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natetimm posted:If he can get a manager position at Target he can parley that and his degree into job-hunting in the corporate world. Let him get back into the habit of having to deal with real people and work for a living. I'm sure pushing shopping carts around in the summer with a college degree will be much better motivation to improve himself than the internet continuing to yell at him. Before that (and assuming that the Target job lasts longer than one shift), I think he should take advantage of the cash coming in and see a doctor about the unresolved ADHD (and/or autism spectrum?) issues. We've been following this situation for months, and every day, it becomes clearer that Benny has some pretty serious trouble focusing on his work, following instructions when assigned a new task, and interacting with his managers and coworkers. The economy sucks, but it doesn't suck THAT hard. This is the third job that Benny's been offered after a few months of searching. As much as we've all harped on him for not putting enough effort into job hunting, I don't think job hunting is his real problem. Job-KEEPING is the problem. Before he starts trying to break into management, he has got to get his poo poo sufficiently together to hold on to an entry-level job. Same goes for moving out of his parents' house - if he's perpetually screwing up because of a treatable medical condition that he won't address, he could end up getting fired again and having to move back home because he can't afford his rent.
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May 2, 2013 02:27
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Unless he has several roommates and the building is next to Uncle Pete's Bargain Crackhouse, I can't imagine the lowest rung on the retail ladder paying the rent anywhere. Maybe with government assistance of some kind, but even then you'd have a he'll of a time saving any money or getting therapy.
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May 2, 2013 03:03
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OMG JC a Bomb! posted:Unless he has several roommates and the building is next to Uncle Pete's Bargain Crackhouse, I can't imagine the lowest rung on the retail ladder paying the rent anywhere. Maybe with government assistance of some kind, but even then you'd have a he'll of a time saving any money or getting therapy. *Single adult, figures last updated June 2012
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May 2, 2013 03:11
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Benny, is there no comic store near you? If you're going to waste away at a minimum wage job, migbt as well be doing something you love.
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May 2, 2013 03:21
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Seven Hundred Bee posted:When I read your posts I feel such a fundamental disconnect -- it's like you're lacking a verbal affect, or everything you type has been run through Google translator. Where's your ambition? Where's your fire? The only parts of this thread that show any sense of deep caring are your posts about your comics. Do you really want so little for yourself in life? But something changed. Ever since the incident back in February, I've been in a funk. Or more accurately, I've figured out that I need to get myself out of this situation. I need to move out of home and I need to start paying off my student loans. Cal Poly Pomona offers no creative writing program. I'd love to go to one of the Claremont colleges: I've heard nothing but good things about their creative writing programs. Or UCLA, where they offer a scriptwriting program. But all that has to be set aside. My aspirations are put on hold just to get myself into a better situation: away from my family and financially independent. And since then I've been aimless. Spicy Chili posted:Benny, is there no comic store near you? If you're going to waste away at a minimum wage job, migbt as well be doing something you love. Benny the Snake fucked around with this message at 03:49 on May 2, 2013 |
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May 2, 2013 03:38
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Those are all great ambitions, but only the exceptionally talented or lucky can jump into those professions right away. I can sympathize with that funk, it's easier to dream about those ambitions and wait for a lucky break, when the hard way involves a lot of not-so-fun work. Once you are certain the job at Target is a success, try looking for non-profit organizations and clubs related to your interests. Working on an online blog or posting in CD is a start, but the experience you will get from interacting with living breathing people is invaluable. Political campaigning is a good start, but knocking on doors isn't going to make you a better writer. I recently started writing content for a local student organization's website. There's no pay and the some of the stuff I'm tasked with writing is insufferably banal, but working in an office environment with a team is teaching me more than any course on writing or forum thread ever could. It's also potentially a huge boost to my CV, since I'm gaining lots of professional references as well as a fancy-looking website with my name on it.
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May 2, 2013 08:01
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Benny, do you have an email address you wouldn't mind sharing (you can register one real quick if you don't want your main one on here)?
