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[op_ivy]

you see, several months ago i had interviewed for a manager in training position. all my interviews went well, and the district manager in particular seemed to love me. it sounded like the job was as good as mine as long as the background check they had to do went fine...

so i waited the week it was supposed to take to run it, and the DM said that she hadnt heard from them. she asked me to drop by her local store and fill out another form for the backgrgound check so she could send it out again. i did that, and again waited several days before calling. well the DM went on vacation and when she returned she found the 2nd background check form i filled out and sent it out.

i continued to be optimistic (if not a bit pissed off) about this new job, but it never went anywhere. i kept calling, and kept getting the run around for a few more weeks. i finally decided "fuck it, either they dont want me and dont have the balls to tell me directly, or THIS IS ONE FUCKED UP COMPANY", and gave up hopes on that job.

since then i have transferred with my employer to a close location (home depot, no more commuting) and have been in school for 6 weeks.

today, i got a call from the DM saying that shes able to hire now, and wants me to take a MIT position...

what with my school schedule, i would be extremely hard pressed to do that and a full time job. i could do it though, and just wanted to ask some of you guys about the company and job. is it a decent job? is the company as fucked as my limited experience with them should leave me to believe? how is the pay?

 

[Baron Aloha]

RUN!! I say this based on everything I've heard from people that I know who worked there. It isn't worth it at all. Plus the holidays are coming up and that place will be one big hell hole.

Stay at Home Depot.

 

[LukeSmith]

Home Depot >>>> Gamestop.

 

[MonkeyBoy]

Home Depot >>>> Gamestop.

IAWTP

 

[belgurdo]

Home Depot >>>> Gamestop.

Hot chicks looking for paint and wallpaper runners (or gay guys if you run that way)>>>>>overweight soccer moms trying to buy "socam" and "Final Phantasy Star IX" the day before Christmas and snotty kids trying to eat the demo kiosk controllers

 

[op_ivy]

any of you guys actually work there though? and i'm curious about the pay. i dont make all that much at HD...

 

[Burger]

I will never work in videogame retail again.

And christmas is coming up, I say run like the motherfucken wind.

 

[aoi tsuki]

Unless the position is for third key (< assistant manager < store manager), pass. Retail stores, especially small ones like GS are looking for management to be slaves to the job. IT's simply too much responsibility and expectations in exchange for a couple dollars more than associates and benefits, especially at this time of year. It's possible to be third key while going to school; my friend did that, worked another job part time, and school full time. If you can get that position with pay better than HD, and a schedule flexible to your school schedule, it may be worth it.

Frankly, i'd be inclined to stay with HD. If GS starts to suck (and it will), you'll be wishing you were back at HD. Getting jobs around this time of year isn't easy.

Edit: i worked there for three years off and on, through holidays and a couple of system launches. It's a fun place to work when you work with people who are gamers, but frankly, i could only work VG retail part time. Watching crap sell and quality games do poorly is kinda depressing. Having to push certain games often worsens things. And don't get me started on Dragon Ball Z addicts.

 

[yoshifumi]

i always figured working videogaming retail would turn me off of videogames forever (or at least make me go on a mall killing spree). i would avoid it.

 

[bjork]

If I worked in a gamestop on either Oct 26 or Nov 9, I would bring a handgun for crowd control purposes.

Or maybe a squirtgun filled with pee.

 

[Grimlock]

I will never work in videogame retail again.

And christmas is coming up, I say run like the motherfucken wind.

Echo that! VG retail on Black Friday is a soul-searing experience. I think one of the levels of Hell is working a non-stop Black Friday for all eternity. Seriously.

 

[bjork]

Try black friday in a Wal-Mart toy department... worst thing ever.

 

[Manabanana]

Try black friday in a Wal-Mart toy department... worst thing ever.

I worked Black Friday at a Kay Bee once. It was pretty fun. Hectic, but fun. Lines were pretty long at times, but people were friendly enough.

Wal-Mart was probably hell. People at Wal-Mart are usually really aggressive.

 

[BobbyRobby]

I was the third key at the Gamestop I worked at. $8.50 an hour for easiest job ever. I worked at a strip store that didn't do much business.

As long as you don't mind dealing with nerds, little kids, and moms, you should be fine.

 

[bjork]

I worked Black Friday at a Kay Bee once. It was pretty fun. Hectic, but fun. Lines were pretty long at times, but people were friendly enough.

Wal-Mart was probably hell. People at Wal-Mart are usually really aggressive.

Barbies were on special, 2 for $5, during the 6-11 sale period. However, there was no limit in place. So the store opens, a guy comes hauling ass to the toy department with a cart, and goes to the endcap of Barbies. He sticks his arm behind all the Barbies and slides them into his cart. He filled his entire cart, leaving about ten Barbies on the shelf, which were gone in about two minutes.

