I just got a call today that I got selected for the librarian job I interviewed for 3 weeks ago. I'll be leaving the nearby library I've worked at since my last month in high school for a newly-renovated library that's set to open in June. I have no idea where they're going to put me until then -- my official first day is April 14th, which is a few days after my 30th birthday.
This will be my first professional job. I am happy and nervous.
that's awesome. Do you have your MLS? I'm hoping to go for mine when I finish my BA.
Yeah, just got it in December from Florida State University. It was a distance learning program, so I never had to set foot on campus and could keep my library job.
It took a few months for a librarian position to open within my library system, but now it looks like I'll be set for the next year.
"why it gotta be black college!? Why can't it just be a college!?"
He's right in a way.
I meant a college with a predominantly black student body, but my alma mater was originally established as a "black college" in 1910, when Jim Crow laws were in effect. And if I was a racist, I wouldn't have gone there to get my degree. I liked the environment, the accessibility of the professors, and the full scholarship.
I have seen some of my minority friends run into real discrimination. So it really ticks me off when someone screams discrimination in order to get something for free or out of spite because they don't get their way.
On the subject of death and daemons disappearing: arrows sure are effective in Lyra's universe. Seems like if you get shot once, you're dead - no lingering deaths with your daemon huddling pitifully in your arms, just *thunk* *argh* *whoosh*. A battlefield full of the dying would just be so much more depressing when you add in wailing gerbils and dogs.
"why it gotta be black college!? Why can't it just be a college!?"
He's right in a way.
I meant a college with a predominantly black student body, but my alma mater was originally established as a "black college" in 1910, when Jim Crow laws were in effect. And if I was a racist, I wouldn't have gone there to get my degree. I liked the environment, the accessibility of the professors, and the full scholarship.
I have seen some of my minority friends run into real discrimination. So it really ticks me off when someone screams discrimination in order to get something for free or out of spite because they don't get their way.
shut up racist!!!
I feel ya. When I had a problem with my school people told me it was "because they're racist!!!" The school wasn't racist, just really really stupid.
I love getting the race card shoved in my face, because it then gives me the opportunity to say:
"Well, if I'm a racist, then why did I buy every Nikki Giovanni poetry book ever published, graduate from a predominantly black college, learn tae kwon do from a black instructor, and make my half-black cousin the flower girl at my wedding?"
My teacher use to always say, "if you call someone racist and they start naming all the black people they know... they're racists."
This is idiotic. The reason why the race card is a dumb one to play is because there IS no valid defense - there's nothing you can possibly say to make yourself not look like a racist.
My reaction (in the situation, and other times) was just to not react to it, because that's what they want you to do. They can't get a response out of saying it, it makes them leave or settle down.
Another thing! What the hell is the deal with your 'hours getting cut' bullshit? In The Netherlands it is indeed possible to work on that basis but it is rather uncommon. More likely is that you just get a contract that stipulates just how many hours you have to work every day and there is no cutting hours, ever. How the hell are you supposed to ever be able to pay your bills if you don't know how much money is going to come in from one week to the next?
At the risk of sounding like the "evil republican zomg!" the retail register monkey is not meant to earn a living on. It's untrained labor, for people looking for money while in college/high school, or as an extra job to get a decent discount/extra paycheck. That's why all of my part-timers are there... it's either a second job, or a fun job while in school.
I suppose that's why they're "part-time" positions... even my keyholders have second jobs.
In the US, we rarely have contract jobs, and as a part-time employee, employers don't have to offer things like insurance, seniority, and other perks. Insurance is a big deal here because it isn't nationalized. The sheer costs of these benefits are why most employers keep as few full-time employees as possible: below a certain number of hours/week, they are not legally obligated to provide any benefits. UPS and the USPS are well-known examples of places that literally take years to become able to work full-time.
Also, in the US, we are by and large at-will employers, meaning that employees can leave at any time without reason, and we can be fired at any time without reason. Large stores/companies have been known to make the work environment as shitty as possible to encourage people to leave so that they won't get promoted/make tenure raises/become full-time and become eligible for benefits. In fact, both Target and Wal-Mart are in the process of getting rid of as many full-time employees as they can simply because they are expensive to employ due to insurance costs. Anything to keep the stockholders happy, I guess...
That's really crappy.
Yes, yes it is.
When I used to work retail I always had contracts.
The only time my hours varied from week to week was at the gas station, and that was also a contract but with a minimum amount of hours, and as it turned out I exceeded that amount every week. All the other times I had either a full-time contract or, in the case of the video store, no contract at all (stick it to the man!).
In The Netherlands insurance is indeed nationalised, and everybody is insured. Even unemployed people are obliged to take out insurance, and because they cannot afford it the government subsidises part of it. Having no insurance is absolutely unheard of.
