I might finally get a job!! but ?s

[sibley]

 Okay so after literally months of searching (I started applying to things in early March but was doing research in February), I MAY have finally found a job.  I’m so relieved and very happy.  It’s been wreaking havoc on my emotions to be living at home and doing nothing, you know?

So I found this job through a personnel agency specializing in law and accounting and such.  I went in with an interview there and the lady sent me over to meet with a partner in the law firm a few hours later.  The next day I went in the morning to meet with the associate lawyer who I would be working for as a litigation paralegal.  I called the woman from the personnel agency a couple times yesterday after the second interview and once today but she hasn’t gotten back to me.. so I left a message today. 

Now, a litigation paralegal is a really ROCKING job.  And in this position I would have tons of responsibility and I’d get tons of experience.  But the personnel lady told me two bad things.  1) It is only $10 an hour, and 2) there is absolutely no overtime.

But yesterday I was told there WAS overtime so i’m hoping she’s wrong about the $10 an hour too.  Because a litigation paralegal in my city makes closer to $20 an hour.  And honestly I can’t live on $10 an hour… not the way I’d want to.  I’d have to live at home so I can pay off enough of my school loans.

So I don’t know what to do =(  I’m hoping to God that I’d be making more than 20k a year but at this point I don’t know.  I can’t keep looking if I take the job since it’s through a personnel firm.  And I want to go to law school in a year or two so it’d be a really great experience for that, especially since paralegal jobs are really hard to come by nowadays, especially the kind where I’d get to do so much actual legal work.  But I just don’t know if it’s worth it.

 

What do you guys think?  A low paying job is obviously better than no job, and it’s not like it’s minimum wage… but… blah.  I really don’t want to have to live at home and drive all the way in to the city.  

 

[KytKattin]

Take it! You have to start at the bottom and work your way up. In this economy that might be really what they can afford to pay you, and having that experience will make you a more likely choice for a job in the future, one that does pay more. Maybe just work there for a year if you can. It will still look good on a resume.

[sibley]

Yeah I could work there for a year then go to law school like I’m planning anyway… I just don’t want to be stuck being paid so little when I’d be making more doing something bs and when entry level positions make 40k a year. The law firm is doing very well because it deals with real estate and foreclosure law, so they’re VERY busy right now.

[Sarita]

I would just confirm the rate of pay since there was a mistake with the overtime pay. That does sound low to me.

But it does sound like a good opportunity and you’ve been searching for a good while so you definitely need to take that into consideration as well.

[sibley]

Thanks =)

The other thing is there were two unofficial positions. When I met with the guy yesterday about being his paralegal he told me that there was another position that the first lawyer I met with had if I wasn’t interested in the paralegal job. So maybe she had the info for the other position… oh that would be so nice. Like maybe they originally interviewed me for the other position and the guy was like “oh she’s overqualified but we have that…” so he decided to put me in for the paralegal job instead…

Or maybe! maybe! okay maybe what happens is the personnel person gets recruitment money based on the salary of the recruit. So they put me at 10 bucks for a month and then up it to a regular rate after that.

[jerseygirl]

You really need to ask these questions and get them to clarify. Perhaps they said there is overtime, meaning there will be out of hours work but not actual overtime rate of pay? Get the answers and things in writing so you can go in with your eyes open. If they’ve alluded to two positions, I think they wouldn’t blink too much if you asked for Postion descriptions/ rates of pay etc so you can weigh them up.  Goodluck!

[RabbitPam]

This is good news, since it’s in your field and you’ll get some very valuable related experience.

I’m wondering a couple of things – is the personnel agency placing you as a temp? Do you have a contract with them? Because if so, then the low pay may be after they take their regular cut, ie. the co. pays them $12/hour but you only see ten before taxes.

