Quiet Stranger said:
Okay so I have a job now working at one of the brand new Targets that has opened up in Nova Scotia and I need advice,, positive only though. I don't want any negative stories about Target or retail in general. I really need positive things about Target and retail, anything you can offer would be great, like how to survive and to make the days go by quickly and how to enjoy it.
This is my very first job working in retail and I'd like to be prepared for it. Thanks
I work at JCPenney, and we've gotten a lot of new employees lately and a lot of them have made some scary mistakes, so I'll give you the rundown of the top things that will make your bosses happy:
- Don't call in unless you're dead or dying. If you need a day off, then tell them way in advance and go through the right channels to do that (like if you have to go online or put in a form to request the day off). If you wake up one day and want the day off, then just drink some coffee or something and get on with it. You want to go at least a month or two without calling in, if at all possible. Once you're there a while then you're good, but definitely for your first 4-8 weeks you want to be punctual and present. It's your "breaking in" period when your bosses are figuring out what kind of a worker you are, and you definitely want to be on their "reliable" list.
- If they call you in or ask you to stay later, do it if at all possible. If you had something really important planned (like a class or a doctor's appointment) then explain that to them, but otherwise if they ask you one of these things in your first few months then do it. That shows initiative and that they can count on you, which is also something you want your bosses to feel about you.
- Know their policy on taking checks, and all other forms of money. I'm only saying this one because just last night at my store, a cash drawer was short by seven checks. At the JCPenney I work at, we don't do electronic checks. At some places like WalMart, they scan the check and then give it back to the customer because they redeem the money from the check online. But at my store we aren't that fancy, so we need to actually take the physical check to the bank in order to get the money. Somebody yesterday was giving back the checks, which means we lost that money. That is a BIG DEAL, considering there were only 12 checks taken at that drawer all day, and the total they should have added up to was over $700.
- Unless it's necessary for your job, don't wear a watch. There will be plenty of ways to check the time if you're curious, but having the watch RIGHT THERE will just make you look at it all the time, which will make the day pass slower.
- Don't complain a lot. Everybody you work with will complain, and there's a certain amount of it that's acceptable, but you'll find there's a difference between casual complaining and being a total and complete downer. Casual complaining is accepting that the job sucks at times, but still persisting on and getting the work done. Being a downer is being extremely negative and either slowing or stopping work to complain. Yes the work sucks at times, but it still needs to get
done. One person I work with now complains a bit like this, and it's really annoying. She will just literally walk away from work that needs to be done if she doesn't want to do it, rather than admitting it sucks but continuing to help get it done. That's just not cool.
- Always look busy. There might be times where there is nothing to do, but you still need to at least pretend you're doing
something. Even if you have to straighten something that's already straight, just keep your hands busy and don't stand around and stare into space for long periods of time. And think of things you can do in advance during this time to make your life easier later, or even someone else's. Like even if you don't close, use that extra time to keep your area clean so the closers don't have a huge mess to deal with.
- If you're given a choice as to what task to complete, don't always take the easiest job. A REALLY good way to impress your managers is to take the suckier or more tedious job when you're given a choice. This may seem like kissing ass, but if they say something about it (which from the managers in this case is usually a compliment) just shrug and say somebody's got to do the work. And it does. At JCPenney, recovering the clearance racks and tables always suck the most, but I tend to go after them first just so they're done and we don't have to worry about them later. So not only is it good for getting in the manager's good books, but it also makes life easier for you or somebody else further down the line.
- Don't get frustrated when you make mistakes. Everybody makes them, I myself have made plenty (including once misplacing a cash bag full of $700), but just be willing to learn and listen to those around you. When someone gives you advice, don't be affronted, know that all they're doing is trying to help. And when your managers give you advice, don't freak out or feel like you did badly. That's what they're there for, to teach and help you. I'm pretty sure the person who was giving back checks last night was only doing it because they weren't properly trained before getting put on the cash register. So just be willing to learn and take advice