You mention that in the US, you are by and large at-will employers, is that only in some fields or is that common even in, say, higher level Wallstreet type jobs or management?
cdneger on
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ZephosClimbin in yo ski lifts, snatchin your people up.MichiganRegistered Userregular
edited March 2007
how long does Microsoft retail thing take to ship?
i just ordered like 5 things i want to be here before the 360 trade in dealy gets over with.
I find the whole racism thing to be a source of humour and way to break the ice as a full blood Chinese who sits nicely in some of the stereotypes people have in their minds, and also violently different in other respects.
I have a very anglo-saxon surname due to family stuff in the past, and when you have a glasses-wearing, medium height Chinese guy rock up and announce himself as basically Mister Anglo-Saxon, it is a good way to make a humorous impression. That said, I find actual discrimination abhorrent, but I'm comfortable with my minority identity.
Enjoy an exclusive ExpertZone reward: an Xbox360 Pro, an additional wireless controller, Viva Piñata, and
Gears of Wars for $389 plus tax and S&H. That's about $160 off the estimated retail price. Order now in the RewardZone!
and also
Get a 30GB Zune digital media player (black), Earphones & Sync cables for $199* and save $50 off the estimated retail price! Get one for yourself and one for a friend. No points required, simply pay with your credit card.
Hate to ressurect this comment, but does anyone know if it's Retail only? I support MS products at my job (Tech support for one of their largest partners) and would love to get in on this. I know a lot of companies give us employee purchase plan deals (for example, I get like 50% off anything from Logitech / Belkin / etc that I might ever want).
Another thing! What the hell is the deal with your 'hours getting cut' bullshit? In The Netherlands it is indeed possible to work on that basis but it is rather uncommon. More likely is that you just get a contract that stipulates just how many hours you have to work every day and there is no cutting hours, ever. How the hell are you supposed to ever be able to pay your bills if you don't know how much money is going to come in from one week to the next?
At the risk of sounding like the "evil republican zomg!" the retail register monkey is not meant to earn a living on. It's untrained labor, for people looking for money while in college/high school, or as an extra job to get a decent discount/extra paycheck. That's why all of my part-timers are there... it's either a second job, or a fun job while in school.
I suppose that's why they're "part-time" positions... even my keyholders have second jobs.
In the US, we rarely have contract jobs, and as a part-time employee, employers don't have to offer things like insurance, seniority, and other perks. Insurance is a big deal here because it isn't nationalized. The sheer costs of these benefits are why most employers keep as few full-time employees as possible: below a certain number of hours/week, they are not legally obligated to provide any benefits. UPS and the USPS are well-known examples of places that literally take years to become able to work full-time.
Also, in the US, we are by and large at-will employers, meaning that employees can leave at any time without reason, and we can be fired at any time without reason. Large stores/companies have been known to make the work environment as shitty as possible to encourage people to leave so that they won't get promoted/make tenure raises/become full-time and become eligible for benefits. In fact, both Target and Wal-Mart are in the process of getting rid of as many full-time employees as they can simply because they are expensive to employ due to insurance costs. Anything to keep the stockholders happy, I guess...
That's really crappy.
Yes, yes it is.
When I used to work retail I always had contracts.
The only time my hours varied from week to week was at the gas station, and that was also a contract but with a minimum amount of hours, and as it turned out I exceeded that amount every week. All the other times I had either a full-time contract or, in the case of the video store, no contract at all (stick it to the man!).
In The Netherlands insurance is indeed nationalised, and everybody is insured. Even unemployed people are obliged to take out insurance, and because they cannot afford it the government subsidises part of it. Having no insurance is absolutely unheard of.
You mention that in the US, you are by and large at-will employers, is that only in some fields or is that common even in, say, higher level Wallstreet type jobs or management?
Almost all jobs, baring contractors are at will, however as you get into the more professional jobs it changes to salary where you work around 40 hours a week and get paid x amount per year with the company paying insurance, 401k etc.
Almost all jobs, baring contractors are at will, however as you get into the more professional jobs it changes to salary where you work around 40 hours a week and get paid x amount per year with the company paying insurance, 401k etc.
Professors at universities are often salaried, and they usually average more than 40 hours/week. And I turned down a couple of management opportunities because they 1) paid low salary and sometimes commission, 2) demanded that I work 48-60+ hours a week, and 3) in one case, demanded that I be able to move anywhere in their system on 4 weeks notice with minimal moving expenses paid and no support to buy out leases.
Moral: there are some good salary jobs in the US, but they are hard to come by.
griffincat on
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MichaelLCIn what furnace was thy brain?ChicagoRegistered Userregular
Almost all jobs, baring contractors are at will, however as you get into the more professional jobs it changes to salary where you work around 40 hours a week and get paid x amount per year with the company paying insurance, 401k etc.
Professors at universities are often salaried, and they usually average more than 40 hours/week. And I turned down a couple of management opportunities because they 1) paid low salary and sometimes commission, 2) demanded that I work 48-60+ hours a week, and 3) in one case, demanded that I be able to move anywhere in their system on 4 weeks notice with minimal moving expenses paid and no support to buy out leases.
