I QUIT AFTER 36 HOURS

Alright, so first off I already know some of you keyboard warriors (no offense) are already down commenting before reading my whole post telling me how I'm a beta male, weak, impatient, etc. because I didn't give this job a chance. Now maybe all of you who think/say that are right, but in my experience the first time you experience something like a cookie-cutter job like my job as an Overnight Team Lead, first time you experience the management, coworkers, subordinates, etc. is very telling for what you can expect for the rest of said job. And let me just tell you, this Walmart *cough* #2556 *cough* was the equivalent to giving a monkey a machine gun, except that at least with that scenario you know what you're getting, you know the monkey has no idea what a gun is and given the opportunity will make every possible chance to use it, because monkey's are just curious and all that. In any case, I digress. At this store, however, it was a major surprise because if you look up this specific store, it's smaller than a Neighborhood market, it shouldn't be a big hassle, nor should the management be toxic. But trust me when I say this was absolutely the worst experience I've ever had at a job. I know I'm rambling on, so let me just get down to brass tax.

First off, I'm in the military, or National Guard for all you veterans out there. And long story short they cut my Active orders due to lack of military funding, so I needed a job ASAP that would pay more than Uber (what I was doing in the meantime) . And mind you, I've always wanted to be a leader of some sort, so getting offered the job as Overnight Clean Team Lead was really exciting--at first.

Halfway into my first actual day (orientation) I was told that my pay would be reduced by $2 ($25.50 - $23.30). That alone was bad enough because even with getting paid $25.50 out here in the central coast of California was going to be a struggle. I only took the job because I thought it would be good for me to get some manager experience that I could then take to another job for more pay (obviously), so hearing that in a non chalant way as the hiring manger told me, was extremely upsetting, but I still pressed on, as I do not quit easy. Ever.

But then my first actual day, they throw me into the job head first like I know what I'm doing. Now, I shouldn't say "they" as it was one individual Coach who has been with the company for 17 years and I guess just expects everyone to know what she knows? Who can really say, but regardless, literally day one she was acting like I was doing something wrong by not knowing what to do, what goes where, where the pallet jacks are, etc.

Just to say it again, I'm sure some of you are going to say "well I bet you were on your phone, or just standing around with your thumb up your butt". I promise I wasn't. I was as enthusiastic and ready to work as one could be given the circumstances. And also let me just put this here that one of the individuals in my Team was this 40 year old man who had a stick so far up his rear you could call him Groot (Marvel reference). Not to be crude, but man was this guy a prick (no rhyme intended). It was clear he had no regard for the little authority I had cause anything I told him during my brief time there he just shrugged off. So all that was bad enough, but I kept pushing through, despite the pay cut, expecting-too-much-too-soon Coach, and the stubborn associate who made the job that much harder. I clocked out with an hour or so of overtime because the Coach wanted me to make sure everything was good to go. Mind you, after the rest of my team already clocked out. Just to say it one more time I know what you guys are thinking "oh boo hoo you got overtime pay, cry me a river". I get it, of course overtime is always nice, but the work itself was so stupid as I should've been told about that specific task (sweeping and cleaning the receiving bay outside) earlier in the shift--not right when I'm supposed to go home. And also, I don't really care how much I was being paid, that was the first night on the job, and I was tired as heck, but. I. still. stayed. Regardless, I clocked out and went home. Then the next day came.

I walk into work and first thing I see is the stubborn guy from my team getting on the sweeper, didn't say anything to me, just gave me a dirty look. So not a great start already, and mind you that was before I clocked in. Anyway so I go to clock in, and meet up with my Coach, and she walks through everything that is expected of me and, for instance how the cleaning supply closet was left reflects very poorly on me--not the previous Team Leads, not John Doe--ME, when I, for the umpteenth time, was barely on my second day. But I pressed on, she (the coach) went on to have me go look at all the responsibilities of Clean Team Leads on One Walmart, and honestly it was just the straw that broke the camels back. Not saying that specifically was enough to leave, or even a sufficient reason, but it was just so overwhelming, cuppled with the fact that I was already being held to this gigantic standard (to the point where my Coach told me that she wanted me to start walking with the morning manager so I know exactly what I'm doing wrong basically), I was just done. I was tired, annoyed, unmotivated. So I pushed through till lunch at 3:00, clocked out, and never came back and that morning sent an email to Walmart Ethics. Probably not the best choice, I understand, but that store barely gave me any respect or time to prepare, and so I did the same for them. I have a wife and daughter who need me, and so the hours alone were already going to be a significant challenge, let alone all the other factors. My time was way better spent (financial and otherwise) just sticking to Uber for the time being.

I should add that they "were" going to send me to training sometime in the future, but that could've been 3 weeks, or even months from now as they said there were a few other people ahead of me. So I did completely have the intention to at least try and make it to that training, but the uncertainty of WHEN they'd send me just pushed me all the more towards quitting.

Thank you for reading and coming to my TED Talk. Please leave any questions/comments/concerns/own stories in the comments.