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Depends. 60 hours is light for first year associates a lot of places. I worked around 70 hours around fiscal year end, quarterly filings, entry level or not everyone did.
Thanks for the answers everybody. I'm thinking of changing fields, but want to know if this is normal. I think if I'm going to stick to sales (which I like), I should at least make commission if I am to be exempt.
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Originally Posted by DorianRo
Anyone who needs to work 60 hours a week with no life, needs to find a different job.. Thats ludicrous to work those hours. Especially if you are salaried exempt (whatever the term is) where you are not paid OT. You're just being taken for a ride, used and abused.
I agree, but considering that I'm now a "professional" I wasn't sure if it was just me and my perhaps millenial attitude or if this was not normal so I figured I would ask.
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Originally Posted by STT Resident
I don't know how "normal" it may be in your particular field but it's a lot of hours and it depends on how high your salary is whether or not it's a viable situation for you. Once you get the bonus it'll be clearer what you're actually making as then you'll be able to break it down and determine exactly how much you're earning per hour. Only you can determine if it works for you but if it's a position which promises advancement and you can stick it out until that bonus comes around you'll have a better idea. Good luck!
My salary is low for most of the country, but COL is pretty cheap ($500 rent) and no state income tax. From what I heard, the bonus is usually an extra paycheck or higher, but never less than the paycheck.
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Originally Posted by Emigrations
Depends on the profession - accounting, investment banking, big law, and startups are going to have higher demands than most positions.
The field is automotive (mostly Japanese) and it's B2B sales (I sell parts not cars). I have friends that graduated and got jobs in consulting where they make almost double what I make, but actually don't have the same amount of disposable income due to the high COL in their area (San Francisco) and state income tax.
Depends. 60 hours is light for first year associates a lot of places. I worked around 70 hours around fiscal year end, quarterly filings, entry level or not everyone did.
Let me reiterate, 60 hours is minimum and I am on call 24/7 due to the fact that I have to communicate with our offices in Thailand, Taiwan, Japan, and the UK (probably the least of my worries).
Yes 60 hours a week is pretty normal for entry level sales, however you usually make up the money on commission, I do not think I would put in that kind of hours without a benefit better defined than a bonus with no amount given.
I had a "salary" job, it was terrible, I was putting in 12 hour days and being told I wasn't working enough! I quit after 4 months, I will NEVER go back to a job like that, EVER. Now when I've heard the word salary I always ask how many hours/week the average person works, anything over 40 I don't even bother.
I'm in an entry level position, my first since graduating. I get paid a salary and an end of year bonus (unspecified). It is an outside sales position with no commission, but a $15 for any travel over 150 miles for lunch, $7 for dinner if I get back from a trip past 8pm or $15 for dinner if it's overnight.
While I was told that there would be occasional overtime in the interview, occasional turns out to mean everyday. I would say that at the bare minimum I put in about 11-12 hours per day 5 days/week for about 60 plus hours on average (I have worked longer, but never less than 11 hours). Since I am on salary i.e. exempt, I get no extra pay so I get paid the same amount whether I work 8 or 12 hours. My question is simple:
Is this normal for entry level outside sales?
I have no idea if it's normal, but the fact you're putting in the hours and calmly trying to find out if it's normal speaks very highly of you. When you change jobs and are offered a higher level position, and that kind of schedule is actually required, you'll know you can handle it if you choose to.
60 hours is fine for entry level. No it isn't easy, but you are still young, and your body can handle it. Nothing wrong with working hard. .
Now as time progresses, and management opportunities open up, you should apply for those, and over time things should ease up in terms of work hours and pay.
Your entry level, you start at the bottom and work your up. Nobody said it was going to be easy.
Put your time in, take your licks, and get that work experience under your belt.
Don't let the lazy, anti work culture of this current presidential administration dissuade you from reaching your career goals.
I have no idea if it's normal, but the fact you're putting in the hours and calmly trying to find out if it's normal speaks very highly of you. When you change jobs and are offered a higher level position, and that kind of schedule is actually required, you'll know you can handle it if you choose to.
Thank you. Honestly, I am burned out on the job. Well, the job itself I like. The boss, not so much. He's a loose cannon that goes off at anytime and often for reasons that make little sense saying degrading things to us sales staff (both of us have less than 1 year's experience). Now that I'm leaving he promised to ease up and tries to be nicer, but for me like a bad relationship it's too little, too late. Many of my customers have similar management so I think it's an industry problem. Hence, I'm looking to change fields.
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Originally Posted by ughhnyc
60 hours is fine for entry level. No it isn't easy, but you are still young, and your body can handle it. Nothing wrong with working hard. .
Now as time progresses, and management opportunities open up, you should apply for those, and over time things should ease up in terms of work hours and pay.
Your entry level, you start at the bottom and work your up. Nobody said it was going to be easy.
Put your time in, take your licks, and get that work experience under your belt.
Don't let the lazy, anti work culture of this current presidential administration dissuade you from reaching your career goals.
60 hours in sales without commission does not feel normal to me. I often ask myself, "Why I should make more money for the company for free when I don't see an extra penny myself?"
Things do not ease up at my company as they become management. We all follow the Japanese custom, do not leave until AFTER the boss does. At our headquarters this means the president (who often leaves at 8 hours on the dot). However, my branch manager at our branch makes us all leave with him. So often he works the same amount of hours that we do. The general manager at our headquarters often stays until 7-8pm himself. None of these men make 6 figures other than probably the president.
Again, I think this is an industry issue so I think it's time to find a place with either a better work-life balance or a commission based structure. However, I have no experience in other fields as far as sales goes, so I thought I would ask.
Thanks for the answer though. It seems like about a 70/30 divide on this from the people I've spoken to plus the answers on this board. 70% believe that anything over 40 hours should only be for sales with a commission or a job that has a defined career track with at least a six figure salary for someone in upper management.
The other 30% seem to think that you "pay your dues" and work your way up.
We all follow the Japanese custom, do not leave until AFTER the boss does.
This job IS in the US, correct?
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