Walmart rejects associate growth and discourages innovation:
What is the alternative?
During my time as a Walmart associate, I had countless conversations with coworkers about how Walmart was doing retail the wrong way. I can't begin to tell you how many times I openly agreed with a customer's complaint about the company. All I could respond with was, "I'm sorry, that's way beyond even my store manager's pay grade." In the grand scheme of things, a stores management team really is just as helpless if not more so than it's associates. If you have been an associate at one time or another, you have probably seen how the really good managers always find better jobs. I'm a people person, I personally would have a hard time making a decision that could affect someone's ability to make ends meet. Walmart hardly gives anyone full-time hours anymore. I remember even being on full-time status, my hours would alternate between 40 and 36 hours a week.
What stood out to me the most is how everyone kept complaining about the same thing, over and over again and would do nothing about it. After awhile this started getting very discouraging, so I decided to start applying for jobs with other companies to see what I could get, if anything. Sure enough, I finally got a phone call from a company who appreciated not only my skills, but also my personality and how my mind processed information. I found a company that encouraged innovation and challenged me to improve.
My advice to any and every Walmart associate: (and I don't care what your situation is) If you don't like Walmart, don't settle, don't let a company bring you down, do everything you can to get a better job. Don't let them make you feel like you are in chains, trust me I know the feeling. Just start applying everywhere, don't worry about what the prerequisites are for a particular job. Learn how to write a resume, learn how to write a professional email. My final bit of advice, and I cannot stress this enough; Never be afraid to learn something new. If you are reading this, you have the internet, utilize it as a tool. READ!!! Read anything and everything you can about the skill you want to learn. Never stop trying to improve yourself.
Resources: Here is a list of several resources I use quite frequently. I know I have had my fair share of typos in my blogs; however, I still recommend learning proper spelling. While texting, try to use proper spelling and grammar. Get into the habit of writing professionally. Also, don't just use a word, know completely, the meaning of a word before you make it a part of your vocabulary. Possessing a broad vocabulary is essential to the growth of your career. It would be a very good idea to do research on a company that you are about to interview for. That company will be very impressed with the knowledge you have of them.
Here some of my most valuable resources:
- Dictionary.com- I use this website to look up the true meaning of a word. Definitions are your friend, always ask for everything to be defined. Instead of memorizing, seek to understand.
- Reference.com- I use this website to read up on the history of corporations, people, products, and anything really. This is a great tool for learning and seeking to grow your mind's library. Put it to the test.
- WolframAlpha- I can't truly describe this amazing website completely, because it pretty much does everything you can think of. Just for fun, go to the website and try entering "Walmart" and check out the company's "Fundamentals and and financials" box. Your mind may be blown.
If you are interested in reading more from me, I have several blogs here on blogger.com.
Thanks for reading!
-Alec Terrance
