To be marginally put off applying for jobs when the advert says things like this?

[sunflower49]

'Regular team nights out!'
'We are a friendly team and often end the day over a drink, close to X restaurant X bar etc'
'Social life perks!'
'Regular team outings/trips away' etc?

I'm looking for a job. I don't want to feel pressured into also making it my social life? I've seen such as the above several times in my search.

I understand that sometimes It's great to be friendly with colleagues and sometimes after a long day It's really nice if the boss says 'Right, we all deserve a drink', but does it need to be in the job spec as a 'perk'?

I have my own friends who I like to socialise with. I also don't often feel like going out and even more rarely feel like doing such after work, I have commitments and, usually after a full day's work I just want to go home!

I will say it doesn't make me not apply for a job I really fancy. It just makes me a bit more wary of applying.

And, I could be being unreasonable due to past experience, my last work place was very 'cliquey' and anybody who didn't choose to socialise with the rest of their colleagues after work, or turn up to every organised 'do' was somewhat ostracised.

I am only applying for graduate positions so perhaps they're looking for people much younger than me, having said this I felt the exact same way when I was younger.

AIBU?Or old fashioned?Or a miserable git?

[fredfredgeorgejnr]

Partly it's because graduates often do want that - moving to a new place, no friends local etc. So the adverts are trying to be attractive to those.

If you really fancy the job, apply, and discuss at the interview or after? There's no point cutting yourself off until you know for sure, it's also not impossible that some dumb HR person stuck it in completely against the teams ideas.

[manicinsomniac]

YABU

I think it sounds great - friendly and welcoming. It would make the advert more attractive to me whether I wanted to participate in the social events or not. I don't imagine they're compulsory.

[LegoAdventCalendar]

They are looking for young people.

[invisibleperson]

It's a way of indicating that they want people with few commitments outside work - they can't write no parents or people with care commitments nor can they specify an age.

[Redcoats]

I agree that they are looking for young people, who can go straight from work to the pub for the night.

I used to work somewhere like that and was deemed 'the boring one' because I had kids and couldn't go out with them without a couple of days notice.
I definitely missed out on a lot of team bonding.

[Trills]

Do you think maybe you are older than the candidates they had in mind?

Or are you further along in some "life events" than other people your age?

An advert like that would make me think that they were imagining that most people who would want this job, it would be their first job, or they might be relocating to take up the job.

They are trying to make the job appeal to the demographic that they think will most want the job, while accidentally making it less appealing to other people.

[Surreyblah]

Yanbu, that is not an ad seeking diverse applicants.

[MrsPiggie]

No reason to be put off. They are trying to make it sound fun and friendly. My work is a bit like that, going to the pub three times a week, going to the movies, doing sports together. But most of them are much younger than me, I just go home to cook for the kids. No pressure in joining in, and it's nice to know that if I ever want to go for a drink all I have to do is say so.

[Kiffykaffycoffee]

Makes me think the job must be quite boring or unpleasant, if the only way they can attract applicants is by selling the "social" aspects of the job. Which aren't really part of the job at all, are they?
It might be difficult in this job to draw a clear line between work and leisure time. Perhaps they are deliberately blurring the boundaries in order to lure you into working extra hours for no extra pay? Or am I reading too much into it?
Agree with other posters who say it is probably a very young, free, single environment.

[GraysAnalogy]

They're trying to tell you exactly what the job is going to be like.

I've worked in places like this and the dynamic is completely different from anywhere I've worked before. Everyone was young, very ambitious, most were 23-28 earning anything from 60k to 120k. Basically if you weren't a sociable person it wasn't the place for you, they were out every night, but in and working damn hard the next day (although I do think drugs had something to do with it)

It was the sort of job were the boss would suddenly say right guys pack your suitcases we're going on holiday

[sunflower49]

Thanks for replies all.

In my last workplace, I was young when I first started (mid twenties) but still wasn't interested in sociliasing with work colleagues. I left the workplace after being bullied for a long time, and I think my reluctance to be part of the 'gang' was definitely a factor, and I think this has darkened my view.

I can see why some would think I was being unreasonable, as I shouldn't let one bad experience taint my view-It's nice to see that open-minded people would just see it as friendly and welcoming.

That's definitely a good possibility, invisible , but as they don't specify that (I realise that they can't!) yes I could bring it up in the interview that I don't think I would be interested in what they are offering social-life wise. Whether I got the job or not could depend on the answer!

