The ramen’s all gone and the bank account’s dry… time for the Job Hunter to hit Indeed and find some employment.
Like most people, I enjoy animals. They’re cute and can be cuddly when you need a pal. Never, however, have I considered making them a part of my professional life. Today I’ve stumbled upon a job ad that could change all that.
Obviously, the first thing that gets my attention here is that amazing per-hour pay rate.
Pay
Up to $25 dollars an hour? How could that be? It seems like a lot of money for such a task. No offense to pet groomers, of course. But when you look at the wealth of positions out there that barely clear minimum wage, $25 an hour truly stands out as special.
Granted, there is the pesky addition of the words “up to.” So let’s lay down a blanket assumption that, unless you really have amazing skills, you’re probably not entering this job at the ceiling of advertised pay.
But even factoring for that, your initial wage still has to be pretty good, right? Maybe $20 an hour? With, of course, the knowledge that if you get in there and do a great job, $25 an hour might eventually be in your future.
To make matters (potentially) even better, the ad mentions bonus pay. There are no specifics about what that would be or how it works. It’s also included near the bottom of the ad, like it’s not a priority incentive. Still, it at least raises a question I want answered, if only for the sake of curiosity.
I’ll note one more thing. The job has four openings, both part-time and full. It also claims there will be times when you are on call. This, combined with a full 40-hour work week, indicates the potential for overtime, which is going to be significant if you’re already working with $20 - or the legendary $25 - per hour.
Benefits
When I saw the job’s pay, my immediate assumption was that it would be contract work. Or if it wasn’t, it still wouldn’t offer many benefits. I was wrong.
This job has insurance, an education component, a 401(k) scenario, and a retirement plan. Plus, an employee discount for whatever pets you have at home. It doesn’t mention any vacation or sick days, but with those other benefits, I would be shocked if they don’t offer some version of that. In any case, it’s another question worth asking should I get the chance.
Application Process
When you hit the “Apply Now” button, you’re taken through Indeed’s internal application process, which is well done and appreciated. Through a series of five short pages, you answer some questions related to qualifications and have the option of uploading a resume and cover letter. If you look promising, the employer will take it from there.
Here’s where the job hits a snag, however. For as great as everything sounds, there is a price. This is not an entry-level position. It requires at least one year of pet grooming experience.
And it should! For the money they’re offering, they can be a little picky. You are shaping the beauty of someone’s beloved pet, after all. It’s not something you can just learn overnight.
This is all to say, the pet grooming job ad lacks broad appeal. It’s a specialist position looking for someone who knows what they’re doing. If that’s not you, move along. You can pet the dogs on your way out.
While I can’t go further with this job due to my lack of experience, it does give me a useful view of a position I knew nothing about. Maybe the knowledge of what pet groomers can earn will inspire me to get educated and earn that first year of experience. It’s not the worst goal out there.
Let’s rank this ad on a scale of one to ten, based on averages in the following categories:
Clarity of Payment: 5
We’re focusing on the word “clarity” here. While the pay is good, we only know it goes “up to” $25 an hour and may include ambiguous bonuses. Also, overtime is inferred but not certain. The ad raises eyebrows but also creates too many questions.
Description of Position: 7
There isn’t a long paragraph about the job, but the offered sentence kind of tells you everything you need to know. You’re cleaning and cutting hair. Not just hair but dog hair. And apparently, not just dog hair but puppy hair!
The job also describes itself as fun and proves it by utilizing the word “fannies” in an alliterative list with “feet” and “faces.” It DOES seem fun!
Ease of Application: 9
The job uses the classic Indeed application system, with some entries specifically geared to this position, which is great. I don’t know what happens once you get your first call from the employer, but this first step is essentially ideal for someone applying to many jobs. Simple, pertinent, no redundancy.
Attractiveness of Job: 8
Are you kidding? The job sounds incredible. And unlike many incredible jobs, it doesn’t look like you’ll have to sacrifice pay for fun. If I only had the skill and talent required, I’d go out for this in a heartbeat. The only potential downside is being on call, but the ad offers no indication of how often that would be an issue.