My Last Job Was the Worst, and It's Stressful Trying to Land a Better Job
Hi Nikki!
I have been invited to interview with a very widely known but niche CPG company.
I was initially excited because
I’m currently unemployed.
Had an extremely bad experience with my first job in my industry (looking to gain more experience and recommendations outside of that) and,
I’m running out of money ( LOL).
However, after doing some research on Indeed, the general consensus is that the company is under poor management, mistreats employees and has a generally toxic work environment. All former employees agree that benefits and salary was great though. I’m going to interview but I have reservations. I don’t have many options right now, but I’m almost traumatized from my last hostile work environment. My boss was abusive and erratic, and I was overworked and underpaid.
Another thing is that I’m doing a night program where I would have to leave work right on time or early to be in class. I feel like I can resolve that by coming in early or something, but when/how should I address that with hiring managers?
Finally, I’ve been using this time off from my industry to work on my own company. As much as I know I need the money, I had kind of reconciled going without so that I could be happy in the long run. This job would give me the funds but probably eat up the majority of my time.
-Stressed
-Entry-Level in Boston
Dear Stressed N Hustlin',
Something to consider whenever reading reviews online is that either of the two extremes will leave comments. People who love the company or people who hate the company. It's rare that people who have mediocre experiences leave reviews... about products, employers, ( fill in the blank ).
Keeping that in mind, take what you've read at face value and go into your interviews with your eyes wide open! At least you know what people have to say that have worked there. You're a step ahead of most!
I completely understand and think it's a great idea to have a main job while you build your own business (i.e. side hustle). You'll need the capital to fund your business and instead of taking loans to do it, getting a job gives you stability and you can give yourself a budget for your business without accumulating massive amounts of debt with insane interest rates. Smart move.
Interview!! At the end of the day, you need to bring in income. Hopefully, this company will see your talent and want to hire you.
During your interview, you can ask what would be the expected hours for the role, so you can gauge if this is something you can even do. If you're asked about your future goals (i.e. Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?), this could be a good opportunity to mention that you're currently taking night classes, if this is also in the same field as the job. It can demonstrate that you're dedicated to the role and responsibilities and you're on the right path etc.
It's not a bad idea for you to mention your schedule and tentative work hours once you know that they've either extended an offer to you or after you've accepted the job. I'm not a huge fan of telling employers everything that could come off as a turn off while you're interviewing. It comes off like you're going to be high maintenance and it may be something that could be problematic down the line. This doesn't sound like you, but hiring managers want to know that candidates are all in and will be committed without causing disruption to the environment.
With that being said, you've already worked in a toxic environment so keep your eyes peeled and your ears to the ground for other companies too. You know what it's like to work in a space that doesn't feel good and money will not bring you happiness at work. It makes it better but you will want to have a balance. There's always going to be a healthy amount of stress in a work environment. You won't grow without stress. But if a place is truly TOXIC, that's different and you should proceed with caution.
Trust your gut. You know if you should run immediately in the opposite direction or not!
You're definitely in the Grind Season of your life, so try to pace yourself. You're in night school, building an empire and seeking full-time work. You can do it all, but be weary of burnout down the line.
Good luck!! I wanna see you win!
You've got this,
Nikki Davis
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NIKKI
Your curly girl manager, just trying to live her happiest life!
Wife, new mom, member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. with 11 years industry experience, 6 years of management experience. Manager a team of men in a male dominant industry, while being the only woman on the team. DIY fashion blogger, a self taught seamstress. Owner/Creator of a monthly subscription service, SewConscious.com.
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