If not (let’s hope) and they just are getting a finders fee, then try to stick with salary discussions with the personnel rep for the company, not the agency. It is very possible that they are expecting you to negotiate, and that they have a low starting salary to weed out too many applicants. It also may be a budget allocation thing, where they can up it after the end of their fiscal year. You can legitimately say (hopefully in person – can you get another interview with a hiring manager there?) that your cost of living had you looking for a salary within a range of x to x (What is you real bottom line? Add a dollar, so call it say, $13 an hour to $16 an hour.) That would make you reasonable, give them wiggle room to sweeten the pot, and neither of you has to stick with a lowballed salary. The time to negotiate is when they are offering you a position.

What you have successfully discovered is the hidden job market. It’s the best reason to interview for the job with the bad salary. Because there are two more, better jobs waiting in the wings for that qualified person that everyone likes – you. So, try to interview for all available positions there, see which job description is the best fit, who seems to be the best to work for, and what range they can offer. Most employers would love to get you for their lowest pay, but will kick in around $2 more an hour to secure you. If they have a range they cannot exceed, such as in government jobs where the salaries are set a finite levels and no room for negotiations, then you have to decide if it is worth it.

But while you’re deciding that, work there, get some experience, beef up your resume, and keep looking independently for that next good job. Consider this, if the pay is low, a summer job that supports your job search. It will keep you in paper and ink for your circulating resumes. It’s a win-win.

[RabbitPam]

P.S. My current full time job that meets my salary needs was a part time job for an hourly wage I hadn’t seen in over ten years it was so low. I had to give up my apartment and move back in with my parents because it was going so well that they made it clear they wanted me full time in the next fiscal year. So, I started in Feb. while job hunting, worked 4 days a week until October first, and the director had the OK from the board to offer me full time at about triple the hourly wage. It was because I had ten years of direct experience, was available for a weekend schedule, and threw in my graphic design skills so, as he put it, I brought a lot of things to the table that justified making the position a professional salaried one! It was a tough summer waiting for their final offer, but I moved right back into my apartment complex last November and ran out and got my bunny.

Must leave for work now. Boss is on vacation, I’m minding the place and working a half day 4th of July. But it’s been the most creative job in my career in the last decade, so I am not complaining!

[sibley]

On the money information:
agency’s website says that it is: an executive search firm that specializes in a variety of disciplines on a local, regional and national basis. We take pride in the professional relationships we build with both our candidates and clients. Our clients have come to rely upon us to represent talented candidates in our respective industries; consequently, we are continually networking and recruiting to identify those individuals who meet the qualifications and standards we are seeking.

I think that the salary, etc, are through the law firm directly and not through the personnel agency.
The agency’s website also says:
We do not charge candidates for our services.
We maintain confidentiality throughout the process.
We work for your specific objectives and needs.
We provide you access to attractive opportunities.
We ensure that you are compensated at a fair market value and will assist in the negotiation process.

Thoughts:
I think I mentioned that the woman wasn’t sure what the position was and also said their wasn’t overtime (incidentally, it’s the kind of overtime where you say “hey, can I get some overtime?” and they find you some. you don’t have to take it but they remind you that it’s available if you don’t, since they’re so busy… also, they’re a law firm. And unpaid overtime is illegal…)

Regarding other jobs
The thing is, I had to sign something saying that if I accepted a position I found through them I would “quit looking for another position.” There is no statute of limitations on the document but obviously you can assume it can’t be good for more than six months or a year since any document like that is only official to the point where it doesn’t interfere with your quality of life. For me, that would be November. Since in November I have to start paying on my school loans, I could easily say that my circumstances changed and I needed more money.

Thoughts:
But if it’s the right amount of money it would be the perfect job.

RabbitPam, from my understanding of what you said about the hidden job market it sounds really good. And I hope to darn tootin goodness sake that you’re right!
Of course, I also hope that I’m offered the position. Because the associate said “we’ll be in touch” at the end. But maybe it’s positive that the partner I interviewed with the day before came in and handed me a postit with a job lead for my friend? He had asked me how long I was looking for a job the first day, and I told him even my biomed impressive impressive friend couldn’t find a job. So it’s cool that he remembered.

[Author]

Messages