If they are looking for 'fresh' graduates then yes I am older, I took a year out at university, then I did an MA so I was late twenties when I finished, and then I have done another job and been self employed since. However as above, even when I was young and a new graduate this wasn't my 'thing', I've never been interested in making work my social life, mrspiggie It's nice to hear that you've had a different experience despite not being as involved as colleagues are.

This isn't one job, btw. I've been surprised at how many jobs say similar things to what I put in the OP.

Kiffy yes another thing is that! 'We're alll a team, now this work needs doing so we ALL need to stay behind until It's done because we all wuv each other....

I've worked in places like that, but a long time ago and they were all hospitality sort of places. I am sounding like an utterly serious boring sod now aren't I....

Grays that sounds like my worst nightmare 'We're going on holiday!' I'd have to invent a crisis!

That sort of thing happened where I last worked, too. I did go to some outings, and don't get me wrong I love to have too many drinks and stay out late now and again, but here was we'd meet at say 8pm, then everyone would be out getting trollied until 4 am but we were still expected to be in work at 9 or even 8 am. Thinking about it yes drugs were probably involved but back then I was too naive to think that. It was a diverse age group but I'd say nobody over 45.

[GraysAnalogy]

Honestly sunflower I was one of the young ones too but it really wasn't my thing, they'd be all cheering and I'd be like goddamit I've used the 'I have appointments this week' one far too often. I mean they'd be good holidays, skiing in the alps, Dubai, all sorts and all paid for - but not sprung upon you like that

[GraysAnalogy]

It sound silly to say but thinking back it reminds me a little bit of that film with Leo DiCaprio, but less sex, dwarfism and animals.

[TooSpotty]

I think companies advertising like that should think quite hard about the messages they're sending out. Yes, they clearly WANT to attract a certain type of person, but it really isn't a diverse message. What about non-drinkers of whatever age? Or young people with caring responsibilities of any sort?

I work in a place where the young graduate entrants do tend to socialise a lot, and when I first started I did exactly that. But it can and does lead to social lives coming into the workplace and all the complications that this involves. Now I'm older, I'm glad I can count some of my colleagues as firm friends, but I don't go for big boozy nights out any more, and if I felt my work success depended on that, I would be uncomfortable.

[sunflower49]

It would make you feel ungrateful too, I imagine!If everyone else is 'YAaaaaay!' .....

[sunflower49]

That's true too, toospotty. There are plenty of folk I know who are anything but young, who like to go out a lot , and are single and vice versa.

[GraysAnalogy]

sunflower oh that too! Also constantly combatting the feeling of not wanting to be the 'bore' of the company :( also I remember one girl actually had children and it ended up being the scandal of the year when people found out because it just wasn't done. Looking back it was pretty terrible really.

Can I ask what field this job is in if you don't mind? Might give us a bit more idea of what sort of folk you'll be working with

[sunflower49]

Yes that is pretty awful!

It's not just one job , I've seen it this sort of thing in my searches a few times. I've looked mainly on graduate-jobs.com and other popular job sites just typing in 'graduate' in the search bar. I'll see if I can find some I've seen.

[sunflower49]

I've found this as well. Maybe this is what employers are doing!

mashable.com/2014/09/22/millennial-workplace-happiness/

[GraysAnalogy]

Graduate seems to be a synonym for 'young and childless' these days. Not good

[MrsPiggie]

I stopped some years ago paying any attention to the bullshit in job ads. Too many of them are filled with macho statements requiring the candidates to be "fiercely driven", "extremely passionate about... "," extremely competitive "and such. The reality on the ground is that they want someone who is competent in their job and has a good work ethic. I also ignore any advertised cheap perks like free snacks, beer on Fridays and coffee on tap. They normally hide the fact that they don't have a pension scheme or any serious benefits. If the actual job specs and salary fit me, then I apply. Anything else is irrelevant.

[GraysAnalogy]

we're looking for an excellent candidate who is fiercely driven and wants to not only do well but exceed expectations. We need someone with high standards with the passion to go further and bring their A game.' Starting wage: £12,500

Nobs.

[sunflower49]

I can't find any now, typical!I look like I've made it up (promise I haven't)!

Mrs yes those are good points too.

[TooSpotty]

No one would get my A game for 12,500. Possibly my G game.

[sunflower49]

Yes! 'We need someone who'll work their ass off for peanuts'....

It's very disheartening is this jobhunting malarkey. I thought I was cynical but some jobs are just so difficult and the wages are terrible, more so than I thought.