I quit at Wal-Mart

[adrian]

(no, this isn't a friday the 13th joke)

Today, my shift started at 9am, and for the next 3 hours, it had me pushing in carts by myself. I tolerated it for the past 2 weeks since another coworker went home after his back was sore (he since been calling in sick). The managers knew I was the only person working outside, but they only called people when the inside bin had less than 5 carts. So, when my other coworker came in 30 minutes late, we filled the inside bin up, and I said good bye.

For the past few weeks, I've been going w/out my first breaks, and whenever we do have more than 3 people, we all go to our lunches an hour late, and some even come back 30 minutes later as scheduled, making other people's lunches later.

Where will I go? Who knows? I'm keeping the computer repair job, but I won't mind working at another computer place, or I might find another job all together.

Oh, and to my coworkers: good luck, and hope that management will get their asses out of their head and help you guys. Too bad we won't see each other again unless you get out of Mililani.

[Karen]

Maybe work KMart at Waikele. I shopped there a few days ago for the first time in dunno how long, and the employees took the time to ask me if I needed help while I was still shopping the aisles. I know Walmart's busier but that just doesn't happen there.

I then started noticing the better selection of things at KMart! Wow....several times more fans than Walmart ever has, what a selection. I then saw the aisle where the food storage, that fake Tupperware stuff is sold, and again, I noticed more styles and more of it. Hmm....so I go to the tool section, hardware, sorry, LOL and yeppers, there's a ton of stuff we used to have to go to Sears Pearlridge for. No more! we can just go to KMart since Sears bought them out. (I have no conection to Kmart & am not trying to help their business here, just thrilled as a consumer)

I then got tired and realized it was my third? stop and needed a bite to eat, as I was hitting the outlets next. Guess what? that eatery in there has much better food than the McD at the Walmart. (except for the cheesecake! yech.....in the garbage and just embraced my coffee)

[tutusue]

How fast can you learn to diagnose and repair Macs (http://www.hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=13184)? :D

[Pomai]

If you don't mind leaving the dark side and joining the Jedi force, there's a job awaiting you as a Mac Genius (http://www.hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=13184). ;)

[1stwahine]

Take it as EXPERIENCE!:D No matter what ~ you've learned a lot from working there. Came into contact with so many people whom you may see in the future.;) Life is about learning. Appreciate what you've gain and be thankful you have skills which others only dream of.

The best is yet to come!!

Auntie Lynn

[acousticlady]

How fast can you learn to diagnose and repair Macs (http://www.hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=13184)? :D

My thought exactly! You have a degree in comp.sci., no? Take it from someone who went from PC to Mac (although many years ago) - it's not that hard.

[scrivener]

Who had eighteen weeks in the pool?

Seriously, Adrian. If you did what you had to do, nobody blames you. Sometimes you just have to walk. But consider that you collected nine paychecks. Four and a half months. I disagree with Lynn: Sure you have experience, but in the working world, four point five months isn't jack. I don't doubt that you learned something; I do doubt that you learned what perhaps you should have.

You know I respect you, and forgive me if I sound judgmental, but although I really (honestly) do want to hear about the negative work environment that led to your resignation, would you humor some of us by telling us, too, either what you've learned about yourself or what it is about you that didn't suit the work? I know I'm out of line in asking for some amount of reflection, but consider that it might do you some good to get it out.

[1stwahine]

Four and a half months. I disagree with Lynn: Sure you have experience, but in the working world, four point five months isn't jack. I don't doubt that you learned something; I do doubt that you learned what perhaps you should have.

There are so many who would give anything to work just one day.:( Four point five months is a lot to be proud of. How I wish I could last that long serving others.:o

Auntie Lynn

[joshuatree]

There are so many who would give anything to work just one day.:( Four point five months is a lot to be proud of. How I wish I could last that long serving others.:o

Auntie Lynn

Scrivener was pointing out in the working world, 4.5 months really isn't anything. Not to say it's nothing to the individual but just from a company perspective, that's how they look at it, it's too short to determine if you were a good employee or not.