Moral: there are some good salary jobs in the US, but they are hard to come by.
Some higher-up jobs, like the CEO of Disney, et al., usually have contracts, but are mostly designed for the benefit of the person, not the company, or specifically, the shareholders. It may be something like they have to have the board approve a replacement (acting, or perm) before they can leave, but usually will get ridiculous amounts of money; you may be aware of the Steve Jobs' stock-thing.
So in 2 months i have gone from clueless, to having my profit margin up there with the best salesmen for the company, on the days i work.
Today i get a call from another large computer shop, asking me to come in for an interview. They where pretty well informed when it came to my sales figures/rate of commission. Hell, the call was to my mobile phone.
Almost all jobs, baring contractors are at will, however as you get into the more professional jobs it changes to salary where you work around 40 hours a week and get paid x amount per year with the company paying insurance, 401k etc.
Professors at universities are often salaried, and they usually average more than 40 hours/week. And I turned down a couple of management opportunities because they 1) paid low salary and sometimes commission, 2) demanded that I work 48-60+ hours a week, and 3) in one case, demanded that I be able to move anywhere in their system on 4 weeks notice with minimal moving expenses paid and no support to buy out leases.
Moral: there are some good salary jobs in the US, but they are hard to come by.
Wait, what? Most people when they get out of college are going to a salary job. They provide insurance, usually a better work environment than hourly, with people who care about their job way more.
Re: netherlands guy, there are a lot of people here willing to do your retail job if you decide people aren't being nice enough to you.
So in 2 months i have gone from clueless, to having my profit margin up there with the best salesmen for the company, on the days i work.
Today i get a call from another large computer shop, asking me to come in for an interview. They where pretty well informed when it came to my sales figures/rate of commission. Hell, the call was to my mobile phone.
They are attempting to snipe me already?
Tell them 30% raise or GTFO. Alternatively it could be your boss testing your loyalties.
I'm about to hit up my two local EB Games stores for employment, anything I should know about the way they hire people assuming I have any shot in hell?
DUCK!
ehehehe
Most officialized jobs in Brazil have contracts, we have pretty strict labor laws dating back to the populist days of the 1930's. We actually have a little blue book where employers write down job info, it's the "Carteira de Trabalho".
Only thing is, the laws impose so many costs and benefits, that too many companies hire people on an "informal" basis, outside the laws.
This is idiotic. The reason why the race card is a dumb one to play is because there IS no valid defense - there's nothing you can possibly say to make yourself not look like a racist.
This is not true. There is one, and only one way to properly answer this.
"I'm not racist, I hate everyone equally."
There are far too many reasons to hate people to ever be baited into hating them for the color of their skin.
So in 2 months i have gone from clueless, to having my profit margin up there with the best salesmen for the company, on the days i work.
Today i get a call from another large computer shop, asking me to come in for an interview. They where pretty well informed when it came to my sales figures/rate of commission. Hell, the call was to my mobile phone.
They are attempting to snipe me already?
Tell them 30% raise or GTFO. Alternatively it could be your boss testing your loyalties.
What's up with companies expecting absolute loyalty?
1. The company offers no loyalty in return. If profits are down they're not going to keep the staff around through the tough times, they'll cut down the costs until business picks back up.
2. You're not my parents, my lover, or my god. You're the guy who pays me in exchange for services rendered. Why is it considered a betrayal if I'm willing to listen to some other guy's offer to pay more for these services?
So, tonight I realized being a front-end cashier is an easier job than working in R-Zone because you don't get yelled at for "slacking off."
Let me first define "slacking off." Slacking off is not getting customers to buy all the trimmings with their purchases. Signing up for credit cards (signing up gives you a 15% discount for the day at our store on pretty much everything but video game systems), extended warranty programs, and the like.
This shit is a cakewalk when you're one of three cashiers at night and everyone coming by has something different. I ended up walking away with two credit card signups and seven extended warranties, something that is almost impossible in the R-Zone because no one fucking GOES in the R-Zone after Christmas. No one wants anything but a Wii right now. If we don't have Wiis coming in on a particular Sunday, the place is bare. You'll be lucky to get an extended warranty on a DS out of an eight hour shift.
I have all the front-end cashiers mocking the people who work in the R-Zone because they get more sales/extended warranties/whatever and we end up looking like we're the lazy ones. I can't sell anything if there aren't people in my section. Of course they get everything; people have to walk their way to leave. I'm lucky if I get ten customers a night this time of year.
We just had a storewide meeting where the managers basically said we weren't going to rely on certain people or sections to get these things, but ho, look where we are again, not three days later.
Oh, and I found out the other day that we're doing Harry Potter book 7 preorders at Toys R Us. Good business move, but I didn't apply to Border's next door specifically because I knew the book was coming in and I didn't want to have to deal with the insane Harry Potter fanrush that'll undoubtedly happen prior to release. I have to deal with the Wii question all day, and now I have another group of people to disappoint once we sell out.
