Several months ago, I used to work at a thrift store, but after moving out of my home state, I searched for other jobs. Although I liked some aspects of my first job as a store clerk and warehouse worker, I wanted a job that was more clean. Sometimes, people would donate dirty stuff that was simply unusable, and there were times when I got bit by fleas and saw roaches. After leaving that job, I told myself I would never work at a thrift store again.
I also wanted a job that didn’t involve customer service because dealing with customers could be stressful for me sometimes.
However, after applying for multiple jobs with no results, I felt I had no other choice but to apply for a cashier role. I applied at a grocery store that wasn’t too far away from where I lived. On the application, I ticked in the boxes of what roles I would be interested in. One of them was stocking, which was what I really wanted to do, but I also checked in “Cashier,” because I was desperate to earn money. I hoped that I could get a job stocking there, but I ended up cashiering instead.
At first, I enjoyed the job. Most of the customers were nice, my coworkers were nice, I was starting to get better at using the register, and I got paid much more than I did at my first job. Also, it was so much cleaner there as opposed to the thrift store I used to work in, so I felt much cleaner.
But as time went on, the job grew more and more draining. Although most of the customers were nice, having to deal with so many of them constantly drained my social battery pretty fast. On top of customer service, I had to get carts, bag groceries, watch the self-checkouts, and sometimes clean the registers whenever I was on the closing shift. I didn’t mind getting carts, because it gave me a break from people and I could go outside. However, it was a lot.
Sometimes, especially in the morning, the store would be ridiculously cold. I had to get myself an electric hand warmer because there were times when my hands would get prickly and numb.
The most aggravating part of this job was the schedule. It was all over the place. One day, I’d be working from 7 AM to 5 PM, and the next, I would be working from 4 PM to 10 PM. Although I learned that this was typical for retail jobs, it was horrible, and again, very draining and confusing. There was one time when I accidentally clocked out too early because I got one of the days on my schedule mixed up, and I was stressed and embarrassed for the rest of the night.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, the pipes burst one day and sewer water started seeping out of the floor. The store didn’t close so they could fix the issue. They had some people come to look at it, but it didn’t seem like there was much they could do, because after their first visit, the same thing happened again. They put yellow cones over the drainage covers, but I saw one unsuspecting customer step in the sewer water without noticing and then walk out the store.
There were also times when, as I was cashiering, the baggers working at my register would wipe their noses with their hands while handling people’s groceries, and the handheld scanner, which I had to use sometimes.
Needless to say, I didn’t feel clean in that store anymore. I worried about the germs that were getting on my shoes and taking a free ride back to my home.
Soon, I was counting down minutes and the hours to get out of what felt more like a prison than a job, and I knew I simply had to leave. I wasn’t getting paid enough to deal with everything, and the job just wasn’t the right fit for me to begin with.
However, I was afraid of quitting too soon. I was looking for other jobs, but I hadn’t found one that was a good fit just yet, and I needed money. I prayed and asked God for a sign that it was okay to leave even though I hadn’t found another job yet. I asked Him to turn the lights out at my workplace or something for confirmation (Strangely enough, the power at my family’s house went out instead, so, I wasn’t quite sure how to take that).
After a few more days, I decided I needed to take a chance, because I couldn’t see myself working at the grocery store anymore. Also, God takes care of His children, so even though I was worrying, I had no reason to in the end.
I gave my two weeks notice and continued to hunt for other jobs. Thankfully, I found a new seasonal stocking job, and so far, I like it so much better. I don’t have to deal with as many customers, and I’m left to myself for most of the time. I simply unbox items and put them on the shelves. Overall, it’s a way more relaxing job with a more laid back environment, and a way more predictable schedule. Although this job is temporary, it gives me a chance to breathe a little bit while I figure out what I want to do next in my life.
I simply wanted to talk about my recent work experiences, but if there is something you could take away from this post, it’s to trust in God, your Heavenly Father, and don’t be afraid to try something new if your current job or any other situation simply isn’t working for you.
If you would like to share your own work-related experiences feel free to talk about them in the comments. Thanks for reading and have a blessed day!
Comments
Post a Comment