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My job is not bad but it pisses me off.
EliteLamer
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All my jobs have been in the Grocery business and I am now working at a new one. I used to work for a huge chain here called Publix. My friend got me a job at this small grocery store with very few in the chain. At first it was not bad because I stocked, had 30+ hours had stuff to do. I am now on my 6th month of working here and I just don't know if I can take it anymore. They had a ton of changes about my 4th month in. They cut everyone's hours and hired someone that worked so fast that I only had 3-5 hour work days. I was only getting about 20-25 hours a week..
Then they move me to night crew which was nice for a while but now I am going insane. I have nothing to really do. Hell when I ask my manager what to do one will just say I don't know or the other manager gives me some petty task that does not really need to because there is nothing else to do.
On top of this they have to cut hours a fair amount which I can't afford only have 28 hours a week.
My entire day is maybe 1-2 hours of work. Then nothing....
I know I should be glad I have a job where I have nothing to do but I hate it.
Yes.. I have been looking for a new job FOREVAR!
Then they move me to night crew which was nice for a while but now I am going insane. I have nothing to really do. Hell when I ask my manager what to do one will just say I don't know or the other manager gives me some petty task that does not really need to because there is nothing else to do.
On top of this they have to cut hours a fair amount which I can't afford only have 28 hours a week.
My entire day is maybe 1-2 hours of work. Then nothing....
I know I should be glad I have a job where I have nothing to do but I hate it.
Yes.. I have been looking for a new job FOREVAR!
SEGA
EliteLamer on
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well, have you looked for any jobs on campus? I love campus jobs, because they are more willing to work around you schedule. Actually, being an RA was an awesome job in and of itself.
You work in a grocery store. Your main job was recently taken over by somebody who does it much better and faster than you. (Which begs the question: why were you so easily replaced? Why is the new guy so much better than you? Is he some sort of steam-fuelled stockboy god-machine who never tires, or were you maybe not working as hard as you could have been?)
Now you're complaining that your hours have been cut, and you have nothing to do. Now, I've never worked in a grocery store before, but I have worked at a convenience store, a sub shop, and a coffee and donut joint, and all three of those places had one thing in common: there was always something to do. There was always some extra work, some extra cleaning, some seldom-done task that could be undertaken. And the way to tell the good employees from the bad was to see who actually took the initiative and did that shit. When I worked at the sub place, there was one girl who would just stand by the cash register waiting for customers. Technically, that was fine, that's the basic function she was being paid to do. But at the same time, there was one guy who would deliberately seek out any extra work he could think of. Between customers, he would stock everything up, prepare the meats and veggies for the next day, clean the entire store, take out the trash, organize the contents of the fridge and freezer, and write out lists of things we were low on so the manager could order them the next time she was in. Guess who lasted longer than the three-month probation period?
Show that initiative. Don't go up to your managers every five minutes whining that you don't have any work to do; they don't want to hear it. Figure out what needs to be done, and do it. You've been working there for six months, you should know the drill by now. Stock, sweep, mop, check expiration dates on everything, Windex all the glass doors in the refrigerated/frozen section, dust the shelves, organize the stockroom, check every aisle to make sure the product is all fronted, wipe out the empty bins in the bakery section... be creative! The worst thing that can possibly happen as a result of coming up with your own stuff to do is having a manager call you over to say that checking expiration dates is always done by Sue on day shift. And if that happens, you just smile and nod agreeably, and say "No problem, I was just looking for another way to pitch in." Then you ask them if they have any other recommendations, and if they don't, you scamper off on your own errands again.
Do what needs to be done, and do it willingly and voluntarily. You'll enjoy your work more because you'll actually be accomplishing something instead of standing around feeling vaguely guilty and irritated, and unless your managers are absolute idiots, they'll notice that somebody finally did something about that disgraceful produce section, and you'll start to get more hours again.
Also, let me not when I worked beside super man we finished a truck in 1 hour last time. What does that leave me with to do all day? Besides get sent home after 3-5 hour shift.
I think Kate pretty much already answered that question for you. You work in a grocery store. Back in the day I worked in one too, and trust me there is always something you can be doing.
Cleaning, stocking, blocking shelves, bagging...
Seriously, if one of the fucking slackers in grocery would ever come up and help us bag when we're busy, I would buy them lunch.