While I'm talking about work, I may as well ask this: What the hell are "Webkins?" I've had people get visibly angry with me when I tell them we don't sell Webkins, and not only that, I don't know where one could find said item. I've been told they're sold in Hallmark stores. Is this true?
Almost all jobs, baring contractors are at will, however as you get into the more professional jobs it changes to salary where you work around 40 hours a week and get paid x amount per year with the company paying insurance, 401k etc.
Professors at universities are often salaried, and they usually average more than 40 hours/week. And I turned down a couple of management opportunities because they 1) paid low salary and sometimes commission, 2) demanded that I work 48-60+ hours a week, and 3) in one case, demanded that I be able to move anywhere in their system on 4 weeks notice with minimal moving expenses paid and no support to buy out leases.
Moral: there are some good salary jobs in the US, but they are hard to come by.
Citing professors, or teachers in general, as the normal salaried job is retarded because of the varied situations not to mention that professors get grants and other funding for reasearch. Also the the first tier of management almost always get paid less than the person they oversee because it's viewed as a career move that you have to take if you want to get into higher management where you actually start getting paid a ton so companies realize that there isn't a reason to pay low level management a lot when there are some many potential applicants.
There are a ton of good salaried jobs in the US, I'd say that the majority are going to be good assuming that you need a college degree to land the job.
Webkinz pets are lovable plush pets that each come with a unique Secret Code. With it, you enter Webkinz World where you care for your virtual pet, answer trivia, earn KinzCash, and play the best kids games on the net!
Looks like they may be hallmark exclusive judging by the store locator on the site.
see317 on
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ZephosClimbin in yo ski lifts, snatchin your people up.MichiganRegistered Userregular
edited March 2007
computers were down the first 2 days of the week and we had a drawer or 2 full of trade ins left over.... dear lord i hate alphabetizing.
I guess a work story, related to the "At Will" Employment thing.
I work as an overnight stock dog at Walmart, which is... well, yah.
The other night in an attempt to get the shipper display for Happy Feet out to the floor on time from the awkward, horrible place it was sitting in our overstock TV bins I had to move a number of rocket carts and move a basketball post/hoop/set thingy out of the way.
After checking to make sure it was both steady and safe, I went to work... only for it to fall across my back and strike me on the back of the head.
Plenty of witnesses.
I page out for a manager (after getting "Happy Feet" to the floor so the kiddies could have their dancing penguins) so I can file the incident report, which gets delayed until after break. Said manager forgot I needed to file this report and came back from break late... and the Walmart form reads, I kid you not:
"What corrective steps could the associate have taken to prevent this incident?"
That is the essence of a "front line" employee: Even when you're injured after taking the steps to PREVENT an injury, witnesses be damned, this will be made your fault.
While I'm talking about work, I may as well ask this: What the hell are "Webkins?" I've had people get visibly angry with me when I tell them we don't sell Webkins, and not only that, I don't know where one could find said item. I've been told they're sold in Hallmark stores. Is this true?
I had just started getting bugged about those things when I left my retail job. One customer explained it to me as a little stuffed animal that responds to things on your computer screen, puts its paw up to the screen, etc. Yeah, I don't get it either.
Just get your kid a pet. Cats rule.
Tiemler on
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Blake TDo you have enemies then?Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.Registered Userregular
I page out for a manager (after getting "Happy Feet" to the floor so the kiddies could have their dancing penguins) so I can file the incident report, which gets delayed until after break. Said manager forgot I needed to file this report and came back from break late... and the Walmart form reads, I kid you not:
"What corrective steps could the associate have taken to prevent this incident?"
"None, the incident was unavoidable due to the bad placement of said stock by the manager"
But if it fell over it wasn't steady or safe though was it?
What's up with companies expecting absolute loyalty?
1. The company offers no loyalty in return. If profits are down they're not going to keep the staff around through the tough times, they'll cut down the costs until business picks back up.
2. You're not my parents, my lover, or my god. You're the guy who pays me in exchange for services rendered. Why is it considered a betrayal if I'm willing to listen to some other guy's offer to pay more for these services?
Quoted for truth. Back when I worked for Starbucks, myself and another guy in the same situation (We were both outright running stores and being paid as trainee supervisors) got headhunted by an independent competitor. When I put my notice in, I was called into a meeting with the district manager (who knew why I was really leaving, since gossip in the retail coffee industry travels spectacularly fast in this city) who gave me this overwrought little speech about "loyalty" and hw he was disappointed in my "mercenary" attitude.
My response? It's a freaking job. You give me money for doing stuff. "Mercenary" is pretty much the definition of how this relationship is supposed to work. The DM was actually a fairly decent guy, and he did understand, however other people within the company had bought a little too heavily into Starbuck's cult-like lifestyle spiel.
What's up with companies expecting absolute loyalty?
