After graduation, employment seems like the next logical step. Most graduates, myself included, rely on job boards and network connections to land their first job. Young adults have a tendency to enter the job market with a sense of optimism, but they’re soon smacked in the face with a dose of reality. Merely applying for jobs can be difficult, and it becomes an uphill battle as time progresses. After a while, people feel they’re players in a game rather than professionals with skills.
I held a sense of excitement when I started to apply for jobs. I had degrees, but I was warned of the challenges ahead. Naively, I thought I would be different. Newsflash: I wasn’t. Applying for jobs was a long and tedious process, and there was little success relative to the number of applications I submitted.
Over time, I started to notice some red flags. The longer I spent looking for jobs, the challenges became more obvious. Then, I found the same issues during my second and third job searches. Job searching is not designed to be fun, nor is it designed to help young adults find the perfect fit. Rather, the job search serves the interests of businesses. This is especially true early into your career. Newer employees are more replaceable than the older ones, and if you don’t jump at an opportunity it will be taken by someone else.
Keep in mind, this is an assessment based on my personal experiences. I’ve probably reviewed thousands of job postings over the past decade, and I’ve had to read between the lines. There are a lot of recurring themes, and these serve the purpose of benefitting the company before the candidate.
Little to No Salary Information
Some people like to say “time is money,” but many jobs will spend hours interviewing a single candidate without talking about money. New graduates may be nervous to initiate the salary discussion out of fear they will appear greedy. However, it’s important to remember that you’re going to be working for money. If you’re hired for this job, you should expect to be compensated. Any company that will not advertise or discuss salary information has something to hide.
As hard as the salary discussion can be, it’s worse to spend two weeks advancing through four interviews only to discover the salary is much lower than anticipated. This is a waste of time for both the candidate and the employer, and it usually doesn’t end well for either party. Look for transparency during an interview, because you’ll want access to financial and benefit information once you’re hired.
Snacks, Coffee, and Beer
A lot of companies, particularly young ones, like to highlight all of the treats you can consume while you’re at work. This can be great, especially if the free coffee replaces the coffee you’re paying to drink. There’s a small amount of value in these perks, but don’t let them distract you from real benefits. Companies who make retirement contributions and offer health benefits are investing in your longterm wellbeing.
If a job posted won’t talk about their benefits up front, there’s probably no benefits to be found. Even if they do exist, they’re not competitive when compared to similar companies. Companies that can match your 401K contribution don’t brag about Fritos in a job posting.
No-Meeting Days
Some companies boast they have a meeting-free day each week. The trend appears to be on the rise, as Zoom fatigue has caused frustrations during the pandemic. While that one day sounds good, what about the other four? How was a company fallen into such disarray that they’re proud to have a single day without meetings. This should be viewed as a sign of disorganization and reflection of ongoing employee struggles.
I’ve worked in an office that implemented no-contact days. I could get work done until I had a question. Then, as a low-level employee, I felt guilty asking questions. In my case, these days were seasonal and infrequent, but they exist during a time when stress was high. I can’t imagine the stress levels at a job that needs meeting-free days year-round.
Self-Starters, Ninjas, and Gurus
Many companies are looking for “self-starters” who can work independently with little-to-no supervision. When you think of day-to-day work, this probably means your supervisor won’t be working with you often and you’ll receive little guidance. This might be a welcome change later in your career, but younger employees need some direction and support. If the volume of work exceeds the company’s ability to supervise their employees, this mean you’re going to have a hard time staying afloat.
Likewise, some jobs advertise their position for “gurus,” “ninjas,” “unicorns,” or other buzzwords. This means nothing, and indicates the role has no clear direction. Employees in these positions will be doing a little bit of everything and mastering a whole lot of nothing.
Cover Letters and Resume Templates
Many jobs expect candidates to write a cover letter. It’s an opportunity to explain your background and how your qualifications align with the responsibilities of a job. Then, many jobs won’t accept your PDF resume. Rather, they make you input your career background into their online form because it’s easier to read (or some other excuse). Then, recruiters spend under 10 seconds reading your resume and seldom spend time reviewing cover letters.
This makes the application process long and frustrating. In a sense, these are barriers designed to weed out applicants who are trying to speed-apply to many jobs. Sometimes, applicants can’t avoid these steps. Their time may be better spent trying to game the system and get recognized rather than discuss actual qualifications. I’d never advise anyone to lie on their resume, but it might be worthwhile to send an e-mail to a recruiter before you spend 30 minutes writing a cover letter that will never get seen.
Odd “Culture” Values
The idea of “culture” and having a “culture fit” are relatively new terms, but they’re becoming increasingly common. There’s no reason to immediately dismiss a company for posting a culture or mission statement, but try to read between the lines. Some values are stated because the company wants to hire likeminded people who won’t challenge the status quo. This can be great if you’re in the status quo, but challenging if you find yourself unhappy. Meanwhile, other companies try to build a “family” environment. This really translates to long hours where your work-life balance replaces family time with work time.
Some culture values are great. Things like transparency and open feedback can make new employees comfortable in their roles. The interview process is also a time to confirm these values. If you don’t get the job, is the interviewer willing to give feedback, or are they just too busy? If the company prides themselves on transparency, is the salary in the job description? At an interview, try to see if the company will walk the talk.
Weird and Unrealistic Vacation Policies
Many places advertise “unlimited vacation,” and this seems like an amazing perk. You also have to wonder, if you have unlimited vacation, why is anyone ever working? Obviously you can’t take vacation every day, but this is not clear in the job posting. Now, the applicant is left with the challenge of unveiling the true vacation policy and whether or not they have sick time to use their health benefits.
Usually “unlimited vacation” is a way of preventing employees from accruing too much time. Employers may need to pay for unused vacation time if an employee leaves. If the time expires at the end of the year, employers want to avoid a surge in December vacations when the expiration date is approaching. Whatever the case, make sure you can get time off without feeling guilty. Ask about holidays, sick time, and any other time that can be perceived as a benefit.
Winning the Job Search as a Young Adult
When young adults apply for jobs, they’re often at a crossroads in life. For many people, this is the first time their direction is unclear or uncertain. Their hope is to land on their feet and start working toward a successful career in their chosen field. Nobody thinks this process will be easy, but the job market is an ever-changing landscape. A lot of companies want to appeal to young adults because they’re the least knowledgable.
To win the job search, you need to speak the lingo. Job postings tend to have a lot of words, but there’s also a lot of fluff. When applying for a job, it’s important for candidates to know their experience has worth. They deserve to be paid, receive benefits, and have the ability to have a life out of work. While cold brew on tap sounds nice, it shouldn’t be your motivator to take a job.
Truthfully, some young adults need to make compromises when taking their first job. Experience can make the application process easier, but not all experiences are created equal. Candidates who go into interviews with clear expectations are more likely to find a better fit. Sometimes the job description makes it hard to establish these expectations. If that’s the case, try to find out why critical information is missing. When you can’t explain a red flag, there’s probably a good reason the job is open in the first place.
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