Sometimes finding the first job can be relatively easy, but for some people it becomes a hard task. Not everyone is lucky enough to be hired by a company before the end of their studies, or to have landed a contract by the end of an internship or a student job. For the majority of university students, this is a real challenge. By the end of their studies, young professionals step in a market where competition is strong and the job description’s prerequisites are too high and disproportioned.

A harshly competitive job market for young professionals

This situation was inherited from the subprime economic crisis; the loss of confidence in the economy and the increased international competition due to globalization made employers quite cautious.

While we still aren’t completely beyond that crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the situation: this new crisis has had not only an impact on the economics, but also on the teaching methods and on examinations of the end of the studies. These new factors make the challenge of finding the first job even tougher for young professionals.

If the challenge is tough, it is yet not impossible.

Today, finding a job demands some effort: completing several internships, moving away from one’s family to find new opportunities, investing many hours in building a creative CV, or sometimes following atypical paths, like accepting different missions which will help building the experience demanded by the employers. These are only some of the ways to finally find the definitive job. Throughout this article and with Marina’s testimony, we are going to explore this latter solution which is barely known by young professionals.

Distinguishing oneself by making the most of one’s knowledge through different missions

Let’s consider a different approach: instead of applying for jobs in big firms which receive hundreds of CV like yours for each position, why not considering smaller firms less known on the market?

Marina, interior designer HES, has finally adopted this approach: “after many months of unsuccessful search of a full-time job in an architecture firm, I had the chance to meet an interior designer who wanted to work with me on some of their projects. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a permanent job as employee, but a mission as independent worker. However, that was an offer that I couldn’t refuse and which allowed me to really start my career in that field.”

Wage portage – a simple and legal solution

Since she couldn’t have asked for the status of independent worker, Marina enquired for the alternative options she had. “As soon as the concept of wage portage has been explained to me, I understood how interesting it could have been: firstly, I would have been able to take the job opportunity I had, and secondly, I could very easily start, quickly and legally”. By choosing the wage portage alternative, Marina found the best formula for both parties: the interior designer was able to work with her without needing to hire her, just paying the monthly invoice for services sent by Opsys360. As for Marina, she was able to take advantage of a legal framework as an ~~~~employee thanks to her work contract with Opsys360.

In practice, everyone was satisfied, because the “steps are very easy: I just have to inform Opsys360 of the number of hours of work I did during the month, so that they can send the invoice and as soon as it is paid, I get my salary, with all social charges, taxes and insurances deducted”, Marina explains.

This solution allows you to avoid administrative procedures and to contribute to all social charges, including the unemployment insurance.

First steps in wage portage: what you need to know

Our experience allowed us to identify three advices that each young professional should follow in negotiating a mission:

1. Adequately calculate your hourly wage:

To step in the professional world, you must be aware of the different terms and definitions used when negotiating a remuneration. Gross salary, net salary, hourly wage, vacations and social charges are concepts that you have to master to negotiate your revenue. This knowledge is even more determinant when negotiating the price of your services in wage portage. Indeed, if you base your negotiations on the gross salary received during your internships or summer jobs, you may forget to add the employer’s social security contributions and the holiday allowance to this amount. If you underestimate the total cost, you will undercompensate your services.

2. Negotiate your work agreement:

As an employee you have little flexibility to negotiate the terms of your work contract. If you decide to go for wage portage, you will be able to negotiate an agreement with your clients having all the flexibility of an independent worker. You will be able to set not only your base salary and the flat-rate expenses, but also the payment conditions and the management fees of the wage portage company.

3. Carefully choosing your wage portage company:

It should be clear now that starting your career in a wage portage context offers you a great level of flexibility. However, to make the most out of this opportunity, it is important to choose a partner who will help and guide you through all the path. For example, when you are negotiating your salary, it is very helpful to have a team of experts advising you on the good rate, depending on your studies. If you will need to use the unemployment insurance, the wage portage company will help you with all the bureaucracy linked to the procedure. And finally, if you find the permanent job of your dreams, the contractual conditions of your wage portage partner should not be a problem for accepting such an offer.

Invest yourself in a project to stand out

If wage portage can be a career choice in the long run, it’s mostly used as a jumpstart for young professionals. In the case of Marina, her experience as a contractor with us for one year, gave her the ability to find the job she was looking for: a permanent position in a company as interior designer. In fact, that additional line in her CV was enough to prove her reliability as professional.

We leave the last word to Marina, whishing her all the best for her career: “[wage portage] is a simple and effective solution which has allowed me to avoid all the administrative and financial procedures needed to become an independent worker. So, yes, I would strongly recommend wage portage and Opsys360 to students and young professionals and to any person which looks for a secondary occupation.”

At Opsys360, the integration of young professionals on the job market is an important part of our work. As a matter of fact, since November 2020 we have decided to open a position for a Master student within our team. Do not hesitate to get in touch with us to find out in which way we can help you at best.