1. The company offers no loyalty in return. If profits are down they're not going to keep the staff around through the tough times, they'll cut down the costs until business picks back up.
2. You're not my parents, my lover, or my god. You're the guy who pays me in exchange for services rendered. Why is it considered a betrayal if I'm willing to listen to some other guy's offer to pay more for these services?
Quoted for truth. Back when I worked for Starbucks, myself and another guy in the same situation (We were both outright running stores and being paid as trainee supervisors) got headhunted by an independent competitor. When I put my notice in, I was called into a meeting with the district manager (who knew why I was really leaving, since gossip in the retail coffee industry travels spectacularly fast in this city) who gave me this overwrought little speech about "loyalty" and hw he was disappointed in my "mercenary" attitude.
My response? It's a freaking job. You give me money for doing stuff. "Mercenary" is pretty much the definition of how this relationship is supposed to work. The DM was actually a fairly decent guy, and he did understand, however other people within the company had bought a little too heavily into Starbuck's cult-like lifestyle spiel.
I agree. Before I quit my last job I demanded a big raise. I straight up told my boss that if I didn't get it I'd invoke the company's 'at will' employment policy and leave. It helped that I had a better job offer waiting for me of course.
I page out for a manager (after getting "Happy Feet" to the floor so the kiddies could have their dancing penguins) so I can file the incident report, which gets delayed until after break. Said manager forgot I needed to file this report and came back from break late... and the Walmart form reads, I kid you not:
"What corrective steps could the associate have taken to prevent this incident?"
"None, the incident was unavoidable due to the bad placement of said stock by the manager"
But if it fell over it wasn't steady or safe though was it?
Yeah, when I worked at Walmizzy all the managers wanted people to do the forms after they had been injured like... minutes after. Many times if someone was injured it wasn't there fault but many times it was just lax safety.
My sister has gone through something similar in the past few months. She's worked for the past few years at the corporate headquarters of a very large national chain of retailers. After working through a few departments and bosses, she was passed up for a promotion that she wanted about five months ago. So she started looking for a new job, and two weeks ago she got two really amazing offers, both from other large retailers (although not direct competitors of her current employer). She decided to take one, and she gave her notice.
Immediately after taking her notice, her newest boss (who's been there a whole three weeks) sat her down and matched the offer the other company was making, which was a 35% salary increase from her current salary. He gave her flack for company loyalty, and she shot right back that she's been nothing but loyal, and if they thought she was worth that much money, they should've offered it five months ago when she was gunning for a promotion because she wanted to stay in the corporation. Needless to say, she turned down the offer from her old employer and is still planning to leave.
Well, just this week her boss brought her into his office again and offered her even more money to stay. This time she just fired back with, "Maybe the company needs to be more loyal to its employees when they're still willing to work here."
She starts her new job next Monday, and she couldn't be more excited.
What's up with companies expecting absolute loyalty?
1. The company offers no loyalty in return. If profits are down they're not going to keep the staff around through the tough times, they'll cut down the costs until business picks back up.
2. You're not my parents, my lover, or my god. You're the guy who pays me in exchange for services rendered. Why is it considered a betrayal if I'm willing to listen to some other guy's offer to pay more for these services?
Quoted for truth. Back when I worked for Starbucks, myself and another guy in the same situation (We were both outright running stores and being paid as trainee supervisors) got headhunted by an independent competitor. When I put my notice in, I was called into a meeting with the district manager (who knew why I was really leaving, since gossip in the retail coffee industry travels spectacularly fast in this city) who gave me this overwrought little speech about "loyalty" and hw he was disappointed in my "mercenary" attitude.
My response? It's a freaking job. You give me money for doing stuff. "Mercenary" is pretty much the definition of how this relationship is supposed to work. The DM was actually a fairly decent guy, and he did understand, however other people within the company had bought a little too heavily into Starbuck's cult-like lifestyle spiel.
It isn't so much that as much as they were paying you below what you were doing. Your boss expects you to keep company loyalty when he was paying you less than you deserved so he could get his payroll bonus? The reason why employees leave because someone offers them more money/perks. If a company expects you to be loyal then they have to be loyal to you as well.
So, tonight I realized being a front-end cashier is an easier job than working in R-Zone because you don't get yelled at for "slacking off."
Let me first define "slacking off." Slacking off is not getting customers to buy all the trimmings with their purchases. Signing up for credit cards (signing up gives you a 15% discount for the day at our store on pretty much everything but video game systems), extended warranty programs, and the like.
This shit is a cakewalk when you're one of three cashiers at night and everyone coming by has something different. I ended up walking away with two credit card signups and seven extended warranties, something that is almost impossible in the R-Zone because no one fucking GOES in the R-Zone after Christmas. No one wants anything but a Wii right now. If we don't have Wiis coming in on a particular Sunday, the place is bare. You'll be lucky to get an extended warranty on a DS out of an eight hour shift.