Adrian, what did you not like about this job that made you quit? The actual task, cart collecting? Or was it the paycheck? Or was it the team environment which based on your description, sounds like a lack of? If it's the last one, I would suggest applying at Costco then. They are known for a really good team and work environment, not to mention way better benefits. Just my $0.02.

[LikaNui]

Who had eighteen weeks in the pool? Whoever was in the pool that long must be shriveled up like a prune.
[/slapping self for the bad joke]

in the working world, four point five months isn't jack. So true. One of my staff just hit their 14 year anniversary on the job.
And Adrian, 4-1/2 months on a job doesn't look good on your resume. Probably better not to even mention it.
Good luck to you, whatever you do.

[Leo Lakio]

in the working world, four point five months isn't jack.Scrivener was pointing out in the working world, 4.5 months really isn't anything. And Adrian, 4-1/2 months on a job doesn't look good on your resume. Probably better not to even mention it.I agree with these assessments. Not every job deserves a place on the resume. Some jobs are just for a paycheck - they are not part of a "career."
I know I'm out of line in asking for some amount of reflection, but consider that it might do you some good to get it out.And consider that what you are thinking about it today may differ from what you think about it two weeks from now. Getting it out at both points can be valuable to you. Good luck, and I'm sure you can do better.

[craigwatanabe]

In defense of Adrian here, 4.5 months as a cart pusher won't be a damnation on his resume. Now 4.5 months as an IT worker may.

It's not like anyone strives to be a cart pusher for a career so his short tenure there can actually be looked upon as something an employer will think as building character on a young upcoming professional.

Adrian find a job soon though, the gap between employers will get wider and more suspect as time goes by. Most graduates who take on menial jobs like pushing carts do so only until something better comes along, like a real job pertaining to your degree.

When you quit with no plan of action or job in the hand, HR will look at that as one who quit when things got tough (as it did) and may not consider you for hire as they want someone that can go the distance.

I know it's tough as a cart pusher but hey that's what they hired you for right? You can only push so many carts at a time and nobody could have blamed you if you didn't push enough carts in a given time. My mantra has always been, "I got my 8-hours" that's all they pay me for...that's all they get. One man, one job.

[buzz1941]

The advertising artist job I had that I discussed elsewhere only lasted a couple of months (back in the '70s) before I walked, and I feel like I was there forever and too long. On the other hand, I've been at the newspaper 28 years and it feels like I started yesterday.

[adrian]

Adrian, what did you not like about this job that made you quit? The actual task, cart collecting? Or was it the paycheck? Or was it the team environment which based on your description, sounds like a lack of? If it's the last one, I would suggest applying at Costco then.
The paycheck is the good thing. Actually, with the amount of physical work we had to do, a raise would have kept me there, but alas, it didn't.

When I do have my fellow coworkers working (there was a total of 5 of us), I opened up like a flower and we joked around like real men would. The scheduling itself was a bit whack, and that was part of the block that let me quit.

Now a major part of why I quit was management. Everyone (management and non-cart crew coworkers) looked down at us. Yes, its the bottom of the barrel, but we deserve respect for what we do - we bring in the carts that they grab and don't even go outside a few feet to grab from there. The management would sometimes help guide the carts into the store, but lately, they've been riding our behinds to bring in carts like we were 6ft 300lbs men who can lift 500lbs.

I would suggest applying at Costco then.
I'll stop by there to see how they operate. If its like the stories (atleast 10 people out there), then I might join them. Plus, they close so atleast they're not busting their behinds until 11pm.

I agree with these assessments. Not every job deserves a place on the resume. Some jobs are just for a paycheck - they are not part of a "career."

Well, after I mope around for a while (hopefully not for long) I'll be on the pavement again - then I'll ask how to handle this on my resume.


And if I may add this: Probably the only thing that was truly good that came out of this job, was that I lost visible weight. My stomach became a bit smaller and I feel a bit lighter. Too bad my body couldn't take much more of it - sometimes I felt like just collapsing on the road infront of cars.


And guys, thanks for not putting me down like the other local forum I visit. Compared to them, HT is like a small town where everyone knows each other's first name; while the other forum is like a big city.

[GeckoGeek]

I agree with these assessments. Not every job deserves a place on the resume. Some jobs are just for a paycheck - they are not part of a "career."