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May 2, 2013 18:50
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Congrats on the job. Former Target person myself. One thing to keep in mind: ask what the max # of carts is for pushing by hand and with the cart pusher. Don't go above this unless you want the wrath of management. There is a safety first mentality there. Also, crosstrain. Learn the register. Learn sales floor or electronics. This increases your potential of getting hours and possibly moving up. I started as cashier/cart attendant, eventually moved up to Entertainment Specialist (which I don't recommend, as the hours are wonky, but it did get you full time). And I'm rooting for you to make it a while there. Also, when you're ready, if there's a cheap apt complex nearby, see if they offer specials to Target employees. I lived in one that was across the street from a Super Target, and they rented to a friend of mine who still worked there after I quit for a REALLY discounted rate. Worth looking into, at least.
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May 2, 2013 22:06
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blackmet posted:Congrats on the job. Former Target person myself. 
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May 3, 2013 00:09
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Welp today was orientation. I've got my own nametag and everything. Even my Target discount card. There's a lot of small benefits to working with Target, but most of all I'm very happy to have this job. Next week I begin parking lot and cashier training.
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May 3, 2013 22:12
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Awesome, congrats! Don't listen to the people telling you to slack off and only put in the minimum effort. Those people are idiots. Target is a big company and even if you have no plans to stay there, it will look good on your resume. Working extremely hard and being helpful, reliable, positive, etc., will certainly get you promoted, and that looks amazing on your resume. And if the management team likes and respects you, you can rely on them for a positive reference when you do move on.
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May 3, 2013 22:55
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Seriously, work hard even if just to get into the habit. It's always nice to have acceptable work output as your half-assed baseline.
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May 3, 2013 23:05
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Shark Attack! posted:Don't listen to the people telling you to slack off and only put in the minimum effort. Those people are idiots. Seriously, they are complete, loving idiots. "Don't work too hard! They're only paying you X amount of money!" We get it. You don't agree with the low, min-wage standards, but that doesn't mean you need to give lovely advice. Plenty of people are willing to replace the guy pushing carts for min-wage.
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May 3, 2013 23:25
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cname posted:Seriously, they are complete, loving idiots. "Don't work too hard! They're only paying you X amount of money!" Hell you should do a good job simply because thats who you are or what you want to be. Take pride in what you choose to do. You especially need to prove to yourself that you even can do a good job.
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May 4, 2013 15:52
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ClemenSalad posted:Hell you should do a good job simply because thats who you are or what you want to be. Take pride in what you choose to do. You especially need to prove to yourself that you even can do a good job.
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May 4, 2013 17:30
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Benny the Snake posted:Hey, I'm expecting good exercise, long hours, and helping customers load bags into their cars. drat right I'm going to take pride in my work! drat right! When do you start?
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May 4, 2013 18:33
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cname posted:Seriously, they are complete, loving idiots. "Don't work too hard! They're only paying you X amount of money!" I work a minimum wage job. You put in the required amount of time and effort, but anything beyond that is basically saying, "Hey boss! How about you gently caress me over a little bit harder, for free?"
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May 4, 2013 19:02
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Zelder posted:I work a minimum wage job. You put in the required amount of time and effort, but anything beyond that is basically saying, "Hey boss! How about you gently caress me over a little bit harder, for free?" Or "How can I stay in this min wage job longer?". I'm unclear why giving a bit more effort is a Bad Thing. Don't go and wash his car but jeez initiative is not wrong and a road to poverty imposed by The Man.