I have all the front-end cashiers mocking the people who work in the R-Zone because they get more sales/extended warranties/whatever and we end up looking like we're the lazy ones. I can't sell anything if there aren't people in my section. Of course they get everything; people have to walk their way to leave. I'm lucky if I get ten customers a night this time of year.
We just had a storewide meeting where the managers basically said we weren't going to rely on certain people or sections to get these things, but ho, look where we are again, not three days later.
Oh, and I found out the other day that we're doing Harry Potter book 7 preorders at Toys R Us. Good business move, but I didn't apply to Border's next door specifically because I knew the book was coming in and I didn't want to have to deal with the insane Harry Potter fanrush that'll undoubtedly happen prior to release. I have to deal with the Wii question all day, and now I have another group of people to disappoint once we sell out.
While I'm talking about work, I may as well ask this: What the hell are "Webkins?" I've had people get visibly angry with me when I tell them we don't sell Webkins, and not only that, I don't know where one could find said item. I've been told they're sold in Hallmark stores. Is this true?
You are living the exact same life I lived only a few months ago. Right down to the Webkinz thing. How long have you worked TRU/RZ? I worked there from September 05 to February 07, and the last few months were a living hell. I basically had to quit because my boss (not the store director mind you, but the bitch under him who did the scheduling) refused to accomodate my classes. I have been trying to get my last paycheck for a five weeks, my diredctor says it should be in tomorrow, but I am wary. Im interested to here more about your experience, where your store is, etc. I am happy to share also, since I no longer work there I just dont give a fuck.
computers were down the first 2 days of the week and we had a drawer or 2 full of trade ins left over.... dear lord i hate alphabetizing.
F7 ---> F3 ---> INS ---> Defective transfer
Neo Rasa on
"You know how Batman hangs people over the edge of buildings and gets them to spill information. That's Neo Rasa's way of it, but instead of information, he just likes to see people suffer." ~Senor Fish
About once a year the library would upgraded Horizon to a new version
unfortunately, since we only really have one server room, this meant the entire system came down for a couple days. One time something bad happened and it was down for a week and a half. Know what a library does when it can't check in it's books?
We stacked them in the back.
It took an entire day of constantly scanning books to check them in to clear that backlog. from 7:30am to 8pm. With 3 computers simultaneously working on it, and 3 more up front when there were no customers.
And of course, the most people that wanted to pay their fees came in during this downtime. They had to be turned away since there was no official way to handle that during a downtime (we could check out books, though, by writing down the card number and the book barcodes on a piece of paper designed for such purpose)
If your local library ever has a big downtime, that is the best time to return your overdue books, because you might get away with them cleared. Since a lot of people would have been hit with overdue fines when the system checked them in, the librarians set the software to "Exempt" mode, which ignores any sort of fines for the book
Webkins are to 2006+ what Pokemon/Ninja Turtles/Power Rangers/Tamagachi etc. were to their respective time frames, except they have an intergral online component that you have to sign up for that will result in you things death if you don't. I got a call from my cousin begging me to go online and feed her webkin one day, cause she was on vacation and forgot to put it in day care. Im pretty sure it involves lots of money too.
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Yeah, just got it in December from Florida State University. It was a distance learning program, so I never had to set foot on campus and could keep my library job.
It took a few months for a librarian position to open within my library system, but now it looks like I'll be set for the next year.
I meant a college with a predominantly black student body, but my alma mater was originally established as a "black college" in 1910, when Jim Crow laws were in effect. And if I was a racist, I wouldn't have gone there to get my degree. I liked the environment, the accessibility of the professors, and the full scholarship.
I have seen some of my minority friends run into real discrimination. So it really ticks me off when someone screams discrimination in order to get something for free or out of spite because they don't get their way.
shut up racist!!!
I feel ya. When I had a problem with my school people told me it was "because they're racist!!!" The school wasn't racist, just really really stupid.
This is idiotic. The reason why the race card is a dumb one to play is because there IS no valid defense - there's nothing you can possibly say to make yourself not look like a racist.
Yes, yes it is.
When I used to work retail I always had contracts.
The only time my hours varied from week to week was at the gas station, and that was also a contract but with a minimum amount of hours, and as it turned out I exceeded that amount every week. All the other times I had either a full-time contract or, in the case of the video store, no contract at all (stick it to the man!).
In The Netherlands insurance is indeed nationalised, and everybody is insured. Even unemployed people are obliged to take out insurance, and because they cannot afford it the government subsidises part of it. Having no insurance is absolutely unheard of.
You mention that in the US, you are by and large at-will employers, is that only in some fields or is that common even in, say, higher level Wallstreet type jobs or management?
i just ordered like 5 things i want to be here before the 360 trade in dealy gets over with.
I have a very anglo-saxon surname due to family stuff in the past, and when you have a glasses-wearing, medium height Chinese guy rock up and announce himself as basically Mister Anglo-Saxon, it is a good way to make a humorous impression. That said, I find actual discrimination abhorrent, but I'm comfortable with my minority identity.
