What do you think about getting paid $10/hr? I just got my medical assisting certification. I have no training or experience, but I got a job and they are offering training. I feel the pay is really low.

Without a little more detail as to the actual job and its offer, the answer to your question can vary so this is purely speculative. The position, not you, is what is valued at $10/hour. If you feel you are valued more, then perhaps the job is not for you, and you should look for a role that fits the value you offer.

  HR Training   Apr 7, 2024   0   37  Add to Reading List

First things first, and that is what your question will require:

  • The job requires no experience, which you’ve made known here — jobs like this are entry-level, negotiating isn’t really an option here (and may hurt you), the person who’s happy with this will win the position over you, putting you back into active job-hunting.
  • The job is offering training, which you’ve also implied you haven’t had — negotiating in this scenario, again, may hurt your candidacy.
  • The job is offering a candidate with zero experience, paid training for $10/hour. This is actually a pro.

Let’s unpack this:

  • A position requiring no experience, and offering paid training isn’t exactly unreasonable at $10/hour — that you are being paid at all to train for a job you have no experience in, this could be a great opportunity. The likelihood that your certification paid you to get it should put this into perspective.
  • Your certification does give you value, but it doesn’t add value to the job. The certification may serve as a way to compete with other applicants who have no training, no experience, and/or no certification, but that’s about it within this context.

This is an elaborate way of saying that your value to a company is not what you bring on paper, but what the position is valued at a minimum. So think of the $10/hour as the minimum rate for the position. The company is also offering training, but on top of that, paid training. Entry-levels usually start out like this, with introductory rates based on positional value and then adjusted upwards when training is completed, and then based on performance standards, tenure, etc. — things you should be asking your potential employer about.

People often think that degrees or certifications mean that a well-paying job (which is subjective) is guaranteed. Unfortunately, this is not reality. Degrees and certifications are competitive advantages that indicate that you are a candidate who has the ability to start and finish a commitment. That’s a personal value that some employers look for when they take on an employee that will need to be trained in order to start producing. Until your training is completed, and your experiential knowledge gets put to the test, you are costing them at first. Making good on their investment will hopefully turn into opportunities for growth and promotion — things you should be asking your employer.

In conclusion, $10/hour may not be life-changing for you at the moment, but if you have to start somewhere, it sounds like this opportunity is worth the training and experience. If you need to move on later, your time there will benefit you because that adds value to you for jobs that you now have real world application. If you do a great job, your employer will hopefully find a way to keep you from moving on.