Great part time-job but low pay

[Double J]

Hi everyone,

 

I posted here recently regarding my ongoing job search. I've been searching for a new part-time job/internship after my 14 month internship with my last company came to an end. It was a huge ad/media agency so I figured that once I left I would find a great new job in no time.

 

Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case.

 

I've applied to roughly 12 jobs and have received 5 callbacks or so. The 3 or so I applied for that offered great pay ($15/hr which is what I made at the ad agency) have not called me/e-mailed me. The only ones that have called me back either pay much less or have turned out to be full-time and/or too far away.

 

I applied for a position on Monday as an intern for a company that happened to call me back Tuesday. The position seems great in terms of the work (working with surveys and research, which is what I want to do) and I think it would look great on my resume. The only problem is that the pay is bad, only $8/hr. If I was to accept, I would be gaining great work experience but with a $7 pay cut.

 

I don't know about you guys but $7 seems like a big decrease. They e-mailed me and told me to let them know when I want to set up an interview.

 

Questions:

- Should I call back and set up an interview right away? or should I wait to see if the other higher paying ones call me back?

 

- Should I ask if the pay is negotiable when I call to set up an interview, or should I leave that question for the actual interview?

 

- Should I e-mail them back and ask if this position is negotiable prior to setting up an interview?

 

Again, this position seems very good and relevant to what I want to do. In essense, if I was to accept, i'd probably be sacrificing money now for more money in the future (if a well-paying position takes my experience into account and offers me a great full-time job).

 

But again, a $7 cut is hard to swallow for anyone. I already have experience working in a big ad agency and my GPA (3.95) is much higher than what they're asking for (2.75). I would think that my academic credentials and experience warrant slightly higher pay.

 

Any suggestions guys??

 

Thanks in advance.

[Yvette84]

I'd say if you can survive with 7 dollars less then do it!!! In the long run it will pay off!! and that's what you have to focus on. If you can do it but struggle a little It's still worth it. I think you should call back soon with an interview so that they see that you are eager and not lazy, and I think you should ask if the pay is negotiable but wait to do it on the actual interview!!

[Double J]

Thanks Yvette. Looking forward to more responses.

[Tigris]

I agree with Yvette.

[Amberr]

My first job out of college was a part-time job that immediately turned into a full-time job. The pay was lousy and I had to leave after a year because I couldn't save a dime on my salary. It turned out to be the best job I ever had. What I learned that first year has lasted me a lifetime. If you want the job and the experience, go for it.

[confused25]

Are you still in school? Or have you graduated? If you're still in school and this is just an internship then I'd say go for it. But if you have already graduated then personally the $8 would be hard for me to accept.

[Double J]

I'm still in school and plan to graduate in December.

 

I forgot to mention that this internship is only 2 months, which in a way is a good thing because if I take the pay cut it won't last forever.

 

I think it would be a great experience and right now I'm thinking very strongly of taking the opportunity.

 

The catch is, however, that once I do finish this internship I'm going to be very demanding with the pay I'll expect for whichever part-time job I take prior to graduation in December. Thus, I might only go for $17 and up because I will have the experience and credentials to demand that kind of money.

 

Any more responses are welcome.

[amylyn930]

After graduation you might find that you have to relocate. There is a such thing as being 'overqualified' and having too much to offer and the area you are in might not be able to meet your requirements. Just something to keep in mind and conisder!