YOUR FIRST JOB
A Word To The Wise Job-Seeker
When it comes to working, and the responsibilities that come with it, it can be a cold, hard world out there. There are often many people applying for just one opening. How do you make sure that you will stand apart from the rest?
Your career plan should start the very first time you are paid to do anything, whether it is babysitting, mowing a lawn, or delivering newspapers. From that first day, you are building a reputation that will follow you for the rest of your life. Your work, and how well you perform it, will determine if you stay employed or not. It may not matter to your employer if you “try hard,” but it will matter if you get the job done.
You will have plenty of opportunities to build your reputation, every time you work when you don’t really feel like it, or when your friends want you to call in sick to go have fun. When you make good decisions, displaying honesty and integrity, these qualities will follow you a lot longer than your friends will.
When you make it a point to take your responsibilities seriously, and realize that you owe your employer an honest day’s work for an honest day’s wages, you will become the type of person that any company will fight to hire and keep.
What’s The Best Way To Get My First Job?
At some point, you will be ready to move from “teenage jobs,” like babysitting and mowing lawns, to a “real job,” where you get an actual paycheck, and maybe even wear a uniform! Getting this first job is an important step toward your independence, but how do you get that first person to say those magic words, “You’re Hired?”
Let’s look at four key steps to landing your first “real job.”
STEP 1: GET SOME WORK EXPERIENCE
First, get as much experience as you can, working wherever you can. If your aunt’s company will pay you to help pack up her office for a move, even if it’s only for a week, take it, and do your best while you are there. If your friend’s company will pay you to do some filing, take it, and do your best while you are there. And if your church will pay you to help with a construction project, what should you do? You got it, take the job, and do your best while you are there.
What do we mean when we say ”your best?” We are referring to giving every job your best effort, making sure that every employer gets his or her money’s worth from you, and even more. Even if these temporary jobs only last a week, you want to leave such a good impression that the employer would be willing to hire you for a permanent position, or recommend you to someone else.
Here are some general ideas of what an employer would expect of someone doing their “BEST:”
Be dependable – show up every day, and be on time;
Eager – to help and learn new things;
Strive to please – ask questions to understand, but don’t argue or complain; and
Team player – willing to help others and contribute to the overall efforts.
Does Volunteer Work Count?
Absolutely! Employers love to see people who are active in their community and who give of their time to help out a worthy cause. Whether you volunteer by reading to older folks in the nursing home or coach a kids’ soccer team, it all counts. When you invest your time in other people, that’s always a win-win situation, and if volunteering also looks good on your résumé, that’s icing on the cake!
Any time you agree to help in a volunteer capacity, treat your commitment like it is a job, even though you are not getting paid for it. Show up on time, do your best, and be as helpful as you can be. When you are done volunteering with this group, be sure to do two things:
1. Keep track of all the pertinent information:
• The name of the organization/group you worked with;
• The name of the person who supervised you;
• The time frame of this volunteer assignment (such as April 1–22, or January 5–May 29); and
• Your duties in this assignment.
2. Have a reference letter written for you:
Ask the person who supervised you if he or she would be willing to write a reference letter for you. This letter will probably cover all the things we just mentioned, plus one more important distinction: it will include a character reference.
A character reference is when somebody who knows you is willing to vouch for the type of person you are: honest, hard-working, reliable, dependable, and so on. Don’t ask someone to write a letter of reference for you if you really didn’t do a good job! When people write this type of letter, they are putting their reputation on the line on your behalf.
These letters of reference can come from a variety of people: your volunteer supervisor, or even bosses at the temporary or occasional jobs you’ve had, like the babysitting you’ve done for the past three years, or the receptionist you worked with in your neighbor’s dental office. Sometimes, even a coach or a teacher will be willing to write a reference letter for you.
STEP 2: GATHER YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE INFORMATION
Now that you have a little experience under your belt, and hopefully some letters of reference, it’s time to make sure you have all the information you will need for filling out job applications, or creating a résumé. In case you are wondering, a résumé is usually a one-page sheet that tells a prospective employer a little about you and your work experience. It should create a favorable impression of you, that would give someone a good reason to call you in for an interview.
