Thursday, June 10, 2010

The Interview

So...the job. The job itself sounds good. The benefits aren't all that stellar which, when I was young, clueless and childless would have been fine but now? Now benefits take on a whole new meaning.

The pay is low but seems on par for a lot of office job here. It's hard because with so many people looking for work, employers really don't need to offer a great salary to attract people. I crunched the numbers and it would be tighter than I'd like but (hopefully) doable. The fact of the matter is, I need an income and once I have some recent job experience under my belt, if a job isn't the right fit for whatever reason, it will make finding another job that much easier. It's always easier to find a job when you have a job, and all that.

There are no medical/dental benefits right now. That is something that they are looking at as the business grows but for now, it's not offered. That is something Dakota and I will be able to work out though so it's not the end all of everything. There is no paid sick time. I can take all the unpaid time off I need but with kids who are sure to get sick, this is a concern. One week paid vacation after one year as well as a 401k after one year.

Not that I've been called back for a second interview or anything but I think it's good to look at everything and know what I can and cannot do in order to make things come together. There is always the possibility of looking into cheaper car insurance to save money as well as reconfiguring other things. My grocery bill has gone down from the time the spreadsheet was put together so that would be some savings. But childcare? That is a cost that isn't set in stone since I don't have any arranged at this time based on the simple fact it isn't yet needed. And the cost of child care is concerning...and alarming.

So many things to think about and consider but overall, I think I could really enjoy working at the place. And do you know how thrilled I would be to be offered the position? My self-esteem has really taken a hit in the job hunt area. I've never not been interviewed and offered a position for which I submitted an application. Times are different. Clearly.

4 comments:

Tanya said...

The package sounds a lot like my job, so never underestimate the possibility of hidden perks. When I started they did not offer medical insurance, sick time, very few holiday, and a so so wage but at the time we were a two income house with great insurance through R. The only thing that has changed now is that I got insurance after being here a year, but 3yrs later we still have no "sick time", no 401K, and I still make the same wage. If the company is smaller there might be hidden perks or they could be very family friendly. Once they see your quality of work they may be more understanding when you need a little time off because of the kids. Even though we have no written sick time, because we are more close knit the owner is often willing to pay me if I have to leave, because he knows I'll make it up somewhere else. Like you said, if you take it and realize it's not for you, you can also look again or even keep looking even though you do take it. Good luck, they say we're stating to recover, who knows.

Stacey said...

Good luck! I took a shitty job back in January that I hated. But it was a job. I switched jobs after 4 months and it was not easy finding another one...I searched that entire time. Sometimes a job can be a stepping stone on to greater things or a temporary placement just for some income. As you said, recent job experience could be valuable in getting the job you want.

The market is crappy even for those of us who have current experience.

Childcare is insane. We're struggling with that ourselves.

Mimi said...

Child care sucks....but that's life and as for taking sick time off when the little ones are sick, maybe you and D can take turns......hang in there...and good luck

Tanya said...

any news?