Since you still have that other computer repair job, there's no gap that you need to cover. Yeah, I'd leave it off.

[SusieMisajon]

The pushing carts was just a paid way to get fit.

Next time, learn to ignore the bosses and just get on with the job. Don't let the othere guy's complaints make you act...they're still there, getting paid, and you aren't. Of course, maybe they have families and responsibilities to take care of, so they stay and learn to complain as a way to cope.

Learn to cope.

[na alii]

Oh, and to my coworkers: good luck, and hope that management will get their asses out of their head and help you guys. Too bad we won't see each other again unless you get out of Mililani.

This is the second forums I see you posted in.

[tikiyaki]

Adrian,

Have you considered Starbucks as a place of employment ?

My fiancee's duaghter(she's 16) just started working there and likes it alot. They're a great company to work for. You only need to work 20 or more hours a week for FULL benefits.

They give you a pound of coffee every month. She comes home with an additional $30-40 a week cash in tips too. They start at something like $8 an hour. They call their employees "partners" rather than "Employees" because they offer stock options to everyone who works there.

Ever notice how, when you've been to a Starbucks, alot of employees are always really friendly and nice ? ...it's because they like their job. Hey, you're in AC all day surrounded by music and the smell of brewing coffee...how bad can it be?

Yes, some of the customers can be real pains in the okole, but that just goes with the retail turf.

It's GOTTA be better than pushing carts at Wal Mart, I would think.

Think about it.

[SusieMisajon]

Have you considered Starbucks as a place of employment ?
I agree. You might enjoy the contact with people, too.

[Leo Lakio]

Well, after I mope around for a while (hopefully not for long) I'll be on the pavement again - then I'll ask how to handle this on my resume.You're entitled to a little moping time now. But I bet you won't feel down for very long. This was an investment of your time and energy, but not a very big one, in the grand scheme.

Let it bum you out for a little while - and then you'll probably be energized to find something better.

[achow]

Hey Adrian, do some moping right now. You deserve it after working at Wal-Mart for 4.5 months. Let me know if you are still willing to help me to put on a ringtone for me.

[adrian]

This is the second forums I see you posted in.
And you're the *counts in the air* 3rd person that mentioned that here. :D

Adrian,
Have you considered Starbucks as a place of employment ?

I never drank coffee in my life, so I don't think I'll like the smell for long.


As for the moping around, I think I just needed some time for myself during the week. The next job I get will definitely have the weekends off. Spend time with the family, attend church - do the important things in my life.

[DaFerret]

The management experience could be turned into a positive, if you'll consider it.

You know the type of supervisors that won't be conducive to your work experience and advancement. Once you get into a "career" it'll be harder to just quit. So now that you know what mannerisms and attitude you might face, you can teach yourself to do two things. The first is ignore the treatment and strive to just get your work done. 8-5 and that's it. The second is to play off of their attitude. While it might sound like brown-nosing, do what they ask (well, order) you to do and go beyond. Keep a trail (digital or physical) of what you've done, how you did it and what extra effort you put in. While your supervisor will, probably, put himself in the limelight for your work, your perseverance will be noticed by someone (and most likely the boss of your supervisor) and your potential for advancement will increase. If you do the former choice, you might end up stuck in a rut.

Developing a thick skin for those types of people now would help you in the long run and could be beneficial to your career.

[oggboy]

I like Saturday, Sunday off too!!! PLEASE......:D

[Leo Lakio]

The next job I get will definitely have the weekends off. Spend time with the family, attend church - do the important things in my life.DING! DING! DING!

See? Look what you've already learned from that job. Restructuring of priorities is always valuable.

Oh - and whatever you decide to do about whether or not to list the MalWart time on your resume, you should list it on job applications that ask employment history.

[tutusue]

[...]I'll stop by there to see how they operate. If its like the stories (atleast 10 people out there), then I might join them.[...]
Remember, Adrian, you must apply first and wait for their decision as to whether or not you will be invited to join. Leo Lakio recently started this interesting Costco thread (http://www.hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=13200). Take a look!
[...]The next job I get will definitely have the weekends off. Spend time with the family, attend church - do the important things in my life.
I admire your priorities. The not so easy part will be to find a job at this stage of your life that will allow you to choose the days you work early on in your employment.

