my experience. I hope that by sharing my story other people will be a bit more cautious when job hunting, so they’ll find the right job for them.
Good luck in your job-hunt.