If all else fail, there's always work drama to keep you entertain.
This. It can be hard work most of the time, but you DEFINITELY will never run into a "there's nothing to do" as an RA. There is ALWAYS something to do, as much as you want to put into it. You can put in a minimal effort and be the RA that's more into socializing and hanging out, or you can put in a TON of effort and be the RA that gets shit done (events planned/implemented advertising done, helping people one on one with problems, making sure everyone in the dorm is content/their needs are getting addressed etc...)
So I would fully endorse this as a route for you to go.
This is true.. IF!! you work for a large grocery store that is busy. I have worked for one so I know how it is.
Anyways guys I got offered a pretty big promotion out of no where today. Or a chance for one.. Not sure what to do because I was planning to leave for school at the end of summer. This promotion involves 40 hours a week, plus raise, plus training from HQ.
Hmm. How much money are you talking about here, if I may ask?
You'll want to weigh the money increase from these guys + job security they provide (if any) versus the potential income you could get from the career of your choosing when you graduate + the job security your chosen industry would provide, before you go making a decision to skip out on secondary education for this opportunity.
Also, you must ask yourself if the grocery store business is what you want your career to be. If it's just a paycheck, but you get no joy out of it... you may want to take the hard choice and choose education over immediate money. But that's just my take on it.
Unless they would work around your schedule for the sake of (or even fund) your education, in which case go for it. Some companies will do that: they'll pay for tuition, for instance. Either way, I'd be honest with them and see if they'll work with your desire to get a degree.
I would be the POS guy. Don't know anything about POS besides it sounds like data base management.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_of_sale
HOWEVER, if by POS guy you mean a guy who does software development for their POS, that's great work experience... though 10 bucks an hour is a bit low for that kind of work. At full time @10$/hour, you'd be making $19,200 per year as a software engineer. That's pretty horrible.
The POS is basically the systems you see at the cash registers. They provide a frontend that links what customers are buying to what the item is and its price, and then calculate the customers' price. I'm sure they do other things as well, but that's the most visible part. So you've likely dealt with your stores' POS before as a user.
No I don't design the software. Just run the programs, train everyone to use it and print tags. I am sure there is more to it then just that but I really have no idea.
That and Database management if that makes it sound more fancy.
Given the above, I'd say ask them flat-out if they'd be flexible in hours so you can continue seeking your education, or if they have a program to help encourage higher education (such as compensating for tuition and such). Seeking that degree sounds like it would get you further than certifications or this POS trainer job would.
It does not. Either you are over estimating what this job entails, or they are promoting you because the last guy got out of his chains. 10 dollars an hour is what you make at In and Out.
I am not trying to make the job sound like it is a super great job or anything. I suppose I should be able to find an entry level full time job for more?
Concentrate on finishing school first. I'm almost certain you have over-thought what the job entails. Corporations do not need people at individual stores doing database management for them. The maximum I can imagine you will do is be telling the manager how much lettuce he sold that month.
Actually, there is database management at individual stores. We have an ICM (Inventory Control Manager) who makes adjustments to our databases all the time. Whether that's changing inventory availability (that is, how low inventory goes before an item is automatically re-ordered), adding UPCs that aren't in the database (for whatever reason), or correcting the sale price of an item that isn't ringing up correctly. This is done at the local store level, and uploaded to the corporate data center. They double check it for accuracy, and roll it out to all the stores that need it.
Not saying that Elite should take the job, as I think he should also be doing the schooling first. Just throwing it out there. :P
One things you guys are saying is that I will be paid much better with a degree but that is not try as a history major. More than likely it wont do much.
I think I am going to turn the position down and move to finish school at the end of the summer. I mean I suck at school a ton but if I am going to stay with grocery I need to work at a major chain.
That's curious, I would have never expected that this was handled at a store level and not a district level (aside from the price tweaking).
Thanks for the info
Also, girls dig guys with degrees. No, I'm serious, it shows you can finish something. Being a college drop out can totally turn off girls.
This. Also, if you get your degree and end up in the grocery store business later anyway, at least you have another interest/life outside of canned goods and produce. People can understand a history/english/philosophy major who pursued something they loved for four to eight years, got a nice respectable degree, then had to get work in something more utilitarian in order to pay the bills and acquire medical insurance. There is no shame in that. Really. Honest and for true.