[TATTRAT]

best of luck to whatever you decide to pursue, Adrian.

[adrian]

DING! DING! DING!

See? Look what you've already learned from that job. Restructuring of priorities is always valuable.
Yep. I missed so much while at work. And I guess I should have known of my bad decision when I didn't want other family members to know I went from a computer job to a labor-type job.

Oh - and whatever you decide to do about whether or not to list the MalWart time on your resume, you should list it on job applications that ask employment history.
I'm thinking about leaving it out of my resume, because it doesn't look good with the other computer-type jobs I have already.

[tutusue]

Yep. I missed so much while at work. And I guess I should have known of my bad decision when I didn't want other family members to know I went from a computer job to a labor-type job.[...]
I respectfully disagree that it was a bad decision, Adrian. You made some money but, more importantly, you learned a lot more about yourself. It's just as important to learn what you don't want as to learn what you do want. WalMart is now a part of your life's resume. There's nothing wrong with that. ;)

[Leo Lakio]

Sue's right. I've made major life decisions that eventually failed to work out, but the decisions themselves weren't bad ones, and I doubt that I would change them (if that were at all possible), because they were key to my being who I am today.

Please do not check this story's veracity with either of my ex-wives, however.:rolleyes:

[Composite 2992]

Adrian...

I worked at a bowling alley as the guy in the back who unjammed pinsetting machines. Did that for three days and quit when I was unexpectedly called in to work one day. And when the phone call came in I was on my way out the door to go to the beach.

And 10 days at United Airlines. Couldn't continue after the skin peeled off my hands (no one told me the material I was handling was caustic), and the boss wanted me to work at nights when I couldn't get transportation. Lost out on a good-paying job, but I was only a temp hire at that time.

Eventually none of that mattered. I had a quarter-century career in a large company, along with a supervisory position. I recently left that and now have my own small business that's doing OK.

Keep at it and good luck!

[craigwatanabe]

I tell people to give it a year. When I started at the Gas Company back in 1982 I thought I was gonna do precision instrumentation calibration work as the job description implied. I didn't know it was gas instrumentation and not electronic. My whole background was electronics. I thought I'd last a month there and during that time it was very difficult as my experiences were totally different from that job, but the paycheck was great.

After a year I had become more familiar with this new career and my physics and chemistry background helped me move ahead in the gas and petroleum industry leaving my electronics career as a hobby.

After 22-years I finally quit to retire here on the Big Island. The paycheck and the humbling experience of working in field I never considered opened my eyes to the possiblities of what a person can do.

During that time I started three businesses, became a photographer, worked in the field of radio working both behind and in front of a mic, started my own sports broadcasting marketing company, and did telephone installation as a side business.

Now as a sales associate for Home Depot and prior to that a farmer on the Big Island, I know there's nothing I can't do.

Adrian you're young and every job you get will be a learning experience. But in order to make those experiences work for you you gotta stick it out insteading of bailing when the going gets rough.

Management is ALWAYS the main reason why most people quit a job, but if you quit at every job a manager makes a decision that you don't like, you'll never learn. Take a couple of management courses or classes and you'll start to understand why decisions that seem bad really aren't. There's a reason why things are done a certain way in any organization, and in some cases if you aren't properly trained in management, you won't understand the logic behind some decisions made there.

Managers don't get to the top by being stupid. They may brown nose a bit but apparently the powers that be, noticed those who are signing your paychecks and complaining to the higher ups is telling them that you don't agree with their decision on who they hired and they can take it personally.

There used to be a book out in the 80's called Gorrilla Management. I read it and fully understand why aggressive managers do what they do. I tend not to be that way but that book really opened my eyes to how Corporate America functions and how the little guy get's run over for the sake of investor dollars.

[adrian]

The good news, is that my application-filled-weekend paid off, as I got a few job offers. Hopefully I'm not jinxing any of them, but its something different other than computers and cart pushing.

And my coworker said that most costco people (I don't know what to call them) work a total of 20 hours per week, with managers and other important people (butchers, cashiers, etc) working more because they're needed more.