Some guy calls me over and asks why there are no Barbies. I say because some other guy bought them all. The guy asks if there are more in the back. I say no, because we only got enough to build the endcap. He gets all pissed off and starts yelling at me about how his daughters are going to have their christmas ruined because they want Barbies and they can't get them now. I said if he wanted to not be a cheap ass, there was a whole row of Barbies that he could shop. The place was packed, and I guess what I said was funny to some people because they were like, "Yeah, ya grinch bastard, don't be so cheap" and stuff.

He ended up calling me a bunch of names and filing a complaint, but piss on him.

 

[op_ivy]

so, i've pretty much made up my mind to tell them to fuck off, but anyone have any idea what managers make?

i guess i could ask her myself

 

[Justin]

Managers only make about 30k a year, isnt enought for the crap they put you through. The real money is in the DM spot. You do 1/5 the work of the store manager and make between 60-90k.

 

[sc0la]

any of you guys actually work there though? and i'm curious about the pay. i dont make all that much at HD...

What's your pay like? I just got promoted and I make at least 9 an hour. I am not sure if that was an MiT position though, I just kind of got promoted to manager.

The company is fucked in some respect but that mostly revolves around the companies stance on pre-orders and how those pre-orders are processed in the POS system (which has serious issues).

The crucial factor here would be your co-workers etc. that is what is going to have the biggest impact on your experience. I would opt for home depot if I were given the option at = pay, simply because I am sort of dreading the christmas season in a retail position that deals with what are essentially toys.

You could do a lot worse in my opinion, but make sure you are deliberating your choice. The coolest thing about having manager responsibilities is that you get opening shifts which are generally awesome since its just you in the store and you don't have to listen to your 17 year old co-worker talk about his level 45 white mage and the virtual argument he just had this morning on FF 11

 

[op_ivy]

Managers only make about 30k a year, isnt enought for the crap they put you through. The real money is in the DM spot. You do 1/5 the work of the store manager and make between 60-90k.

in the neighborhood of 30k a yr is a HUGE improvement over what i'm making at HD... there you go tempting me again

i think i'll give her a call and try to discuss money. if i could make anywhere near 30k there while i'm going to school, then fucking a. i'll buy myself a sti and some whores . who cares if i hate work, i'll make sure i'm doped up the whole time

 

[sc0la]

Oh Manager manager.. I thought you meant an ASM for some odd reason. haha.

Then scratch what I said about pay.

 

[Burger]

who cares if i hate work

Uhhh...

Those are the famous last words of EVERYONE. You think that for x money, you can handle x bullshit. Wrong.

If you are not going to like what you are doing, just don't bother. If you are ok at HD, or the staff are cool, or you kind of don't mind the work, STAY THERE!!!!

Seriously though, you will hate videogame retail, almost everyone does. If they don't then they probably don't know about sites like this.

 

[op_ivy]

Uhhh...

Those are the famous last words of EVERYONE. You think that for x money, you can handle x bullshit. Wrong.

If you are not going to like what you are doing, just don't bother. If you are ok at HD, or the staff are cool, or you kind of don't mind the work, STAY THERE!!!!

Seriously though, you will hate videogame retail, almost everyone does. If they don't then they probably don't know about sites like this.

well, the thing is, retail is retail. and retail is pretty much all i've done... i can imagine you run into some very annoying people working at a gamestore, but i cant fathom how its sooo much worse then working at a pac-sun knock off or HD... shit, HD probably has by far the worst customers i've ever had the (dis)pleasure of helping.

and $11/hr vs ~$30,000 is quite a difference.

 

[Brannon]

Damn, it's too obvious; they put you on the back burner and decided to yank you, a starting person with starting pay and benefits, during the days right before the holiday season so they can train you to be ready just in time for the deluge of customers to come. That way they get maximum work from you with minimum pay from them.

I like Gamestop, but in this case you should fuck them right in the aural region.

 

[Joe]

i'd imagine the oppurtunity for growth is much better at gamestop...

never shy away from hardwork, it'll all pay off in the long run.

do what you think is best (obviously) but i don't think you should let the holidays and more work affect your decision.

 

[BigJonsson]

I'd take the manager position just to get management experience

 

[KilledByBill]

The fact that they gave you such a run-around before getting back to you is cause for concern.

Still, you should follow up with the Gamestop women and get a clear idea of their offer is. Then it'd be a good idea to turn around and tell HD you've been offered position "XYZ" at another company in the salary range of "ABC." See if they'll offer you something similar, it's worth a shot.

 

[sc0la]

I like Gamestop, but in this case you should fuck them right in the aural region.

Their ear!?

??

 

[Brannon]

Well if you want to be direct about it....

 

[op_ivy]

as good a job this would be for me right now, i've decided against it. i just would be completely unable to have any weekend days off or really any time off, and coupled with full time school (which as a bio major, i need several weekends off for field work) it just couldnt work. never mind stress related burnout.

oh well, nice to know it was mine if i wanted it...

they put you on the back burner and decided to yank you, a starting person with starting pay and benefits, during the days right before the holiday season so they can train you to be ready just in time for the deluge of customers to come. That way they get maximum work from you with minimum pay from them.

yeah, i didnt think of that, but thats probably how they planned to handle the situation from the start. lame