Here is the general information you will include in an application or résumé:
• Your name, address, and phone number;
• The names of all companies you worked for or volunteered with;
• The address and phone number of the companies;
• The names of your immediate supervisors;
• Your title at each job;
• Your hourly wages;
• Your duties in each job;
• Your educational background;
• A list of your job-related skills and expertise; and
• Outside activities that may relate to your job skills, such as writing for the school paper or designing websites.
At this point in your life, you may or may not need a résumé, but it doesn’t hurt to have one ready in case someone asks for one, or you see an advertisement in the newspaper for an interesting job, and the employer requests a résumé.
There are four critical aspects to filling out an application:
1. Everything must be filled out completely;
2. Everything must be true;
3. Everything must be written neatly and legibly; and
4. Read the fine print.
If the person reading your application can’t read your handwriting, you probably won’t get called for an interview! And if any small detail is found to be untrue, you probably won’t get the job.
STEP 3: FILL OUT AND SUBMIT APPLICATIONS
By now, you should either have a resume ready to go or all the information necessary to start filling out applications. Where do you find a job, and what type of jobs should you apply for?
You can start with places you go to a lot, like the clothing stores at the mall, or your favorite music store. Since you are there all the time anyway, you are probably familiar with the products they sell, and some of the employees will know you. And since you go to these stores a lot, chances are you will like working there.
Perhaps retail selling is not the type of job you are looking for. There are certainly plenty of other options! Do you like animals? Have you considered applying at a local shelter, veterinary clinic, or zoo? If you enjoy children, working at a daycare center or kids’ fitness center or gymnasium may be a good fit. Fast food establishments also provide a good starting place and are often the most open to hiring young adults.
Restaurants are a great training ground and, like all of these options, opportunities exist to work into a management position and gain even more valuable training. Another option is search for a job in a field you are considering for a future career. If you have always been interested in the medical or dental field, you could apply as a file clerk or receptionist. Those may not be the positions you ultimately want, but they will give you valuable experience and the opportunity to be exposed to a certain type of work. Maybe you are leaning more toward a construction or mechanical career; then look for entry-level jobs in these fields.
How do you find all these various types of jobs? Start by asking everyone you know if they know of any openings. Ask adults you know if they, or their friends, know anyone who is hiring. Look through the newspaper for companies that are hiring. Check out websites that post jobs, like www.monster.com, www.craigslist.org, www.careerbuilder.com, http://hotjobs.yahoo.com, and www.edd.ca.gov. Finally, don’t be afraid to go door-to-door. But when you do, don’t just ask the first employee you see if they are accepting applications; ask the manager if he or she is hiring. If so, great, fill out an application, and ask for an interview. If not, ask if you can fill out an application to be considered when an opening does come up.
STEP 4: THE INTERVIEW
How should you dress when you go job hunting, or for an interview? When you are knocking on doors, dress as if you were going for an interview. You never know when someone will be hiring and be impressed with how you look. Dress appropriately for the type of position you are applying for or even a little nicer. This is not the time to wear a t-shirt from the concert you attended on Saturday night or to try to make a political or fashion statement. Save those for your own time!
If you are applying for a position where you think you would wear jeans and sneakers, wear slacks or nice pants and an appropriate shirt or blouse. Most importantly, dress neat and clean and be well-groomed. Make sure you have showered, and avoid heavy perfume, make-up and cologne. You don’t want to give your interviewer a headache!
Try to prepare for the interview by doing a little research about the company you are applying with. Thanks to the Internet, a wealth of information is right at your fingertips. Do a Google search on the company and see what you can find out: how big they are, the kind of products or services they offer, and any other information you think might be important.
In the interview, if they ask you, “Why do you want to work here?,” you need to be able to answer intelligently about what impressed you about their company. You might initially be lured by a generous employee discount, but maybe you found out that they are also socially responsible and give a portion of their profits back to their local communities. The interviewer will be impressed that you took the initiative to do some research.
In addition to highlighting any experience or specific skills that the employer is seeking and that you possess, be sure to communicate how you will provide great customer service. One of the most important qualities an employer is looking for is good people skills; the ability to get along well and communicate clearly with others. These skills will serve you well throughout your career.
These four steps should help get your career off to a good start, so that you will soon be employed and receiving your first paycheck.
