If you’re anything like me, at some point before and even during the time you worked your first “big girl/boy job” you had a lot of questions. As a millennial, our job search is different than those before and even those after us. I’m here to clear some of those things up. What used to be $30K and prosperous, now takes at least $50K for a single person household. I’m here for your career questions every millennial has asked themselves.
Let’s discuss some of those questions and the answers here.
1. What if I don’t get a job in my degree field?
Honestly, that depends on your field but even so find a stepping stone and climb. I have a BFA in Public Relations and am now working in a very technical role. I have worked in finance, data analytics, & even change management. So while I may not be in my degree field, I have been granted opportunities to work in a various amount of disciplines. Keeping this in mind, you have to start somewhere.
2. What is a good starting salary?
Let’s be transparent for a moment. I interviewed quite a bit before I started my first job. I thought $30K a year was a decent starting point. Then I looked at how much bills cost. I aimed for significantly higher when accepting my first offer based on the average salary. What I recommend you doing is using Glassdoor.com or Salary.com and looking for the median income for the role you’re aiming for as well as the city you live in. Once you see that number go up by 5%-10%. This gives you negotiating room.
3. Negotiating? Wait? I have to do that?!
Absolutely! You deserve to be paid for your work and deserve to be paid fairly. Never accept the starting line offer. I will have another blog soon about that. I have quite a few negotiation templates you can use for any situation.
4. Should I apply for that job I’m not 100% qualified for?
Absolutely. If you’re missing a year or two of experience aim for it! As long as you know you can get in there and learn it. If you have a certification for it, do it.
My current role required 5-7 years of experience. I applied on a whim. The recruiter reached out and asked about years of experience. I told her about the training experience I had in corporate America and soon thereafter I received an offer. If you want something bad enough and it’s meant for you. It will be for you.
5. What should I be looking for in a career?
There are a wide variety of things that should be thought about when looking for a career. Salary is very important, but you need health insurance right? Ask about the deductible for your insurance. (You want a deductible that is no higher than what you could pay out in case of an emergency. If it’s just you look for $500-$900.)
You want to know what the atmosphere of the company is like. Is it family focused? Strict? Attire? What do work from home days look like?
Do they include supplemental insurance? Life insurance? 401K? Do they match your 401K, if so by what percentage?
This is part 1 of a 3 part series.
What questions do you have about your career? Let me know in the comment and they’ll be in the next series.
Often times women are less likely to apply for a job they feel they’re not 100% qualified for. Had I not taken the very minor risk of applying despite the “fine print” of a job I wouldn’t be where I am today!
-Shay
http://www.shayshaytries.com
This is so true. I have a 22-year-old. She is learning how to navigate life at this point. Often, she is ready to leave a job for another one because of the pay. But sometimes, it shouldn’t be all about the pay. I try to open her eyes to other benefits the job offers.
Great post I tell my bf all the time apply even if you don’t think your qualified!
Number 4 was something I was always wondering when I was looking for a job. Thanks for sharing this. Especially with the answer to those questions.
Interesting how I have this conversation with myself daily. I’m not upset that I didn’t get a job in my field and super happy I chose the career path I’m on now. I was a information systems major in college and now a Meeting Planner. So different yet soooo cool!