The Glade 4.0

yeah - so you guys have missed out on the /sarcasm on Fantastic amounts of fun I have been having /sarcasm off at my latest hell job, jewelry consultant in a Zales Outlet. An oportunity has arrisin for me to move up to a manager position, but I cant decide if I wanna go there or not.

Some backround info:
I moved to NY to live with my man when they opened a new Outlet on Long Island. Turns out the manager had never managed a store before and I was the ONLY experienced employee (a whopping 9 months of experience in jewelry by then) that he ended up with.

He also came from a store that had an office admin that handled all of the oporational paperwork etc, so he had NEVER done any of that either, while I always end up knowing the ins and out of the paperwork, and this job was no exception.

Obviosly, opening the store without me would have been dificult at best, nown right ludicrus (sp?) at the worst.

Cap onto that a complete change in computer systems for the new store so that nobody including the manager or myself knew how to do jack in the new system and lets just say fun was had by all.

Now that was October of 08 - skip ahead to 2010 and we have a typed, 5 page formal complaint ready to go on this jackarse of a manager, untill they changed policy so that we had to go through hoops before giving it to HR and dropped the whole thing in disgust. We are talking payroll alteration/fraud, severe sexism, favoritism, hate mongering among the staff to create more competition - you name it and this prick did it.

So now employees start jumping ship - they cant win in this place, they cant make enough money to pay the bills, they cant get the time off they ask for without a major argument. It just sucks. As of last Tuesday, the manager gave US his notice that he was leaving the company and retiring effective when he leaves on Thursday.

Seriously, I had to fight not to jump up and do a traditional Irish jig and I dont even know any traditional Irish jigs lol

However, that left us with 5 employees, one of which just gave notice that she has been hired on elsewhere for much better money and a more stable schedule and her last day is ummm. . . yeah, tomorrow. LEaving us with 4 TOTAL employees.

They are hunting for a manager for us but its taking too damn long.

Beyond that, I am FIGHTING to be able to break $400 on a BI-WEEKLY paycheck as things stand. John and I are strugling to pay the bills, his savings is shrinking and I cant find another damn job 'cause apparently if you dont have an 'in' on this fracking island, you cant get a job!

two co-workers, John, his dad, my sister. . . all of them say I should stand up ad put myself in to manage the store. I'd be a shoe in. They wouldnt have to train a manager on how to deal with the newer system, they wouldnt have to train a regular Zales manager on how the Outlet works (it IS different) and lets face it - I'm more than capable.

Here's the thing though. I dont want to be stuck in this crap! I want out more than I can say, but that just seems like such a selfish reason not to do it. I'm planning on speaking to some managers tomorow about it and see what Zales management is like - but I dunno. . . . . . . . I dont want this to be like when I managed for Radioshack and had to give up my entire life for that literal rat trap.


Any advice?

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Kinda hard to wrap my head around all you wrote, but career moves are pretty simple , in my mind.

If it's more money, take it.

If it's more money but not in your career path, you still take it, but you continue to search for a job with equal or better pay that is in your career path.

Never take a job making less money if you're working.

Always be looking for your next job, and examine yourself closely if you're in the same job for more than 3 years, 'cause you're probably making a mistake.

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In time, this too shall pass.

Take the job. It sounds like you're pretty much doing it anyway.

And you can be in charge So most of the issues will go away yes?

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Holy shitsnacks!

Why are you worried about being stuck there for the rest of your life? Sure, it's hard to move if the job is comfortable enough and pays well, but I see people do it all the time.

Of course, I don't, and I'm not particularly thrilled with what I do. But, it pays the bills and I'm not working construction, so ... /shrug

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This cold and dark tormented hell
Is all I`ll ever know
So when you get to heaven
May the devil be the judge

Take it now. nothing says you can't quit in 2 weeks if you get a better deal more to your liking somewhere else.

I mostly agree with this. But I entirely disagree with your third premise. Money isn't everything. Sometimes happiness means more. I would be willing to take a job that makes a less if it meant I could do it for the rest of my life and be satisfied with my career. For instance, a lot of people in industry go to teaching for this very reason.

As for your position Tymoria, I agree with everyone else. Take the position and if it stinks, move on. In the meantime, you'll earn more money and have more management experience on your record.

Do you have any dependents or are you in a relationship where you have agreed to share a future?

Personally, I work for money. I agree that happiness is important but my obligations are more important. Don't misunderstand - I love my career and all, but my number one passion wouldn't provide for my family anywhere near as well as my career does.

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In time, this too shall pass.

Resume fodder, more money, take it. Teach the staff how to do things right, explain you expect good performance, let them know that you aren't going to be gaming them like the loser before you. Also let them know you expect them to be straight with you, and if they can't do that, the door is the same place its always been.

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The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. B. Franklin

"A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone." -- Tyrion Lannister, A Game of Thrones

I say Take It.

Even if you don't plan on staying, the extra line will look nice on your resume. And perhaps the jackass that left was the reason for the bulk of your misery and it won't be so bad now that he's gone. You can already do the job, may as well use the skills you have and get paid for your skills.

Seize power! This is merely the first step in your inevitable takeover of the entire island.

/cue maniacal laugh

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"I've got twenty ways to tell you shut the f*ck up / nineteen of them are twenty-four bars long / the other one goes: SHUT THE F*CK UP" - Aesop Rock
"There is no God higher than truth." -- Gandhi
Formerly: Tulamian

You've done management at this level, so you know a bit of what's in store for you, Tym. I say take it and see what you can do with it, you could make things better for both yourself ans the employees, and maybe it will help you further along when the economy's in better shape and there may be better employment opportunities elsewhere.

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