For context, I am a 22 year old college senior, with a year of copy editing experience, at two different organizations simultaneously, under my belt. I've started applying for jobs, just to feel things out and find out what I'm worth. Some places have offered me up to $35 an hour. A job contacted me for an interview, and after accidentally missing the first one, we finally spoke today.
During the phone interview, I was on edge. My interviewer was being dismissive of my answers and seemed uninterested. I was told the job required 1-3 months of unpaid training (the content was difficult, he assured me) and then a guaranteed job if I made it through. This surprised me a little, but I graduate in 3 months and it was possible I had misunderstood the job listing, and this was an internship?
“If I get to the paid portion, what would my salary be”
He told me my pay would be entirely through comission, and all the details he gave me sounded utterly out of my field of interest. I let him know I was uncomfortable with commission and that's when he seemed to just snap.
“I'm sorry but if you want a salary right out of college maybe you should work at Starbucks. All you young people now have unreasonable expectations of how much you should make after graduating. It's ridiculous, you're unskilled with no experience”
How are we as new graduates, with massive amounts of debt, supposed to pay rent, food, and just live our lives, if employers think of us like this? I have proof of my work ability and this man still felt it was appropriate to utterly insult me. This is what they think of us. We are nothing but meat puppets for them to take pleasure in using for profit. Needless to say, I won't be moving forward with this job oppurtunity.