Hate to ressurect this comment, but does anyone know if it's Retail only? I support MS products at my job (Tech support for one of their largest partners) and would love to get in on this. I know a lot of companies give us employee purchase plan deals (for example, I get like 50% off anything from Logitech / Belkin / etc that I might ever want).
Almost all jobs, baring contractors are at will, however as you get into the more professional jobs it changes to salary where you work around 40 hours a week and get paid x amount per year with the company paying insurance, 401k etc.
Professors at universities are often salaried, and they usually average more than 40 hours/week. And I turned down a couple of management opportunities because they 1) paid low salary and sometimes commission, 2) demanded that I work 48-60+ hours a week, and 3) in one case, demanded that I be able to move anywhere in their system on 4 weeks notice with minimal moving expenses paid and no support to buy out leases.
Moral: there are some good salary jobs in the US, but they are hard to come by.
Some higher-up jobs, like the CEO of Disney, et al., usually have contracts, but are mostly designed for the benefit of the person, not the company, or specifically, the shareholders. It may be something like they have to have the board approve a replacement (acting, or perm) before they can leave, but usually will get ridiculous amounts of money; you may be aware of the Steve Jobs' stock-thing.
Today i get a call from another large computer shop, asking me to come in for an interview. They where pretty well informed when it came to my sales figures/rate of commission. Hell, the call was to my mobile phone.
They are attempting to snipe me already?
Wait, what? Most people when they get out of college are going to a salary job. They provide insurance, usually a better work environment than hourly, with people who care about their job way more.
Re: netherlands guy, there are a lot of people here willing to do your retail job if you decide people aren't being nice enough to you.
Tell them 30% raise or GTFO. Alternatively it could be your boss testing your loyalties.
ehehehe
Most officialized jobs in Brazil have contracts, we have pretty strict labor laws dating back to the populist days of the 1930's. We actually have a little blue book where employers write down job info, it's the "Carteira de Trabalho".
Only thing is, the laws impose so many costs and benefits, that too many companies hire people on an "informal" basis, outside the laws.
Not on the scale of CompUSA folding up its stores, but still huge.
This is not true. There is one, and only one way to properly answer this.
"I'm not racist, I hate everyone equally."
There are far too many reasons to hate people to ever be baited into hating them for the color of their skin.
What's up with companies expecting absolute loyalty?
1. The company offers no loyalty in return. If profits are down they're not going to keep the staff around through the tough times, they'll cut down the costs until business picks back up.
2. You're not my parents, my lover, or my god. You're the guy who pays me in exchange for services rendered. Why is it considered a betrayal if I'm willing to listen to some other guy's offer to pay more for these services?
Let me first define "slacking off." Slacking off is not getting customers to buy all the trimmings with their purchases. Signing up for credit cards (signing up gives you a 15% discount for the day at our store on pretty much everything but video game systems), extended warranty programs, and the like.
This shit is a cakewalk when you're one of three cashiers at night and everyone coming by has something different. I ended up walking away with two credit card signups and seven extended warranties, something that is almost impossible in the R-Zone because no one fucking GOES in the R-Zone after Christmas. No one wants anything but a Wii right now. If we don't have Wiis coming in on a particular Sunday, the place is bare. You'll be lucky to get an extended warranty on a DS out of an eight hour shift.
I have all the front-end cashiers mocking the people who work in the R-Zone because they get more sales/extended warranties/whatever and we end up looking like we're the lazy ones. I can't sell anything if there aren't people in my section. Of course they get everything; people have to walk their way to leave. I'm lucky if I get ten customers a night this time of year.
We just had a storewide meeting where the managers basically said we weren't going to rely on certain people or sections to get these things, but ho, look where we are again, not three days later.
Oh, and I found out the other day that we're doing Harry Potter book 7 preorders at Toys R Us. Good business move, but I didn't apply to Border's next door specifically because I knew the book was coming in and I didn't want to have to deal with the insane Harry Potter fanrush that'll undoubtedly happen prior to release. I have to deal with the Wii question all day, and now I have another group of people to disappoint once we sell out.
While I'm talking about work, I may as well ask this: What the hell are "Webkins?" I've had people get visibly angry with me when I tell them we don't sell Webkins, and not only that, I don't know where one could find said item. I've been told they're sold in Hallmark stores. Is this true?
Citing professors, or teachers in general, as the normal salaried job is retarded because of the varied situations not to mention that professors get grants and other funding for reasearch. Also the the first tier of management almost always get paid less than the person they oversee because it's viewed as a career move that you have to take if you want to get into higher management where you actually start getting paid a ton so companies realize that there isn't a reason to pay low level management a lot when there are some many potential applicants.
There are a ton of good salaried jobs in the US, I'd say that the majority are going to be good assuming that you need a college degree to land the job.
Webkinz?
Looks like they may be hallmark exclusive judging by the store locator on the site.
