So I’m a recent college graduate and I’ve been job hunting like crazy. Last week I did a bunch of interviews and got a call from a company I was really excited about. A huge pharmaceutical company that I’m sure everyone knows, I worked really hard to get the call. Sent emails and networked just for an in. While I was talking to the recruiter, she emphasized multiple times that working overtime and weekends were expected.
It’s a manufacturing position so if things go wrong you’re expected to stay until it’s fixed. That you don’t really have the ‘luxury’ of leaving when you want to. They confirmed that it is a salaried position, with a 10-20% chance of overtime and weekend work, but the amount of time they spent talking about the need for flexibility made it seem like it would be way more than that. I told them that I wasn’t interested and that was that. I was sad of course because it’s a huge, impressive company, but I value my time.
I told my dad and he was not happy. Told me that since I’m young and don’t have kids this is the best time for me to be working overtime and weekends. He’s mad I didn’t find out the salary first (which is valid and my only regret regarding the conversation) but at the same time it’s an entry level position, how much would they really be paying to make it worth it? I tried to explain my reasoning. That of course with any job, you’re going to have to do a bit of overtime here and there to get things done. But if it’s expected of you for a salary position? That’s a red flag. And it’s one thing to expect overtime, but weekends as well???
It’s just frustrating because my mom was so supportive, she said I sounded so grown up and she was proud of me for knowing what I want. But my dad just thinks I’m lazy because I don’t ‘want’ to work overtime.