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May 4, 2013 19:24
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Darth123123 posted:Or "How can I stay in this min wage job longer?". I'm unclear why giving a bit more effort is a Bad Thing. Don't go and wash his car but jeez initiative is not wrong and a road to poverty imposed by The Man. I don't think people are saying "do a lovely job", I think they're just saying to recognize the situation for what it is. I know some people who've gone to ridiculous lengths for minimum wage jobs. Like, 55-65 hour work weeks, and then complain that their work is unfulfilling, that no one but them gives a poo poo about their job, then they work themselves into a frenzy and quit because the rest of their co-workers are teenagers and college kids and people who burned out years ago. Basically: Put in a good effort and do your job acceptably. BUT, recognize that it is a minimum wage job and you don't want to run yourself ragged over it, because oftentimes management will try to work every last ounce of value out of their employees, and you need to know what your boundaries and expectations for the job are. I think people are just saying, "don't feel obligated to go above and beyond whats expected of you" compared to more serious jobs where your work will be noted and appreciated. I'll put a great deal of effort into jobs where I know that there is room for advancement and a 'career' so to speak, but pretty much every minimum wage chain-store job I can think of made zero effort to reward the good workers who had been there for years, and you had people doing crazy amounts of work and not being appreciated for it. It's the nature of most minwage chain store jobs, and I think the takeaway message is just to recognize that they're using you for cheap labor, you don't need to go above and beyond in most cases. If you show up on time, sober, and follow company policy, you're already top notch compared to a lot of their workers. Meow Tse-tung fucked around with this message at 20:16 on May 4, 2013 |
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May 4, 2013 20:08
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The real trick, and what should be your real goal, in a minimum wage job or not, is to find a sustainable balance between what they want and what you can do. Absolutely go above and beyond, and approach your work with enthusiasm (but not desperation), but if you push too hard, you'll just burn yourself out, and if you push too hard before you really know what's expected or desired, or the political lay of the land (office politics, not political politics), then you're just going to end up making the mistakes you will inevitably make* twice as hard. And I mean yeah, don't kill yourself for a minimum wage job, but absolutely take the job seriously, and absolutely treat it like something you want to get ahead in. __ *This isn't a "Ha ha Benny is incompetent" aside, this is a "everybody screws up early on in the job" aside.
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May 4, 2013 20:24
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Hell, it's pretty common today to not get anything to show for going above and beyond at a decent paying job. No doubt your manager will love the extra effort you show, but at the same time don't work your fingers to the bone expecting anything more than the corporate standard $.20/hour annual raise and a kind word here or there. They have no reason to give a cart wrangler a big raise for extra effort when all they give a poo poo about is paying someone as little as possible to do the job well enough that customers aren't waiting for carts. e: Its probably not outside of the realm of possibility to stick it out and work your way up the ranks, but you'd be in for a long, low-paying slog of 10+ years before you'd be making any real money. A guy I went to highschool with has been working at Target since he was 16 and was recently promoted to the position of 3rd shift pharmacy manager - after working there for 14 years. Geoj fucked around with this message at 00:09 on May 5, 2013 |
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May 4, 2013 22:13
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Alternatively, you could not cause any problems and then spend some time being friends with the managers because everyone who thinks hard work is more important than have your superiors liking you is delusional, especially when it comes to retail. Yes, managers like hard work, but if you're buddies it makes everything so much easier.
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May 4, 2013 22:48
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Benny the Snake posted:Hey, I'm expecting good exercise, long hours, and helping customers load bags into their cars. drat right I'm going to take pride in my work! Please send this post, along with the URL of this thread, to your alumni magazine's Class Notes section.
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May 5, 2013 00:32
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Darth123123 posted:Or "How can I stay in this min wage job longer?". I'm unclear why giving a bit more effort is a Bad Thing. Don't go and wash his car but jeez initiative is not wrong and a road to poverty imposed by The Man. I have to be honest, I've worked retail (along with other contract jobs that are for my ~professional CV~) all through university, which I've been in for six years. For the first three years of retail I worked extremely hard, pushed my sales, I was a model employee who consistently made numbers well above company expectations. After the three year mark I started to realize that corporate did not give one poo poo about me, about my hard work, nothing, and I really did lose the motivation to really push myself. I think good advice when working retail is to show up on time, get work done, be open to the idea of taking extra shifts if needed. I really don't see the point in busting your rear end over a company that couldn't care whether you lived or died though. I completely agree with what geoj said.
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May 5, 2013 00:35
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Congrats on the job, Benny. Whatever you do, whether you choose to slack off or work hard, just try not to kill your new bosses or their spouses.
