Author: The Secular Catholic (Page 8 of 9)

Hello all.
Here is just a small tale of my time at Walmart.
After I graduated from school I had no more unemployment.
I didn’t even have a day or so extra. So when graduated I had to hit theround running. I applied to many jobs and sent out many resume’s. I almost got a job at Best buy in the Geek Squad. I had 2 interviews and thought I was close, but I didn’t get it. So i was at my lowest and it was almost Thanksgiving when I got a call from Walmart. I had an interview a day or two later. I went to the interview desperate to take anything so i can pay the bills and maybe feel a bit better about myself. Not having a job was bad, I really was worried.

At the interview i was 15 minutes early just so i can look at the area i wanted to work in. I walked around the whole electronics area when someone came and called my name. It was the department manager of electronics.
During the whole interview I was thinking thank God I’m a geek. And that I keep up with the electronics trends and tech. I answered all her questions and i thought I had a shot. After the interview she asked me if I could stick around. Of course I said could stay as long as needed.
She went in the back room and came back a minute later with another person. The assistant manager.She asked me if i would be willing to have another interview and I said no problem. So I had another interview and it went better than the last, because she asked more specific tech questions and I told her I was a geek. And it helped that she recognized me because i was a customer there and much of it was in electronics. After the interview she actually told me i had it but i needed to start soon. Because they wanted me for black Friday.
Since I was broke i said i could start anytime they wanted me, but she said I needed to pass a drug test first. I asked her if i could take it soon and she actually made an appointment for the place they had the text taken the next morning. So I left there happy saying I am so happy to working with them soon. So the next morning I took the test and knew i had passed because i don’t even drink and certainly wouldn’t do drugs.

Later that day I called Walmart to see if the results were in and they said it would be the next afternoon. So i called the next afternoon and that i passed and would asked if i could start orientation soon. I told her whenever she want’s I’m available. I was told there would be an orientation the day after tomorrow, which was a Thursday. So on Thursday morning i showed up for the orientation. It was a long day. From 8:00 am till 4:00 pm. I learned more than i thought i would.
After the meeting all the assistant managers came in and got us in groups of departments. I was the only one in electronics. So she took me to that area of the store and showed me around and told me that she wanted to start on Saturday if possible. I told her no problem and she said she wanted me to know where everything is because thanksgiving was next week, and she wanted me to help out on black Friday.

I said OK, no problem. She told me i had some more training to go through, but that it would be on the computer. Our Walmart had about six computers in our HR area for training. So my Walmart career was just starting and I didn’t know what was in store for me.

Hello all.
I will tell you about my worst nightmare and that it came true.
In late 2009 I was working a great corporate job. Good wages, decent benefits and great people. In 2009 I had been working there for twenty two years and things were going well. I was working afternoons, 3:00pm to 11:30pm. And going to school during the day for graphic design. My plan was once i graduate i would transfer over to the web design department which i already knew a couple people there because my school had me and a few others shadow people there. Everything was great during the day of shadowing. I told them I already worked there just in the next building and that i was hoping to move over soon.

Then a couple months pass and a week or so before Thanksgiving my worst nightmare came true. I found out me and most of my group and about 100 to 200 others would lose our jobs. Our group worked together for about 20 years i was in the group for 14 years. We did nothing wrong they were just outsourcing several departments work to another country. We were given a couple months to look for jobs internally, which was not a whole lot. This shook me to my core. I had this job since i was 19 and i was now 41 and about to be looking for a job.
A buddy and were planning to go on a cruise that summer, so that was canceled immediately. I became depressed and in a bit of shock. But most of us were. I had my new job goal in sight and making it happen and then this happens. It was like a punch to the gut.They told us our last day would be January 30th 2010. Which would be the day when the company launched a new product and had a big party.

From Thanksgiving to the last day we had special meetings, seminars and town hall meetings to go to. All about getting another job and getting signed up for unemployment. That was scary. In 20 plus years of working i have never had to be on unemployment. The last day was as sad as we all expected.We all came in and worked as usual but at lunch time there was a big party launching a new product. Seeing so many people happy and having a good time while hundreds of us were so sad was odd.I went to the party to pick up my free food and went back to my cubicle. That day and the whole period of time from when we found out to the last day really stressed me and also my faith.
I prayed more than usual and after my last day i went to church more and was just in a state of shock. Now my job was to go to school and graduate with two AAS degrees and find a job as quickly as possible.
I thought the worst had already happened but i didn’t know what the future had in store for me.

When i graduated school with my design degrees I really was hoping that i would get a job at an agency or something similar. Reality then smacked me in the face. I would look into certain jobs and they were always looking for someone with a BA or something in design and looking for someone with 3-5 years experience. So before I got my first design job I worked at Walmart for a year and a half or so while I was looking for other jobs. I was not happy at Walmart at all. Little pay for lots of work and also they kept expecting true loyalty without really earning it. But this isn’t about Walmart, that will happen sooner than later. When I was working at Walmart I sent in portfolios, resumes and applications. I received the typical email’s saying your not what were looking for. I was bummed out and felt a bit defeated but I have a great family that told me not to give up and keep going no matter what.

After what seemed like forever my dad told me a place he shops at was looking for a graphic designer. I sent in my resume with a link to my website/ online portfolio. Luckily enough I got an interview. My father knew right where it was so he drove me there. At this interview I met my future boss’s. It’s a real mom and pop shop. During the interview i was super nervous but a great guy once told me energy is everything. So even though I was nervous I made it look like I was excited, which I was. They asked me the typical questions and then some that are not so typical but were poignant to the job.
Luckily I got the job and it payed much more that my Walmart job. I immediately took it, But now i had another problem.

It was at least fifty miles one way.. I would have at least an hour commute on way. but i invested in Audible and I had satellite radio so i was good with stuff to listen to on the way to work.
After a couple months i had the way to work and back so entrenched in my head that i could do it if i was half asleep.
The place i work is very small, as in less than twenty people work here and three of them are owners.
So after I had the job for about 4-6 months I bought a old used Toyota Yaris that gets 40 miles a gallon. I like the job but love the people that I work with.Great people but a bad commute. I have 3-5 parts to my job. Number one was photograph all products that come into the store.
I then Photoshop them for the website. The third and worst is I have to fill orders that come in. But i’m like, I’m a designer not order fulfillment. But I can’t feel to bad even the owners fill orders.
I may not have the job I thought I wanted but I have a decent job that pays most of the bills. Plus I am gaining experience in case I need to go elsewhere. Maybe someday I will move up but I won’t find another place like this where if I have a question i go directly to the owner and get a real answer.

Hello All.

Friday’s are one of my favorite days of summer. Well usually because it’s Friday and it marks the end of the work week. But something cool happens on Fridays in the summer. A small town near me has a car show every Friday from June to September. It’s a bit like a car show and fair in one. The car show is for older cars from 70’s and before.
It just happens to take place in one of my favorite small towns and the show is down main street. First thing i do when i get there is park my chair under some shade and sit and watch cars for a few minutes.

After cooling off a bit i tend to stroll down the street looking at cars and taking some pictures. There are also a bunch of food trucks and other food vendors. So i get something good to eat. The bonus is i get to hang out with my father and some of our car club friends.
The spot we hang out at usually is the entrance to the show and we see a ton of cars and people. Fun is had by all. Remember all go low and stay slow.