Starting out on one's professional career is one of the most important stages in an individual's life. As a fresher, your first job plays a critical role in shaping up your professional skills sets.
The urge to start working and become financially independent is compelling. However, take some time off to evaluate a few options before your decide on one.
This will ensure that you don't end up following the herd and taking up jobs that won't add significant value to your career in the long run.
After speaking to several youngsters about their first jobs, we've managed to narrow down to the five most unpopular choices -- here are the worst entry-level jobs in the market.
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Also read: 10 things to avoid at your job interview
Door-to-door salesperson
A job in sales is supposed to enhance your communication and rapport-building skills. You not only get to interact with different people, but get to learn a lot in the field. However, be prepared to toil it out in the sun and have doors shut in your face!
"Why would anyone want to work as a door-to-door salesman? I get a pick and drop and work in a comfortable atmosphere where I make phone calls and sales over the phone," says Sriranjan Rao, 22, from New Delhi. Once a salesman of encyclopedias, he has since moved on to working as a sales executive with an IT consulting firm and is completing his graduation through correspondence.
Restaurant staff
This may be an easy job to find, but it may not always offer you the greatest intellectual stimulation.
Your responsibilities involve taking orders from customers, serving them, delivering food products to their homes and sometimes, washing dishes. Also, things can get pretty hectic, given that you've got to do all these tasks in a short span of time.
"I once took up a summer job at a fast-food joint and was made to clean the dishes as part of the process. My friends started calling me a 'dish pig' as I had my hands in leftovers all day," says Delhi-based Kanika Sharma 20, a second year college student.
Telecaller at a recruitment agency
This job may come wrapped in the sophisticated guise of 'HR (Human Resource) consultant'. It involves calling potential candidates who are looking for jobs and lining them up for interviews. You will go through hundreds of resumes and phone calls daily before you find a few people who show willingness to come around for an interview.
"The job is fairly repetitive and that can get quite mind-numbing. You don't really get to learn much about the human resource function as otherwise promised by most employers," says Charu Lata Shankar, 24, a final year MBA student from Gurgaon.
Intern at a PR firm
If your idea of the perfect job is skimming through several newspapers and circling news items of relevance, then you could consider an internship at a public relations firm. It will also involve attending press conferences in swanky five-star hotels. The downside? You won't really learn anything about operating as a public relations executive
"I spent all my time flipping through newspapers and delivering reports to various clients. The only good thing was that I cultivated the habit of reading newspapers -- but it really got too tiresome by the end of it!" says Rahul Mehta, a recent graduate from Pune.
Assistant at a beauty parlour/salon
A job as beauty consultant may give you the impression that you're the reason behind the world's beauties, but after some time you may find your creative buds fading fast.
"I only found myself attending phone calls and setting up appointments for customers. Handling chic curls, hair serums and blow dryers was a daily feature. I could never take the make-up brush in my hand, though. There were just a few precious days when I was actually allowed to assist the make-up expert," says Rehana Punj, 22, who lives in Noida and holds a degree in beauty and fashion.
Choosing a job that gives you the right kind of exposure and equips you with employee skills can give you a definite headstart in life. So stick to your first job for as long as possible, do your best and accomplish as much as you can. Bear in mind that in the course of your career you will most likely work with several companies and at various positions -- some will always be more fulfilling and challenging than others.
Deeksha Singh is a managing partner at WCH Training Solutions, a New Delhi-based training & consulting firm.
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