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May 5, 2013 03:26
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Make sure to start a union while you are there.
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May 5, 2013 04:26
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Toriori posted:I have to be honest, I've worked retail (along with other contract jobs that are for my ~professional CV~) all through university, which I've been in for six years. For the first three years of retail I worked extremely hard, pushed my sales, I was a model employee who consistently made numbers well above company expectations. After the three year mark I started to realize that corporate did not give one poo poo about me, about my hard work, nothing, and I really did lose the motivation to really push myself. I think good advice when working retail is to show up on time, get work done, be open to the idea of taking extra shifts if needed. I really don't see the point in busting your rear end over a company that couldn't care whether you lived or died though. I completely agree with what geoj said. If you spend three years learning how to work like a slob, it takes a pretty long time to un-learn that bullshit when you do actually get a real job and you have to do valuable, difficult work instead of be a doorknob. I know, I had that problem.
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May 5, 2013 18:50
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Flesh Forge posted:If you spend three years learning how to work like a slob, it takes a pretty long time to un-learn that bullshit when you do actually get a real job and you have to do valuable, difficult work instead of be a doorknob. I know, I had that problem.
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May 6, 2013 00:38
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Flesh Forge posted:If you spend three years learning how to work like a slob, it takes a pretty long time to un-learn that bullshit when you do actually get a real job and you have to do valuable, difficult work instead of be a doorknob. I know, I had that problem. People are just saying that you don't have to bust your rear end day in and day out a lot of the time, and just doing what is expected and a little more for show is enough most of the time. As was said earlier, being friends with the managers and showing a little elbow grease is going to go a lot further than all elbow grease, especially at a min. wage job.
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May 6, 2013 07:28
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Death Bot posted:People are just saying that you don't have to bust your rear end day in and day out a lot of the time, and just doing what is expected and a little more for show is enough most of the time. As was said earlier, being friends with the managers and showing a little elbow grease is going to go a lot further than all elbow grease, especially at a min. wage job. For what it's worth, I found that being a decent person and putting in a decent amount of effort was far better than busting one's backside. I tried to be Super Mega Ultra Helpful Awesome DSL Support Girl and MSR at Telenetwork, which... got me nowhere. There was always some arbitrary thing I wasn't doing and I was stressing out over trying to be perfect. I was much less anxious just saying 'eff it', being polite and keeping my numbers steady.
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May 6, 2013 07:36
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Does this guy have any hobbies or anything at all?
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May 6, 2013 20:50
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Benny, have you damaged anyone's car yet? Please post updates.
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May 6, 2013 21:17
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Grin and Tonic posted:Does this guy have any hobbies or anything at all? This thread began because of his comic books.
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May 6, 2013 21:20
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ClemenSalad posted:This thread began because of his comic books. Okay. So now that I have my job at Target, I can now move on phase two. I just re-applied for loan consolidation now that I have a job again. I'm going to send in the forms tomorrow and hope for the best. That's the big thing that's keeping me from moving out: the six month grace period ends this month. Once I can get a handle on how much I'll need to pay in relation to how many hours I can put in, I can move on to phase three: moving out.
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May 6, 2013 22:22
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Why do you need to consolidate your loans? Do you have private loans? Why were you taking more than Stafford loans to go to school?
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May 6, 2013 22:40
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Phase four: wiping your own rear end without consulting the internet about it beforehand
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May 6, 2013 22:41
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Danger posted:Make sure to start a union while you are there. This is good advice, Benny. Starting a union at target would let your other coworkers know you mean business and it'd be a good thing to put on your resume.
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May 6, 2013 22:47
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Do you have any hobbies that you actually do? Physical effort hobbies.
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May 6, 2013 22:52
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OP what's the situation currently like with your mom and brother?
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May 6, 2013 22:55
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fork bomb posted:OP what's the situation currently like with your mom and brother? Seven Hundred Bee posted:Why do you need to consolidate your loans? Do you have private loans? Why were you taking more than Stafford loans to go to school?
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May 6, 2013 23:26
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