Gone are the days when a majority of people went to work for one employer, eventually retiring and receiving a pension in their old(ish) age. Now, it’s common to jump from place to place, with people always looking to level up and employers always trying to figure out how much they can get away with when it comes to younger applicants.
OP moved to a new town and took a job at the grocery store. He liked it ok, though management could sometimes be tough to deal with, and was plugging away.
As a young adult, I decided to move several hundred miles away on a whim without a new job lined up. Fortunately, the relatives I was living with knew a ton of people in the small town and were able to get me a job within a week at the local grocery store. I was to be a “courtesy clerk” bagging groceries and stocking shelves.
Immediately, I made friends with coworkers and some of the customers weren’t too bad, either. However, management was a different deal.
Like the HR manager who would waste a customer’s time telling them recipes for the items they have and holding up the line. She would also call me from the back of the store to bag 2 items and help the man barely older than me to his car, despite him protesting.
There was also “John,” the General Manager. John would be nice in groups, but if he got you alone, his true colors would show. He once berated me for having a 5 o`clock shadow even though I shaved right before work. My hair is dark a grows quickly… Sorry, dude. Can’t help nature.
Even after they asked him to cover an early morning shift for a “month or two,” he wasn’t ready to quit.
After a few months, the night janitor (technically early morning) quit. John decided it would now be my job to polish the floors every morning. My previous job was at a movie theater, so working from 5pm to 2am was normal. Mornings? Not my jam.
This would require me to be at work by 4am. But I was told this would be for 1-2 months TOPS. I was even thrown a sweet $0.05 raise for my troubles. How could I decline?!
After his manager told him he could keep doing the job or find a new one, though, he figured the latter couldn’t be that hard.
After a month I ask John how the search for a replacement is going. He says probably 2 weeks and everything will be settled. After month 2 I ask again. John says the first person fell through and suggests that maybe I know someone who might be looking for a job. I assure him that is not the case. After the third month, I was completely over it.
Again, I approached John and explained that I cannot keep doing this much longer. He replies, “Not my problem. Find someone else or a new job.” That made me mad, but I wasn’t in the position to walk out right then. I figured I’d start applying anywhere I could.
In fact, very soon afterward another (better) job fell into his lap.
A couple of days later (possibly even the same day), my relative drags me with them to go look at new cars. While discussing prices and waiting for the sales manager to respond, my, relative, and the salesperson were just BS’ing and I mentioned what John had told me about the job. The salesperson raised an eyebrow and walked away.
Moments later the sales manager approached and said they were looking for a detailer and asked if I was interested. It would be a regular schedule, no evenings, and higher than even my previous theater job (as a manager).
While my relative was signing financing paperwork, I was filling out a new hire packet. I was to begin work on Tuesday of the next week.
He quit, telling them to ask the bad manager why, and went on his merry way.
When I got home, I packed a bag and began driving to my hometown to visit friends. I knew I wouldn’t have to work for about a week, because at midnight I called the grocery store and told them I would not be returning to work. “If you have any questions, please ask John.”
The manager didn’t end up coming up roses, either.
Epilogue: A year or so after my departure, John was mysteriously no longer working at the store. Nobody knew why as he had another 5 years before retirement.
One day I had to go to the bank to deposit a check and John was the teller. It was so fun to watch him deposit my paycheck from my new employer.
Does anyone on Reddit feel sorry for the manager? Let’s see!
It turns out it was his problem after all.
Sometimes you have to accept the challenge.
There’s usually something better waiting just around the corner.
It’s hard to tell what the point might be, honestly.
Smart people know this never ends well.
This guy had all the right answers.
Sometimes life just really works out!
