Taking Care of Business

As I have noticed, we are gettng closer and closer to summertime. Knowing that, I know that a lot of you will be heading off to those wonderful summer jobs. Knowing that, I would like to give you all some nuggets of information that I had learned the hard way. Keep these things in mind as you search, interview, and contemplate job offers.

1. Curb your enthusiasm.:It's been said over and over that being over-eager can screw you. A job is no different. When a potential employer sees that you're damn near SALIVATING at the position, they may be able to use your enthusiasm to get you to over-work yourself and over-extend farther that you may have been willing to. Keep a poker face about yourself, and don't give off the impression that it's the ONLY job you want or company you have considered (even if it really is). Be cool headed and you will gain an upper hand.
   
   
2. Get the terms of employment up front before accepting: Most interview tip books will tell you to conduct an interview like a discussion rather than an interview. They encourage you to ask them questions as well. DO THIS!! Ask what will be required of you, ask concretely what your work schedule will be, ask what the pay will be (it's okay to ask. they know you want to know.), ask about compensation for overtime, ask about the possibility of advancement, and ask about fluctuations in scheduling. Trust me, yo will not regret asking these questions. Nothing sucks more than getting a job you assume you'll pump 40 hours a week into, only to find out that your work week is 55 hours, a clock-in time of 5:00am, and finding out that you have to report into work on Saturdays (in the middle of the week, no doubt). DON'T rely on the interviewer to relay all this information. Remember to ask it if it is not brought up.
   
   
3. Acknowledge your power to say no: I know this is a hard pill to swallow for some folk, but just because you get a job offer, it doesn't mean you have to take it! If the terms, payment, schedule aren't what you are willing to work with, you have the power to turn down their offer (that's why it's called an "offer" and not an "order"). This goes back to #1. You working one job is that much less time you have to search for a bette job. So, if you KNOW the job you're being offered is not what you want, tell them no then. It's a LOT harder to tell them no once you're on the payroll and they're asking you to do work.
   
   
4. Don't voice displeasure of the job to anyone on your level: This one is rather hard to title, but that's what we have explanations for. If you ARE working a job you abhore, don't bitch about it to co-workers. Not only do they not have ways to make it better for you, it's the quickest way to gossip (trust me, word WILL get around) and could lead to unfavorable treatment or judgement from your boss. They will think the same thing I explained in the previous explanation: "If he hated this job so much, he shouldn'tve taken it!!", and guess what? They will be right. If you have a problem with something, bring it to the man in charge. They may be able to propose a solution. Even if not, most sensible supervisors will appreciate that you brought it to them.
   
   
5. Do something you can see yourself doing: As we know, every job we get won't be the job we will have for 30 years. Knowing that, we can expect to have temp. jobs (beit or a summer or a season), especially if you are young. With this logic, you know you won't always be doing something you just drop dead love. However, this doesn't mean you have to do something you don't gel with. If you KNOW dealing with pissy, hungry people all day,maybe a fast-food job isn't for you. If you don't like monotony, maybe an assembly line position is not for you. Make sure you're doing something you can, at the VERY least, tolerate doing day-in, day-out.
   

These few tips will help you to gain more power in taking a job that will let you be cool with your job and come home witha peace of mind. Good luck in your job search.

-B