SINGAPORE: A 31-year-old Singaporean woman who accepted a lower salary in hopes of gaining experience is now regretting her decision, less than a week into the job.
In a post on the r/askSingapore forum on Friday (May 23), the woman shared that she had accepted a lower salary during the interview process because she believed that this “would help her secure the job, gain experience, and get higher negotiating power in the future.”
Unfortunately, things didn’t go the way she expected. Even though she had already lowered her salary expectations, the company ended up offering her “even less” than she had agreed to. Then, on her first day at work, she found out that the job did not come with a “13th-month bonus” or any performance-related incentives.
These terms had not been communicated to her before she joined the company.
What frustrated her most, however, was the kind of work she was tasked with. She claimed, “Barely a week into this job, I was thrown technical and non-visible work that is outside of why I applied for this role in the first place.”
Unsure of how to proceed, she asked other Reddit users whether she should raise her concerns with her supervisor and director or simply leave the role and omit it from her résumé.
“Bite the bullet and go through with it…”
Given how tough the current job market is, several users said she shouldn’t quit too quickly unless she already had another offer lined up. They also encouraged her to see how things unfold and only consider leaving if the situation does not get better.
One user said, “Given the state of the job market now, don’t be too quick to leave the job unless there’s another lined up.”
Another commented, “The job market is bad these days. You can quit ASAP or pull through it and go home and forget about it, but continue doing it the next day. Meanwhile, I’d apply for more jobs and jump ship as soon as I secure a place. That’s what I would do, though.”
A third echoed this sentiment, saying, “Sounds like you need this job quite a bit. And if that’s really the case, I would suggest biting the bullet and going through with it while looking for a new job at the same time. If the market conditions were any better at this point, I probably would give different advice.”
A fourth suggested, “Tell your boss that you don’t have the technical expertise and weren’t expecting these tasks outside of the job description, but you’re willing to learn. Ask who or what resources you’re supposed to learn from or whether there’s a course (internal or external) that you can attend.”
What to do when you’re given tasks outside your job scope
Here are a few helpful pointers from Pathpire, a career advice platform, to help you handle the situation more smoothly:
1. Understand the task
Take some time to understand what the task actually involves and why it was given to you. Then ask yourself, “Is it totally out of your league, or is it something you can pick up with a bit of effort?”
2. Reach out for support
When you’re given a task that’s outside your usual scope of work, it’s normal to feel uncertain. You might need skills, knowledge, or resources that you don’t currently have, and that’s completely fine.
If you choose to take on the task, make sure to ask for the support you need. This could include reaching out to colleagues with relevant experience, getting advice from a mentor, or requesting training and guidance from your manager.
3. Communicate your concerns
If the task feels way outside your skill set or is adding too much to your plate, it’s perfectly okay to speak up. First, figure out whether you can take it on without dropping the ball on your regular work.
If not, have a straightforward chat with your boss. Explain how it affects your workload and suggest other options, like getting help, adjusting deadlines, or assigning it to someone more suitable.
Featured image by freepik (for illustration purposes only)