The Rad Shack
So while I was in NYC, there was an open house here in Boston. I sent my friend Mike with a pile of resumes... as I didn't really expect any leads, and wanted to see the play and my sister and her son.
About the only bite I had was from the Rad Shack. I got a call last week for an interview yesterday at 6pm. So I went to the dentist yesterday, did some errands, lent Mike money for a day (I hope) for a train pass, and came back home to dress up.
The T ran a bit late so I got to Rad Shack at about 6:02 pm. I thought I was still in a comfort zone as it was an open house and it was less then 10 min; not true as I got chewed out and was told all the others were in the backroom already as it was after 6 pm.
They were showing a movie talking about the history of Radio Shack, how progressive there are... Yadda... Yadda. Took me a bit to realize that I was suppose to fill out the application form AND a stupid questionnaire, so I started doing that during the movie and Radio Shack pitch. Yeah a manager stood in front and talked about how wonderful it was to work at Radio Shack.
I thought this was a bunch of crap but stayed as I filled out forms and listened to him with half an ear. However I was stopped in my tracks when he mentioned commissions and average salary.
I don't like commissions because I understand working my ass off for the company and I understand wanting a piece of the action I create for the company BUT I don't like the pressure and I prefer a soft touch to a HARD sell. I want to help people not sell them useless junk to make a quick quarter.
So I had to wait till he finished his sales pitch (which was hard sell mode) before I could ask him the difference between average salary and base salary. Basically I wanted to know how much I had to hustle and how much of a fluctuation there is from week to week and how much stress would be involved. See the stress would come from me trying to sell lots of crap, getting peeved when a co worker sold a high ticket item instead of me... Plus being able to balance a checkbook when you don't know cash flow week to week could be a real pain in the @$$.
He, of course, didn't answer directly the first time. I had to point out that he mentioned that the $11 dollars was a median, but I wanted to know BASE salary... how much I would earn a week merely by being in the store. He finally told me it was $6.75. That's a HUGE difference of $4.25 AN HOUR. And if $11 an hour is average, that means that there's someone getting $12.20 an hour and someone getting 9.80 an hour.... at the same store.
I felt this wasn't worth it and walked out.
God, I know I need a job... but I also know I'd rather end up working for Barnes and Noble for the $6.75 then put up with Rad Shack's crap.
I feel really bad about walking out but I realized I didn't want this crap job and every second I was there, I was hating Radio Shack and my life abit more.
I also will admit I feel guilty about my depression. Evan is going under the knife by the end of the week, and when I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago he seemed to be ok with it. I have my health but I don't enjoy it because I need a job and for some reason I'm trying to get one that won't suck my soul out.
Oh and I wanted to note: all of management was white guys- in the room of 30 applicants, I was one of 3 white guys. This just made me wonder a bit more about Radio Shack as an employer.
About the only bite I had was from the Rad Shack. I got a call last week for an interview yesterday at 6pm. So I went to the dentist yesterday, did some errands, lent Mike money for a day (I hope) for a train pass, and came back home to dress up.
The T ran a bit late so I got to Rad Shack at about 6:02 pm. I thought I was still in a comfort zone as it was an open house and it was less then 10 min; not true as I got chewed out and was told all the others were in the backroom already as it was after 6 pm.
They were showing a movie talking about the history of Radio Shack, how progressive there are... Yadda... Yadda. Took me a bit to realize that I was suppose to fill out the application form AND a stupid questionnaire, so I started doing that during the movie and Radio Shack pitch. Yeah a manager stood in front and talked about how wonderful it was to work at Radio Shack.
I thought this was a bunch of crap but stayed as I filled out forms and listened to him with half an ear. However I was stopped in my tracks when he mentioned commissions and average salary.
I don't like commissions because I understand working my ass off for the company and I understand wanting a piece of the action I create for the company BUT I don't like the pressure and I prefer a soft touch to a HARD sell. I want to help people not sell them useless junk to make a quick quarter.
So I had to wait till he finished his sales pitch (which was hard sell mode) before I could ask him the difference between average salary and base salary. Basically I wanted to know how much I had to hustle and how much of a fluctuation there is from week to week and how much stress would be involved. See the stress would come from me trying to sell lots of crap, getting peeved when a co worker sold a high ticket item instead of me... Plus being able to balance a checkbook when you don't know cash flow week to week could be a real pain in the @$$.
He, of course, didn't answer directly the first time. I had to point out that he mentioned that the $11 dollars was a median, but I wanted to know BASE salary... how much I would earn a week merely by being in the store. He finally told me it was $6.75. That's a HUGE difference of $4.25 AN HOUR. And if $11 an hour is average, that means that there's someone getting $12.20 an hour and someone getting 9.80 an hour.... at the same store.
I felt this wasn't worth it and walked out.
God, I know I need a job... but I also know I'd rather end up working for Barnes and Noble for the $6.75 then put up with Rad Shack's crap.
I feel really bad about walking out but I realized I didn't want this crap job and every second I was there, I was hating Radio Shack and my life abit more.
I also will admit I feel guilty about my depression. Evan is going under the knife by the end of the week, and when I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago he seemed to be ok with it. I have my health but I don't enjoy it because I need a job and for some reason I'm trying to get one that won't suck my soul out.
Oh and I wanted to note: all of management was white guys- in the room of 30 applicants, I was one of 3 white guys. This just made me wonder a bit more about Radio Shack as an employer.
1 Comments:
At 7/12/2005 11:38:00 PM,
Unknown said…
Well, for me, I play the part of less worried guy when people speak to me--so of course I seemed ok. It's easier to share how brutally scared I am by my surgery in writing than it is in person or over phone--so I go into shiny happy mode.
But don't feel guilty for having your own downs. I wouldn't ever want you to think it's somehow not ok of you to have your own feelings and worries just because other people are. I'll get through my problem, and you'll get through yours--and we'll keep on keeping on being there for each other.
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