[Konaguy]

The good news, is that my application-filled-weekend paid off, as I got a few job offers. Hopefully I'm not jinxing any of them, but its something different other than computers and cart pushing.

And my coworker said that most costco people (I don't know what to call them) work a total of 20 hours per week, with managers and other important people (butchers, cashiers, etc) working more because they're needed more.

I tried applying at Costco about a year ago. I went through the interview process.I was just about ready to take the job, when a snag occurred. The
lady said I'll be hired on as part time,but I'll get full time hours. I was like, huh ?

As it turns out after your 90 day probationary period, you can apply for in store openings.I didn't take the job because I didn't want be stuck in part time/full time limbo for 90 days.

[TuNnL]

I would be curious to know whether the wages are higher or lower at Wal-Mart since they are not unionized. Nearly all the grocery stores (Safeway, Foodland, Star Market, Times, etc.) are part of the UFCW [United Food & Commercial Workers (http://www.ufcw480.org/)] Union. Wal-Mart is a grocery store on the mainland, and trying to be one (http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070714/BUSINESS/707140335/1071) on Kaua‘i.

[Konaguy]

I would be curious to know whether the wages are higher or lower at Wal-Mart since they are not unionized. Nearly all the grocery stores (Safeway, Foodland, Star Market, Times, etc.) are part of the UFCW [United Food & Commercial Workers] Union. Wal-Mart is a grocery store on the mainland, and trying to be one (http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070714/BUSINESS/707140335/1071) on Kaua‘i.

Wal-Mart is in the process of leasing DHHL land in Hilo for a SuperCenter also.

[adrian]

I would be curious to know whether the wages are higher or lower at Wal-Mart since they are not unionized.
For the cart guys, the starting pay was $9.25 something, but at Sam's its I believe $10 or even $12. (but my excuse was that they work in a covered parking lot, so more CO2, increased risk because of the dark area, and more noise pollution.)

[Star of Gladness]

Well, after I mope around for a while (hopefully not for long) I'll be on the pavement again - then I'll ask how to handle this on my resume.

Adrian, there's not much to explain! This is all you have to say in future interviews.

Q Why did you quit your last job?
A. It was WAL MART

Everybody knows Walmart sucks as an employer. They'll understand, and if they dont, you probably wouldn't want that job either! Don't sell yourself short! Good luck!

[Palolo Joe]

Adrian, there's not much to explain! This is all you have to say in future interviews.

Q Why did you quit your last job?
A. It was WAL MART

Everybody knows Walmart sucks as an employer. They'll understand, and if they dont, you probably wouldn't want that job either! Don't sell yourself short! Good luck!

That's got to be the WORST advice I've read so far in this thread.

[cezanne]

That's got to be the WORST advice I've read so far in this thread.

Yeah. Either don't put WalMart down in your history at all or just say that you got a better job oppurtunity. But since you quit like you did...:rolleyes:

Also, don't bash your former employer at your next interview no matter how crappy they treated you.

[TuNnL]

For the cart guys, the starting pay was $9.25 something, but at Sam's its I believe $10 or even $12. (but my excuse was that they work in a covered parking lot, so more CO2, increased risk because of the dark area, and more noise pollution.)Wow, so at least in Hawai‘i, the pay from a pure wage standpoint is higher at Wal-Mart then a union shop like Safeway. I heard Safeway’s “cart guys” make $7.25 an hour. Their stock clerks and cashiers make $8 to start. Maybe Safeway kicks Wal-Mart’s butt in the benefits department? :confused: hmmmm....

[LikaNui]

That's got to be the WORST advice I've read so far in this thread. I agree with ya, PJ!

[Honoruru]

I think one of the key points in this thread is: Should I list this episode on my resume? (This could be an entire thread of its own, with Adrian’s experience as an example.) I think there’s a 50/50 opinion on this matter, but I also think it also depends on the circumstances.

For me, personally (and this is just me), I would NOT list this episode.

I have a long list of jobs held, and several jobs where I’ve quit under questionable circumstances. I agree with Craig ...

... in order to make those experiences work for you you gotta stick it out insteading of bailing when the going gets rough.


that you should stick it out no matter what, at least for a year, but sometimes (for whatever reason) that is not possible, or that is not what eventually happened (for whatever reason, despite your predisposition, despite your convictions), and you’re stuck with the consequences. What to do?

