[BizCareers] Education vs experience vs salary

No basic, is it worth it?

I have been out of work for eight months now and recently went to an interview for a journalist position at a local magazine, and things went well. The company called me telling me I got the job, but when I get there they tell me there is no basic salary, however I can do sales and I will earn 20% of the sale of space in the magazine. So now I don't know what to do. Please help, I'm confused. - Daphney

Hi Daphney,

I'm sorry to hear you've been out of work for so long. This is a difficult decision you will need to make, weighing up the pros and cons.

I personally don't feel it is right to be working a job with no basic salary as your basic necessities in order to perform your job should be covered, such as food, petrol etc.

Is there any way you could negotiate a basic salary with them to cover your costs and then perhaps they can deduct this off your commission? eg. Basic of R5,000 every month, then when you start earning commission, they can deduct this R5,000 off every month? The technical term is a desk fee as you work to cover the cost of your desk and start earning commission after this has been covered. This may in fact show them that you have negotiating power, which is a very positive trait for a sales person to have.

Perhaps start your sentence with: "Being a sales person, I love to negotiate and I would like to put a proposal forward to you so that this arrangement can work for both of us."

I know you must be very despondent, but remember you have skills to offer, and the company needs to pay for those and not expect you to work for "free".

On the positive side, it is a foot in the door and perhaps it will lead to bigger things. If you work hard and prove yourself, the possibilities may be endless and hopefully you can end up in your dream job. You never know what contacts you will make and where this could lead, so perhaps it is an opportunity worth considering, purely for the exposure.

Remember to be assertive but humble, you clearly have the skills they want so use your power.

I wish you all the best with your decision.

Is it better to get the wrong experience than no experience at all?

I am currently working as a customer service assistant in a below-the-line marketing agency. I have a BA degree in Marketing Communications from the University of Johannesburg and I feel that, even though I am happy that I am employed in a somewhat marketing environment, I am not getting the experience I should be getting to fully utilise my potential as an advertising executive or communications practitioner.

I have gone for interviews in above-the-line agencies, but they all seem to push me away stating that I do not have above-the-line experience and it seems my degree counts for nothing as experience is vital in the advertising and marketing industry. My fear is that time is going and I might end up gaining five years of experience that will not help me advance my career goals in the long run as there is also not much room for growth where I am.

What would you advise I do? - Sipho

Hi Sipho,

I can tell from your question that you are very ambitious and driven. The fact that you are itching to get your foot in the door somewhere proves that you have the right mindset to succeed. Although your degree is a fantastic achievement, it does often only get you the interview, and from there it's experience that does the rest. If you are wanting to get into an above-the-line agency you may need to start off as an intern or in a role that is more junior than you're currently doing, just to get your foot in the door. This may mean a drop in salary and status. Once you've proven that you're a hard worker however, the company may advance you quicker than you expected.

Unfortunately, in this case you will need to be patient. Learn what you can at your current company as I am sure there are many things to learn, and the right opportunity will eventually come along. You never know, you may even discover an avenue that you've never even thought of in below-the-line that you're passionate about and move in this direction rather. Keep working hard and be open to learning, the rest will come.

Good luck!

Remember to always love what you do!
Juliette

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