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am i getting screwed before i even get started??
i just signed for a $40k salary (full paid benefits with vacation and PTO) as their one and only social media coordinator.
this company has no social media presence and is a pretty niche industry.
they don’t have a budget (they said no set budget, not really concerned for money) or goal in mind or even sense of direction for how they want this to convey over social media. more just to keep them in social media’s eye and to have some sort of presence. they think “it won’t take up a lot of time” to start from zero, so they are adding administrative work on top on my social media responsibilities. which i basically just make up my own role.
i have 3 years experience in social media management from IG and Facebook previously for a small local cafe. loved it, not enough money from a small business so i had to go corporate. i wanted out, this is more money and it sounds relitively easy. just really wanted out of my current job.
is this a red flag?
should i have asked for more money?
should i just start this from absolutely zero and demand i have one role once im in and settled?
did any of you have this type of experience?
how would you handle this as someone without a TON of experience under your belt?edit : removing type of business for extra anonymity
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1 Reply
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🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩
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I think ur in a good position because you’re the only social media coordinator, so you can decide actually, no, you can’t do extra administrative work because xyz and if you explain using as much jargon as you can, they will kinda have to agree that okay, no extra little work because you set a boundary and come off more ‘professional’
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I’m going to say this gently, because I was once in your exact situation, although I was fresh out of college and it was my first “real” job.
They will take advantage of you. They will burn you out. If they have no budget, no strategy, and no benchmarks, they will expect you to give them the world and be upset when posts don’t perform well. You might have a post go viral or semi-viral, and they’ll want you to reproduce that indefinitely when it won’t be possible.
Not only are you going to be underpaid and undervalued, you will not have support from your bosses because them adding admin work onto your plate, indicates they don’t know the first thing (or second, or third) thing about professional social media management.
Spend this first year tracking EVERYTHING. Track how long it takes to make and schedule posts, how long it takes to do social listening, how long it takes to respond to comments and engagements, how long it takes to plan and create content, and how long it takes you to do each and every admin task thrown your way. TRACK YOUR OVERTIME HOURS, aka anything you do outside of your regular working hours.
There is a new [overtime pay law that goes into effect TODAY](https://blog.dol.gov/2024/04/23/what-the-new-overtime-rule-means-for-workers) that it sounds like you will qualify for immediately. It might be tedious tracking everything, but you also deserve to get paid what you deserve for the work you are doing. And, the question you must always ask yourself is NOT “was I productive at work today,” but IS “am I doing work outside of the office/regular 9-5 working hours.” Only you have the power to stand up for yourself with this law, but you won’t get any of the benefits if you are not tracking your time.
If you signed a contract already at $40k, you might be locked in it for the next year. Though it doesn’t hurt to ask for more, you might not have the opportunity to until next year. According to [Indeed, you’re already $18k underpaid](https://www.indeed.com/career/social-media-manager/salaries) of the average social media manager salary in the US.
Don’t get taken advantage of. Set up workplace boundaries. And if your contract says you are only being paid to work 40 hours a week, do not work more than those 40 hours. (Or, see above about tracking overtime).
And remember, no matter how “high” of a priority your bosses might try to make things, there is no such thing as a social media emergency.
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Corkys Footwear?
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Honestly? yes, i think you signed way too low. But, that depends on a lot of things, first is it w2 or a contract, are you a full time employee or is this hourly? Is there a pension, or is it just benefits?
keep in mind you’d make more at mcdonald’s in NYC and free lunch at 48k a year..
40k was about average for starting out in anything technical is 2007.. but times have changed.
You can always use it as experience and find another job while employed, it makes it easier to find work.
good luck out there..
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I’m going to take a different angle than most and say you should be fine as long as you are not afraid to say no.
40k isn’t the most, but a job with benefits is nice! Decide what $40k is worth to you and do that much.
When they ask for more say you want a budget report first on what you can play with. If they say you aren’t doing enough say I’m doing exactly what you pay me to do.
They can build a good relationship with you, or they can find someone else which is very unlikely given the pay you are receiving.
Make the most of it, use it to build your resume. Have fun!
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