Adrian, you had another job (your computer job, smaller pay, perhaps, maybe even less significant, but more in tune with the direction you want to go), so you don’t have a “hole” in your resume. If the subject should come up in a future interview, tell them the truth. This is something you should explain/discuss face-to-face.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

leaving WalMart off of a resume is ignorant. Play up the fact that the job taught you to bust your ass shift after shift. I cannot tell you how many computer dudes I've contracted move slower than a snail. Proudly and unrepentantly display your WM creds and explain that you honed your work ethic, people skills, and OJT cardio at WalMart. Be proud of it, because it rounds you out as an employee.

[adrian]

If the subject should come up in a future interview, tell them the truth. This is something you should explain/discuss face-to-face.
That's what I'll do. Now, to find a printer...

Play up the fact that the job taught you to bust your ass shift after shift.
Amen to that. And my muscles are starting to hurt because I've been siting infront of my computers for so damn long. I think I'll start collecting the carts all over waipahu and return them to their rightful stores. LOL

[Palolo Joe]

Good to see the right message got across.

Don't misrepresent the facts. It's all in the presentation.

[joshuatree]

Adrian, just go with a case by case basis. The fact that you never dropped your computer job means even if you did not have Walmart on your resume, there is no gap. So if a job opportunity would seem to be hampered if you did list Walmart, due to the short time of employment, then leave it out. If you applied for a job opportunity where the Walmart experience would help, then put it on the resume. Just rearrange the facts when you need to.

[craigwatanabe]

I say leave the WM experience on your resume.

WM may be a bad employer but they are filling a need, to hire people off of the welfare roles. Anytime the burden is reduced to provide subsidies, it's always a benefit to the local economy.

Trust me Adrian, if you think WM was bad, try working for The Gas Company. I tell my co-workers at Home Depot when they complain about our managers that they are nicer and more open than some of the managers I had to work for at TGC.

Read Dilbert and you'll get an idea of life at TGC. Catberg: The evil director of Human Resources is a perfect example of HR there. He hates everybody until he has a reason to like you.

[Leo Lakio]

Also, don't bash your former employer at your next interview no matter how crappy they treated you.Agreed - it only makes you look bad as a potential employee.

[Altivec]

Wow, so at least in Hawai‘i, the pay from a pure wage standpoint is higher at Wal-Mart then a union shop like Safeway. I heard Safeway’s “cart guys” make $7.25 an hour. Their stock clerks and cashiers make $8 to start. Maybe Safeway kicks Wal-Mart’s butt in the benefits department? :confused: hmmmm....Yes at Safeway, our "cart guys" (courtesy clerks, CC's for short) starts at $7.25, our General Merchandise Clerks (GMC's= jr clerks) also start at $7.25, our Food Clerks start out at $8.00.

As for the benefits, it really depends on which Tier you are on. Each tier has different benefits.

[cynsaligia]

Adrian, just go with a case by case basis. The fact that you never dropped your computer job means even if you did not have Walmart on your resume, there is no gap. So if a job opportunity would seem to be hampered if you did list Walmart, due to the short time of employment, then leave it out. If you applied for a job opportunity where the Walmart experience would help, then put it on the resume. Just rearrange the facts when you need to.

yeah, what he said. *thumbs up*

my two cents:

if you're sending your resume to some amorphous HR dept, leave walmart off, esp if you have other instances of short employment with other places.

if you find yourself in an interview where the interviewer asks, "what was your worst job, and why?" you could mention your wal-mart job if you hadn't listed it on your resume but ONLY if you can convincingly and sincerely turn it into a positive that your potential employer would find beneficial.

a resume does not have to list every single job you've ever had. a resume's purpose is to describe your work experience and accomplishments in the best possible light. leaving it off, should you choose, is not a bad thing.

regarding other advice here re leaving bcs of a bad manager--i agree that most times, that's a huge reason why people leave. but there's a difference between merely bad (in which case, suck it up, at least until you learn whatever it is you're supposed to learn and can gracefully move out of the company or deparment)and unbearably, soul-diminishingly bad (in which case, you might do well to bail asap). as you get older, you'll learn what that difference is FOR YOU (no one can tell you what that is).