I work as an overnight stock dog at Walmart, which is... well, yah.
The other night in an attempt to get the shipper display for Happy Feet out to the floor on time from the awkward, horrible place it was sitting in our overstock TV bins I had to move a number of rocket carts and move a basketball post/hoop/set thingy out of the way.
After checking to make sure it was both steady and safe, I went to work... only for it to fall across my back and strike me on the back of the head.
Plenty of witnesses.
I page out for a manager (after getting "Happy Feet" to the floor so the kiddies could have their dancing penguins) so I can file the incident report, which gets delayed until after break. Said manager forgot I needed to file this report and came back from break late... and the Walmart form reads, I kid you not:
"What corrective steps could the associate have taken to prevent this incident?"
That is the essence of a "front line" employee: Even when you're injured after taking the steps to PREVENT an injury, witnesses be damned, this will be made your fault.
I had just started getting bugged about those things when I left my retail job. One customer explained it to me as a little stuffed animal that responds to things on your computer screen, puts its paw up to the screen, etc. Yeah, I don't get it either.
Just get your kid a pet. Cats rule.
"None, the incident was unavoidable due to the bad placement of said stock by the manager"
But if it fell over it wasn't steady or safe though was it?
Satans..... hints.....
Quoted for truth. Back when I worked for Starbucks, myself and another guy in the same situation (We were both outright running stores and being paid as trainee supervisors) got headhunted by an independent competitor. When I put my notice in, I was called into a meeting with the district manager (who knew why I was really leaving, since gossip in the retail coffee industry travels spectacularly fast in this city) who gave me this overwrought little speech about "loyalty" and hw he was disappointed in my "mercenary" attitude.
My response? It's a freaking job. You give me money for doing stuff. "Mercenary" is pretty much the definition of how this relationship is supposed to work. The DM was actually a fairly decent guy, and he did understand, however other people within the company had bought a little too heavily into Starbuck's cult-like lifestyle spiel.
I agree. Before I quit my last job I demanded a big raise. I straight up told my boss that if I didn't get it I'd invoke the company's 'at will' employment policy and leave. It helped that I had a better job offer waiting for me of course.
Yeah, when I worked at Walmizzy all the managers wanted people to do the forms after they had been injured like... minutes after. Many times if someone was injured it wasn't there fault but many times it was just lax safety.
My sister has gone through something similar in the past few months. She's worked for the past few years at the corporate headquarters of a very large national chain of retailers. After working through a few departments and bosses, she was passed up for a promotion that she wanted about five months ago. So she started looking for a new job, and two weeks ago she got two really amazing offers, both from other large retailers (although not direct competitors of her current employer). She decided to take one, and she gave her notice.
Immediately after taking her notice, her newest boss (who's been there a whole three weeks) sat her down and matched the offer the other company was making, which was a 35% salary increase from her current salary. He gave her flack for company loyalty, and she shot right back that she's been nothing but loyal, and if they thought she was worth that much money, they should've offered it five months ago when she was gunning for a promotion because she wanted to stay in the corporation. Needless to say, she turned down the offer from her old employer and is still planning to leave.
Well, just this week her boss brought her into his office again and offered her even more money to stay. This time she just fired back with, "Maybe the company needs to be more loyal to its employees when they're still willing to work here."
She starts her new job next Monday, and she couldn't be more excited.
or Brawl. 4854.6102.3895 Name: NU..
It isn't so much that as much as they were paying you below what you were doing. Your boss expects you to keep company loyalty when he was paying you less than you deserved so he could get his payroll bonus? The reason why employees leave because someone offers them more money/perks. If a company expects you to be loyal then they have to be loyal to you as well.
In two months my vacation time jumps from 40 hours to 80.
You are living the exact same life I lived only a few months ago. Right down to the Webkinz thing. How long have you worked TRU/RZ? I worked there from September 05 to February 07, and the last few months were a living hell. I basically had to quit because my boss (not the store director mind you, but the bitch under him who did the scheduling) refused to accomodate my classes. I have been trying to get my last paycheck for a five weeks, my diredctor says it should be in tomorrow, but I am wary. Im interested to here more about your experience, where your store is, etc. I am happy to share also, since I no longer work there I just dont give a fuck.
F7 ---> F3 ---> INS ---> Defective transfer
unfortunately, since we only really have one server room, this meant the entire system came down for a couple days. One time something bad happened and it was down for a week and a half. Know what a library does when it can't check in it's books?
We stacked them in the back.
It took an entire day of constantly scanning books to check them in to clear that backlog. from 7:30am to 8pm. With 3 computers simultaneously working on it, and 3 more up front when there were no customers.
And of course, the most people that wanted to pay their fees came in during this downtime. They had to be turned away since there was no official way to handle that during a downtime (we could check out books, though, by writing down the card number and the book barcodes on a piece of paper designed for such purpose)
God, I want to be able to do something like that in my life. That would first require getting an absolutely hated job, though.