I Asked Three Questions Before Every Interview. They Saved Me From Bad Jobs.

Before the Interview Ended, I Asked Three Questions

HR closed the laptop. “Anything you want to ask?”

I took out an A4 sheet folded into fours. Three questions were on it. What base are social insurance and housing fund paid at? When was last year’s year-end bonus paid? Over the past six months, what time did people in this position leave work on average?

HR paused, then smiled. “You prepared carefully.”

I smiled too. Three years ago I didn’t ask these things. I looked at the salary range on the job page. I looked at the front desk. I looked at whether the break room had a coffee machine. Later I learned that a big front desk means nothing if payday is late.

First, is the company proper, and is its size stable?

My first job change took me to a startup. In the interview, the boss said social insurance and housing fund were provided and would start after probation. In my third month as a regular employee, I checked my social security. It was paid at the minimum base. I asked HR. She said, “Let’s keep it this way for now. We’ll adjust later.” No one knew when later was. That winter, the company said funding had not arrived. Salaries were ten days late. No one spoke in the office. Even the keyboard clatter went quiet.

Later I learned. In interviews I ask about the social insurance base, the housing fund rate, the payday, and who signs the contract. A proper company won’t make you rich. It also won’t play hide-and-seek on these things.

Big companies have their own problems. Long processes. Endless approvals. A reimbursement that takes two weeks. But paydays are on time. Social insurance is paid in full. Layoffs come with compensation. There are holiday events, a box of mooncakes, a box of fruit. The things are not expensive. When you hold them, you know you are on the list. I once worked at a proper company. I did not win the annual raffle. Admin still gave everyone a thermos. The company logo was engraved on the bottom. After I left, I kept using it. In winter I filled it with hot water. I twisted off the lid. Steam hit my face. Some security is quiet.

Second, pay.

The job posting said 15 to 20K. In the interview they said base salary 8K plus performance. Performance depended on the project. I asked what the average person in this position made last year. The interviewer said, “It depends on individual ability.” I had heard that line too many times. Later I learned to break it down. What is the base? What percentage is performance? How many months is the year-end bonus? How are allowances calculated? How many raises a year, and how much? At the same company, in the same position, different grades can differ by several thousand a month. Some people negotiate. Some don’t. The gap shows up.

To negotiate pay, I went for a part-time bachelor’s degree. Classes on weekends. Homework at night. Once in an interview, HR asked, “Did you bring your diploma?” I handed over the photocopy. She flipped through it and put it on the table. “For this position, we require a bachelor’s degree.” I said nothing. Inside I felt relieved. Later my salary was two thousand more than my previous job. Two thousand does not solve everything. When my mom calls, I don’t have to calculate this month’s rent first.

When the payday text arrives, I am in a convenience store buying a rice ball. The phone screen lights up. The number jumps out. I stand in front of the freezer. I put the rice ball back. I switch to a bento that costs three yuan more. That is what pay means. It lets you have one more choice on an ordinary afternoon.

Third, working hours and overtime.

I once worked at a company where busy projects meant clocking in at nine in the morning and leaving at eleven at night. Two weeks straight. The subway had stopped. To get a taxi reimbursement, I filled out three forms. When I got home, my cat had knocked over the water bowl. I squatted on the floor to wipe it up. While wiping, I sat down. The next day I clocked in as usual. I was in my twenties. I thought I could handle it. Later, during a physical, the doctor said there was a problem with my stomach and prescribed medicine. The medicine box sat on my desk, next to the keyboard cover and the pothos. The pothos leaves turned yellow. I had no time to deal with it.

Now I ask: How often is overtime? Is there overtime pay? How is compensatory leave calculated? Do I need to reply to messages on weekends? For the same salary, five days and eight hours versus six days and ten hours are two different lives. With five days and eight hours, on weekends I can buy groceries, cook, wash sheets, take the bus to the park, and watch old men fish. It is not laziness. It is saving my body for tomorrow. No matter how good the job is, if I don’t have the stamina to keep going, it won’t last.

Once in an interview, after I asked about overtime, the interviewer said, “In principle, we don’t work overtime.” I pressed: “In principle?” He smiled. “The last few days of the month can run a little late.” I put the cap back on my pen. Later I didn’t go. I did not fear overtime. I feared the phrase “in principle.”

Fourth, chances to move up, the direct manager, the industry.

I look at these too. In interviews I ask how many people are on the team, who I report to, and whether anyone was promoted last year. The direct manager matters. One manager says in meetings, “I’ll solve it.” Another says, “Whoever’s problem it is owns it.” The first kind makes work lighter. The second kind makes you tired. The industry matters too. No matter how big the company is, if the industry is heading downhill, the individual struggles. A few years ago, online education was booming. Then entire departments were cut. The people were not wrong. The wave went out.

Job fit matters too. High pay but a bad fit won’t last. I tried a job once. The pay was decent. Every day I had to make dozens of phone calls. I sat at my desk. I listened to others make calls. I picked up the receiver and put it down again. In the third week, I resigned. My supervisor said, “Give it more time to adjust.” I said, “I can’t adjust.” I walked out of the office building. The sun was strong. I bought a popsicle and stood by the road to finish it. The popsicle cost three yuan. I ate it slowly.

Now, when I look for a job, I still make that A4 list. Social insurance base. Payday. Off-work time. Plus two more: Who is the direct manager, and why did the last person in this position leave?

No job has everything. Big companies can make you a cog. Small companies can be risky. High pay can mean overtime. A light workload can mean low pay. I can only choose the combination I can bear at the moment. A proper company, pay that is in place, hours I can keep. Those three go first. The rest depends on fate and negotiation.

Tomorrow there is another interview. I put my social insurance payment record, diploma, and proof of resignation into a document folder. The folder is transparent. The zipper sticks a little. I zip it, unzip it, and confirm everything is there.

Then I turn off the light and go to sleep.