[GeckoGeek]

a resume does not have to list every single job you've ever had. a resumes purpose is to describe your work experience and accomplishments in the best possible light. leaving it off, should you choose, is not a bad thing.

Exactly. And customize your resume for each job you apply for. If the job involves grunt work, then maybe wal mart would be good to put in - to show you can do it. Otherwise, for a professional job, I'd leave it out.

And one more thing - too many people who write their resumes concentrate on what they did. What you need to emphasize is what your responsibilities where and what you accomplished. I think you said you've single handedly ran the computer store for periods. If so, list that. That's quite a responsibility. If you didn't have much in the way of accomplishments and responsibilities at Wal Mart, then that's a good reason to leave it off.

[SusieMisajon]

The one big problem is that you quit by walking out the door, and not with the customary and polite two weeks notice.


Now...has anyone got a Youtube of that old country-western song...how did it go?....You can take this job and shove it, I ain't workin here no more...lalalala, gonna walk right out that door....

[TuNnL]

if you think WM was bad, try working for The Gas Company. I tell my co-workers at Home Depot when they complain about our managers that they are nicer and more open than some of the managers I had to work for at TGC.

Read Dilbert and you'll get an idea of life at TGC. Catberg: The evil director of Human Resources is a perfect example of HR there. He hates everybody until he has a reason to like you....The PR team at TGC on the other hand, is first rate. Some of the best “spinners of the facts” in the business, and one of the reasons the company continues to look good, despite statewide customer complaints.

[Leo Lakio]

* customize your resume for each job you apply for.
* too many people who write their resumes concentrate on what they did. What you need to emphasize is what your responsibilities were and what you accomplished.
GG makes two very valuable points here; don't let them get lost in the discussion, Adrian.

[craigwatanabe]

...The PR team at TGC on the other hand, is first rate. Some of the best “spinners of the facts” in the business, and one of the reasons the company continues to look good, despite statewide customer complaints.

Now the PR department is actually a great department...um all one person that is. Steve Golden really is a great guy and has to deal with a very monumental task of handling PR and Government Affairs.

I must make one thing perfectly clear about TGC is that they really are a great bunch from Union to Management, however because it's so laden with traditional bueracratic policies it makes working there frustrating as hell when it comes to personnel issues.

I've had to walk thru customer issues from contractors to residential issues that would normally get bogged down in protocal. I've had to use favors granted to me because I did a favor for another department to get a certain order thru so we could get a certain LPG tanker running. Lots of things like that just to keep operations running smoothly.

Once I had to slide a certain regulator setup up the priority line so a contractor could complete his job at a major hotel. Any delay would have cost him thousands of dollars. You can bet he was happy and continued doing business with us because of that.

Mayor Harris' vision of tiki lights running the length of Kalakaua was another feat that took a lot of persuasion for departments to work together to get the job done in the time frame he wanted it done.

Lots of politics to get jobs done in some companies is what it takes and standard protocals just don't cut it.

So getting back OT, politics is what runs major corporate decisions, so when a lone cart pusher like Adrian quits because of bad management, there usually was some kind of reason for that bad decision on the part of a manager and the pressure put upon him to get something else done to ensure a smooth operation somewhere else in the corporate ladder.

Sh*t rolls downhill and for Adrian, the crap stopped at him. Unfortunately it's the bottom guy that ends up being the victim of all the corporate posturing. But there was a reason for it if that's any consolation. :rolleyes:

[GeckoGeek]

So getting back OT, politics is what runs major corporate decisions,

Well, maybe. What I've seen is what drives the politics is the numbers some head cheese decides needs to be 10% better then last years. It's all about numbers. The sad part is there's lots of ways of messing up a company just to make some number look better.

If you ever want a real thought provoking book, get Dr. Deming: The American Who Taught the Japanese About Quality (http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Deming-American-Japanese-Quality/dp/0671746219/ref=sr_1_1/002-1790392-9608837?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184839750&sr=8-1)

[adrian]

Okay, I just got back from my Hertz "interview"- which lasted a whooping 3 minutes. Heck, the application and finding the place was longer.