An Entry-Level Job: A Foot in the Door

What Exactly Is an Entry Level Job?

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An entry-level job is one that allows an individual to enter the workforce, often with little experience or education. These positions are sought after by students right out of school and older workers seeking a new direction in their careers.

Over time, employees will learn the ins and outs of the business, gain valuable experience, and earn the potential for better-paying and higher-ranking positions. It is, essentially, a way to get a foot in the door.

What Is an Entry-Level job?

At their most basic, entry-level jobs allow an employee to gain experience while getting paid. These jobs help the company accomplish necessary work that more experienced individuals don’t want to do on a daily basis.

The job requirements for these positions are designed for an individual who is in the learning stage of his career.

  • For a person with a high school diploma, an entry-level job may be hands-on, such as a store clerk, waitperson, factory worker, or healthcare assistant.
  • For college graduates, these are frequently white-collar jobs. They require that the individual has knowledge in the field, a degree, or the skills honed in college to help them learn on-the-job.

Note

Positions like these are often paid a lower wage than more experienced or skilled workers. By having lower-paid employees do basic jobs, a company can get the highest rate of return from its senior staff.

Employers Benefit From Entry-level Positions

Companies can see significant benefits from using entry-level employees in each department.

  • These jobs help the business accomplish basic tasks that must be done without utilizing or stretching the skills and experience of more seasoned employees.
  • The employees can be trained in the skills necessary to advance in their career field and at the company.

This process gives employers a steady stream of employees who are willing to learn and ready for promotion to the next level of responsibility.

Another advantage of an entry-level job is that the employer can mold the individual as an employee. The employer can encourage the development of skills specifically needed by the company while helping the employee develop work habits and ways of interacting that fit the culture of the workplace.

Employees Benefit from Entry-level Positions

Whether employees are starting or changing their careers, entry-level jobs are a win for them as well.

Note

An entry-level job is a perfect way for workers to gain experience in a new field and learn the day-to-day workings of a company and industry. Everyone has to start somewhere, and these positions are often the first step to a long and rewarding career.

The opportunity for advancement within the company is also an advantage for workers. Quite often, employers prefer to hire from within their company as positions open up. An assistant or laborer with a good work ethic may be a hiring manager's first choice when a mid-level employee moves on because they can skip most of the training required for that person's replacement.

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