What Happened To My Paycheck?
Congratulations! You have secured your first “real job,” and after working for two weeks and doing your best, it is finally payday. You can hardly wait: you have lots of big plans for this paycheck! Since you worked 25 hours a week, at $8 an hour, you are expecting the biggest lump sum of money you have ever received: $400.
But what’s this? Your boss hands you an envelope, which you quickly tear open. After proudly seeing your name printed on the check, your eyes dart to the amount: $340! That can’t be right; there must have been a mistake. You chase down your new boss and show him the check, sure that he will tear this one up, and write you a correct one on the spot. “No,” he says, “this one is right. Didn’t anyone ever tell you about taxes, kid?” You mumble something like, “Oh yeah, taxes. I guess I forgot,” and wish that someone would have told you the truth about taxes before you made a fool of yourself.
In a very simple explanation, our federal, state and city governments are funded by various taxes. These taxes come from money collected from working people, from companies on the profits they make, as well as from sales and property taxes. That’s how the government gets the money to run our schools, pay our teachers and government workers, pave our streets, and help those who are unable to support themselves.
These taxes are collected and put into a couple of different pots. One is for federal taxes, which goes to pay for Health and Human Services, current and past military expenses, the national debt, Homeland Security, and a host of other federally- subsidized programs. The other pot is for state taxes, which pays for our schools, and all the state and local programs.
But state and federal taxes are not the only drain on your paycheck. You will also pay a little bit for Social Security and Medicare taxes as well, which will hopefully come in handy in about 50 years. Also, a state disability tax is withheld in case you cannot work due to a non work-related illness or injury, or a medically disabling condition from pregnancy or childbirth.
What Are Benefits And Do I Get Them?
Many companies offer benefits to their employees. An employer’s benefit package usually consists of medical, dental, and/or vision insurance for the employee and sometimes for their spouse and/or children. It may also include a small life insurance policy on you and some type of retirement plan.
The important thing to remember about benefits is that they are voluntary; the company does not have to offer them, and you are not obligated to take them. They are generally fairly expensive for the company, so your new company may choose not to offer them or they may ask the employees to contribute toward the cost.
Medical insurance is a good example of how this works. It is probably the most popular of all benefits. You may still be covered under your parents’ plan, or you may have graduated out, due to your age and/or student status. Usually the only way to stay on a parents’ plan after age 19 is to be a full-time student.
Let’s say that you are no longer eligible under your parents’ plan, but your new employer offers medical insurance. Whether or not you are eligible may depend on the status of your new job: are you full-time or part-time? Each company has its own way of determining what it considers full-time. For some companies it is 40 hours a week but for others it may only be 30.
Employee benefits are generally not available until after employees have completed between 30 to 90 days of employment. Usually during those first few months, you will be given a packet from the Human Resources person at the company that explains all of its benefits. This marks a turning point in your life: you are now a career person, a full-time employee with benefits!
When you look at the paperwork, you realize that the insurance seems to be expensive. It could cost you $150 a month for medical and dental insurance. Since you get paid twice a month, they would take $75 out from each paycheck. Although that sounds expensive, there are three important things to consider: first, the amount you are paying is only a portion of what the insurance actually costs. Your company is picking up the rest of the bill, which may be hundreds of dollars. If you were paying for the insurance all on your own, you would be paying a whole lot more than $150 a month.
So, your company is really saving you a bundle. Second, not having insurance can really cost you a lot of money. A doctor’s bill, for just a few tests to find out what’s wrong, can run hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. For many people, the best bet is to pay the $150 a month and know that they are actually very fortunate to have the insurance at such a good price.
Be sure that you read everything in this new employee packet, even if you don’t think it applies to you. Many employers offer something called a 401(k) plan, which is a retirement plan. You may look at that and laugh, thinking this is just for “older people,” and doesn’t apply to you. Although it is true you won’t need retirement funds for a long time, you will be so glad someday if you take advantage of it now. A 401(k) plan, or if you work for a non-profit organization, a 403(b) plan, could be like someone handing you FREE money. Who wouldn’t want to take advantage of that?
