I have an interview coming up for a position that is far below my education and expertise. That is fine, I have no issues with that. I made the decision I am not going to pursue FT employment, but will allow for PT in an office setting. I’m am not interested in retail hours or the sales pressure. I applied for a position downtown that sound enjoyable with a nonprofit.
One thing I’m not that crazy about is the drive downtown…26 mile round trip, and parking in a garage and walking 2 blocks in the winter. Not sure how much parking would be. I am so spoiled. My prior job of 3 decades had me 10 minutes from home, driving through the suburbs and parking outside the company building. I made a nice salary working 30 hours a week and full benefits. I know that this is apples and oranges, but just wondering what I should expect.
DH doesn’t think I should even consider it. He has worked downtown for 30 years and said getting caught up in the winter traffic and snowstorms is horrible…plus the logistics of parking.
I guess I’m so bored and lonely, I’d almost be willing to look over that…but I wont if I’m being paid completely peanuts. I know I am getting ahead of myself…just curious as to what others would even accept.
conmama- Have you already discussed compensation? Don’t sell yourself short. If the pay is low , perhaps you can negotiate some work from home or other perks.
Also, make sure your job duties are specific. In situations like this, it often happens that the job duties change over time and at some point you are actually doing the work of a higher paid position, however you are still stuck with a lower hourly compensation. This has happened to several women I know including myself (I fought back and won, but that’s another story). So make sure they are clear on that.
I said I was getting ahead of myself because I haven’t even had the interview yet…LOL! Just was wondering what I might expect in pay and with the drive and parking issues…what you all would accept. Good points about taking on higher responsibilities.
I guess a position like this might pay $15 to $18 per hour? A fraction of what I was making, but it’s my choice. Just don’t want to go too low. I have to remember, the main reason is to get out of the house, structure my day and be around people.
Compensation is totally a fuction of the city you are in, the job responsibilities, and the similar organizations pay levels. Have you looked on any research sites or even Craigs list or classifieds to see what might be comparable?
If I ever work part time…it will NOT be five days a week for less hours. It will be less days a week. If I am traveling and getting ready to work every single day, I might as well stay all,day…and get paid for it.
Also, if you work reduced hours, go in later…and leave when everyone else leaves at the end of the day. If you start first thing in the morning, I betting you won’t leave at, say 2:00 any day…because you will stay later…and because no one else will be leaving.
@conmama, you have to look at the entire picture. The hourly wage and the commuting/parking situation might not be so important if you are doing work you love for an organization you respect. In that case, any wage is better than volunteering. If your primary motivation is to get out of the house, do something useful, and be with other adults on a regular basis, the money isn’t that important.
All food for thought, thank you. I also think going in 3 full days a week is better than everyday. Although, I am used to leaving early from my old job…but I had the short, free parking commute.
I actually was wanting to volunteer and this is a great organization. It’s just so different in every respect than the life I was leading…my comfortable, well paid life. But I must remember how bored and unfulfilling it was. I think I would enjoy working for an organization like this.
In my city, there are a lot of ten-fours. The traffic on Mondays and Fridays is better than midweek for that reason (something to consider when choosing workdays).
Is there a public transportation option you can use? Downtowns are usually well served by public transport. I also work 28 miles from home. I will never drive a marathon to work. Period. My commuter bus is very nice, and I do a lot on it (catch up with reading CC, shop, read, do homework for my class). $5 gas, $15 parking… plus tolls if I want to use the bridge, that’s close to $400 per month just for the privilege of sitting in traffic for 2 hours! Bus pass costs $120, and busses have dedicated lanes… For me, the choice was easy.
I also think # of days you have to work per week makes a difference. Making that drive/parking 3 days vs 5 days - big difference in time, gas, etc.
I’ll be honest, depending on the position, $15-$18 is a pretty good salary for a non profit part time depending on what the position is - especially since you’re making it sound like it’s sort of entry level. Can you share a little more about what type of position it is? Administrative/director? Secretarial? Client based/social work? Accounting?
How much will parking cost? Do you need the money financially? Or is it just icing on the cake?
Do you not have any public transportation to get downtown, which from what you’re saying implies a big city to me?
Never hurts to try. You want to work and seem to have found something that might be a good fit. Only you will be able to determine if it’s “worth it”.
Well if the pay is $20/hr, it’ll take you an hour’s work just to pay for that day’s gas and parking, and that’s not accounting for at least an hour sitting in traffic and wear and tear on your car. For part time work, that kind of commute hardly seems worth it unless they’re paying you a lot, which seems unlikely for a nonprofit.
It really does depend on the area where you live. And definitely consider downtown traffic and parking fees. H commutes downtown by light rail because parking is so expensive, and when he does drive in he is often caught in traffic for far longer than it would take him to get down and back via light rail.
I do work for a small non-profit (a church) PT. The pay is above what administrative assistants make here as a rule. It’s higher than someone back in my much smaller hometown would make, less than someone in a very large city would make. I do sometimes have to work past my stated hours, but it’s always agreed upon ahead of time and I am compensated for it. BUT, there is no room for advancement and raises are rare. I enjoy the work, it’s 5 minutes from home, and it’s very flexible, which allows me to do all the driving to get D to and from school and all of her activities.
Also age is a factor. I have looked at other positions and I got to the interview stage last year only to see faces fall when I walked in. The people interviewing me were half my age, and I knew before I even sat down that I wouldn’t get the job. You may end up finding jobs as a senior to be somewhat difficult.
If this interview doesn’t lead to the position at the non-profit, are there temp agencies you can contact? They may know of other positions closer to you that you might like. Good Luck!
Re: my post #11, I meant to further explain that $15-$18 for non-profit in my area is not real common for an entry level position (if this is). My point being, it might help you make your decision once you hear how much the salary actually is. Perhaps you will be right in that pay range, perhaps it could be lower (or if you’re lucky, higher!)
When is the interview? (sorry if already mentioned) - good luck!
