Out of the Ashes...

Morning Rhapsody...

Well, just to recover from a very harrowing 3 months of pretty much total unemployment, I accepted a position at...now get this...Walmart. Yeah. I have now joined the nearly 2 million US-based folks who work for the retail giant.

And...um...I guess that means I’m now a “corporate brother” to Tor.

Why did I even apply? Well, after the first month (for which I was prepared) it started to look kinda bleak. Over 70 resumes/applications sent out - ZERO call backs. I have never gone through that before...EVER! I guess the economy really does suck, eh?

There was another reason. As much as I enjoyed waiting tables (no, I really did - it’s one of the few positive things in which I excel), the only other gigs like that which would pay anywhere near were about the same amount of milage away. That means I’d be again traveling 60 - 80 miles one way to work. Honestly, as much as I love to drive, in my current financial situation it just doesn’t make sense to do it on a regular basis anymore. So I heard WM was going to replace my town’s old 7 AM - 10 PM store with a Super Center. That would make it 24/7 and would only be a scant 2 miles away from where I currently reside. So if anything happened to my old beater van, I could just WALK to work. So along with all the others, I applied with the local store as well as the two in and Kankakee area.

Sadly, my town’s store is pretty filled up at the moment. As usual, this rural burg (which I dearly love otherwise) is pretty crap on jobs. Well, duh... Otherwise I wouldn’t have been working in Orland Park, would I?

So I heard nothing from Watseka’s store...but did from Kankakee. What I call “Kankakee” is actually a trio of smaller towns that join together as one - Kankakee-proper, Bradley, and Bourbonnais. The strange thing is Kankakee is poor, Bradley is middle class, and Bourbonnais is upper middle class ro upper class. Very clear distinctions.

Well, anyway...I digress. The Kankakee area has two Super Centers - which really makes no sense, but there you go. Kankakee has one on the south side of the Tri-Towns while Bourbonnais has the other in the north. I work at the one in Kankakee - which is good., It’s a mere 28 miles from my front door. I have effectively cut fuel costs by half - or more.

Sure, Walmart gives out crap pay for mere rookies like moi. However, once the calculations are done, it evens out to be roughly the same take home for me. Maybe a little less, but the lighter drive round trip gives me more time to add a second regular job if needed. THAT was the main reason for my accepting the position (even after another restaurant about 80 miles away called - which I turned down after a few days of serious thinking).

So WM calls, I go in, and in one day end up with three interviews. No kidding. I figured I’d go in for one, possibly schedule a second for a day or few later, and that’d be it. Nooooooo. Three within an hour. Up the chain, too. Little department manager, some other bigger supervisor type, and then finally one of the facility’s “co-managers.” I guess they have to have two or three managing the dang place. Why I have no idea... Then again, I really don’t know how their organization is setup...yet.

Due to my last two experiences in the job market, I learned to ignore the rank and file and how they interact or act, and I chose instead to look right at management and organization. Such things are very much apparent if looking for them. At first glance it seemed...organized. The management all across the board (I met more than those initial three since then) seem well trained, organized, AND non-abusive. That last one is key, especially after the Lobster experience (loved everything but the management styles). In short, these managers do not seem as self-centered and power/money hungry as the ones I’ve gotten used to over the last few years.

That’s a good thing...

I did mention my past um...record. You see, since my little court history does involve a little tiff over copyright matters (music related), I figured they’d best know the details right off (not just the short answer I gave on the application and follow-up paperwork). Walmart is not only a major music retailer, but they are also now a major DISTRIBUTOR. The most recent recordings from AC/DC, Eagles, and Journey (for example) were released exclusively by the store chain.

Know what they said when I tried to explain? “That isn’t any of our business.”

Um, okay then! Of course, about 3 weeks later (after I figured I wouldn’t be hired), they called asking for details. And for that very reasoning, too. *rolls eyes* So I made is very clear - bootlegs, not piracy. That was the conviction, and I proved it as well as put you in contact with the proper authorities who still know me by first name...

An additional 2 weeks passed...I was SURE I didn’t get it. Then as I was leaving an interview for restaurant mentioned above, they called. So I went in for Orientation. I’m completing my first actual week now, and so far it’s really not too bad. I think I can last long enough to transfer to the Watseka center once it opens. After that, heck...I may just park that old van and use it only when necessary.

Gonna take a bit to get used to their daily meetings, though. Meeting I do not mind. In fact, I prefer knowing what’s going on, yeah? What I can’t quite get into is that dang Walmart cheer. Oh, yeah, AND there’s this little thing the people do when ANYONE addresses the meeting.

“Good morning, everyone,” says whomever (no matter the rank).

“Good morning, <name>,” everyone else says in unison just prior to clapping twice, stomping once, and then shouting “WOO!”

Gimme a break... A simple “Morning, <name>” would do. *chuckle*

I guess I’m goign to have to play along, though. It;s a corporate culture, I ain’t gonna be able to avoid it, and honestly...after what Darden (Lobster’s owners) put their staff through it really won;t be much of a problem.

Some thing about this store do confuse me, though. The corporate structure as a whole, for example, is really REALLY concerned about employee breaks. Particularly lunch. At Red Lobster, we rarely got one - a break OR lunch. Unless we asked. Even then we either got a guilt trip or lost our section for about two hours while others worked it in our absence. At Walmart we’re actually THREATENED: take your lunch BEFORE your 5th hour...or we execute you. Skip your lunch for ANY reason and they will discipline. After three violations, no matter who you are...yer outta there! Forever.

*laughs* I’ve never been threatened to TAKE a lunch before. Geez. I can deal with that, too.

Another thing that vexes me is...OJT - on the job training. They just put you in and let those round you help you figure it out. And usually, it seems, those coworkers have no idea you’re gonna be there until you are there.

Overall, so far so good. The people with whom I work are good, for the most part, one isn’t, but the others are. The gig they gave me is fine, aside from the fact that really...there isn’t all that much to do. They allot 8 hours for three or four people when one or two will do in that time frame. Then again, having too many people to do the same job is far better than not having enough - especially when things come up and one or more are pulled to work elsewhere.

I do really like their management setup though. It’s more along the Chain-of-Command kind I really prefer. AND, the majority of them came up through the ranks. That I really like...and it shows (so far, anyway).

Alright, anyway - one thing I don’t like is they seem to ignore a persons need for sleep. I worked until 6 last night - which means after I get home and do my normal routines, it’s about 11 PM before I can even think of sleep. Unfortunately, I’m scheduled for 4 AM this morning, which means I couldn’t chance sleep. Hopefully this is just a training thing, giving me a taste of the different shifts. Still, I think I may mention it anyway (nicely, of course) in case they just weren’t paying much attention to how they organized the thing. Once or twice a month, fine. Every week? No frigging way.

One thing’s for sure, though - no matter what this place demands I be a morning person. I haven’t been that in a long, long time. As logn as the schedule evens out, I can handle that, too. Work is work, especially right now.

Speaking of, it’s time for me to light out. Coffee up!! yuk...