This is how these plans generally work: you designate a certain amount of your paycheck to go into this savings plan and your employer matches that, up to a certain limit. That goes on the entire time you work for them and, if you stay there long enough, you would be eligible to keep all the money that your employer has contributed. Most employers set a certain length of time that you need to work for them before you become vested, meaning that you have a full and unconditional right to all the money they have contributed to your account.
Many companies also offer a package that includes paid vacation, holidays, and sick time, usually for full-time employees. The number of these paid days off can vary greatly between employers, so be sure to find out what your company offers. The idea of getting paid to stay home or hang out at the beach is a benefit that cannot be overlooked!
You will be wise to look over all the paperwork you are given. You wouldn’t want to miss out on an important benefit.
What Should I Do With All This Money?
After you adjust to the shock of your new paycheck, you will probably be in a big hurry to spend it all. While that is a natural response in your new situation, it may not be the smartest move. What if you blow it all this weekend on clothes and entertainment and next week your car breaks down? Where will the money come from to pay for the repairs, and how will you get to work?
Your smartest move would be to pay yourself first. How does that work, since you just got paid? When you pay yourself first before spending any of your check on anything else, you deposit or transfer a certain amount of money into your savings account. It could be a certain dollar amount, or you may decide that you will put a certain percentage from each check into your savings. If you don’t have any money saved up, when a crisis hits, you won’t have money available to meet the need, and that’s when real trouble starts.
The best solution to prevent having a financial freak-out (a new term meaning a panic attack brought on by a financial crisis) is to have a budget or spending plan. Most people like the term spending plan better, because it sounds friendlier, since the word “spending” is included!
A spending plan is exactly what the name implies: it is a specific plan for how and where you will spend your money. You are the person who will need to create this plan, but we will show you how. Your spending plan will include both your Income and your expenses.
Income is any money you have coming in: from a job, babysitting, allowance, or any other regular source. The total amount of money you earn is called gross income. This is not what you actually get to spend, however. After taxes and other deductions, what you are left with is the net income.
Expenses are money that you pay out each month, such as bills, entertainment, food, car payments, or insurance. Expenses can be classified in one of three categories:
Fixed - due every month; the amount does not change, like a car payment or rent.
Variable - due every month, but the amount can change from month-to-month such as a phone bill or your gas and electric bill.
Periodic - these are predictable, but do not occur every month.
Examples: car registration, gifts, or vacations.
How Do I Set Up A Spending Plan?
You can set up your first budget or spending plan in a couple ways. For many people, the easiest and most effective system is the “envelope method.” This system is inexpensive, and when followed faithfully, leads to excellent saving and spending habits.
What will you need to get started? Well, as the name implies, you will need some envelopes, either the smaller size (#6 ), or the larger size (#10). You will also need a monthly budget form.
When you get your first paycheck, determine your net income and set up your budget. Using the “Current” column, fill in your projected monthly net income in that box. If you get paid weekly, you should multiply the actual amount of your paycheck by four to get your monthly income. If you get paid twice a month, multiply the amount of your first paycheck by two to determine your monthly income.
Next, fill in the amounts of your expenses. These could include a cell phone bill, or the $40 a month you promised to pay back to your Aunt Mary when she loaned you money to go to summer camp. Other regular monthly expenses could include entertainment, eating out, or donating a portion of your income to your church, synagogue, or parish.
One of the most important items to include in your first budget is savings. Wise people pay themselves first, and 10% of your paycheck is a common amount to start with. If you really want to get ahead quickly, increase your savings to 15%-20% or more and watch that money grow every month. You could use your savings for college, your wedding, your first house, or even retirement! It’s hard to think that far into the future right now, but most people who wait until closer to retirement to begin saving really wish they had started when they were much younger.
After you have filled in the form, and all of your monthly income and expenses have been accounted for, take one envelope for each expense. Write the name of the expense on the outside of the envelope, such as “Savings,” or “Entertainment,” and put the money that is allocated to that category in the corresponding envelope.
When you go to the movies, use only the money set aside in the entertainment envelope. Once that money is gone, you will need to look for other sources of free entertainment!
If you have an expense that is large, such as a car payment, you may need to put half of the money in the envelope from your first paycheck of the month, then the other half after the second paycheck. You can then pay for your car directly from the envelope to the lender, if it is a local company, or deposit the money into your checking account to pay from there.
When budgeting for variable expenses, you may need to make an educated guess as to what you think the amount will be for each line until you get the first few months’bills. If you have a new cell phone, for example, you can start by budgeting the highest amount you think the bill will be. If it is higher or lower than your projection, remember to adjust your budget the next month. With cell phones, bills that are higher than expected are usually due to going over the allotted minutes for your plan. You may also want to talk to the cell phone company to make sure you are on the best plan for your usage, or consider tracking the time you talk on the phone to help you remain within the minutes provided for free in your individual phone plan.
When you budget for periodic expenses such as Christmas gifts or car registration, decide how much to allocate on a monthly basis so that, after setting aside money for that expense each month, you will have the money saved when you need it. Do your very best to only spend money from the correct envelope, and not “borrow” from another envelope. Borrowed money seldom gets paid back, and then you will be short in that category as well. If a true emergency arises and you have no choice but to borrow from another envelope, make a point to repay that envelope as soon as possible.
During the month, it is wise to save all of your receipts and store them in the appropriate envelopes. This will help you track your spending, so you can see where you may need to adjust your budget. Use the “Revised” column to plan for the next month.
If you prefer a simpler method than the envelope method, you can use the budgeting form without the envelopes. However, without them, it’s hard to keep track of how much you actually spend in each category—the envelopes provide a measure of discipline that most people need when starting to budget. Using the envelope method can actually be fun, and will teach you a skill that will save you much money over the years.
Will I Be Paid Overtime?
Some jobs are paid hourly and those employees are considered non-exempt. In simple terms, this means they must be paid overtime if they work over eight hours in a day, or over 40 hours in a week. Other jobs pay a salary, which means they are paid a set amount for the month. These jobs are usually management or specialized technical positions and they are considered exempt. This means that these positions are not governed by the Department of Labor’s overtime laws.
Most people find that it takes a while to move into a salary position, so they are paid by the hour, and eligible for overtime if they exceed the maximum hours per day or week. Having a salary position is nice, but if you are in a position that requires a lot of overtime hours, you don’t get paid any extra for staying late every night.
How Do I Move Up The Career Ladder?
At some point, you will find a job that you really enjoy, and has good long-term potential. You may find that this company treats you well, you like the work you are doing and you are well-suited for it, and you would like to move up the career ladder. How do you get management to take note of you and offer you a promotion?
We will assume you are doing a good job and have proven yourself to be a valuable employee. If you have received any performance evaluations, they have been positive. When the opportunity arises, let your immediate supervisor know that you are interested in taking on more responsibilities and learning new job duties. Ask if there are any additional educational requirements that you should know about. Take the initiative to learn anything and everything you can before you even apply for a promotion. This enthusiasm shows the boss that you are hard-working and sincere about your career.
You probably won’t get every promotion you ever apply for; for a variety of reasons, they may choose someone else. If you still like working there, even in your current position, then keep doing your best and prepare even more for the next opportunity.
If possible, ask your supervisor if there were any specific reasons why you were not selected. Perhaps it was because they felt you needed more experience or some other factor that you could work on. Chances are, you will eventually get promoted, or you may decide it is time to move on.
When It Is Time To Move On
Eventually, the time may come when you are not happy at your job anymore and, no matter what you try, you just dread going to work every day. You may have even found another job already that offers better opportunities and new challenges. It is still courteous and expected to give your current employer a two-week notice that you plan to leave. This gives them time to find someone to replace you or at least to begin the process. Your current employer may choose to have you leave within those two weeks and, if that happens, at least you can, hopefully, leave on good terms. If you just quit on the spot and don’t give any notice, your employer will not be too pleased and may not give you a favorable reference if another employer calls to check your references.
Do the right thing and give a formal notice, in writing, dated for the day you are resigning, and hand it to your supervisor. Then, continue to do your best, even in those last two weeks. As long as they are still paying you, you owe it to them to give a good day’s effort. Then when you leave, you can leave with a clear conscience, knowing that you gave them your best.
Finally, remember that everything you do is either building a solid reputation or tearing it down. Since your reputation will follow you like a shadow your entire life, be sure you will be comfortable with this shadow.