So I had orientation at my new job today and I'm not sure how I feel about it.
For orientation we were all cramped in a SMALL room (5 people), I'm talking if when you would be filling out your forms you would be bumping into the people next to you.
The employee manual was all basically "what not to do's" and "you'll get in trouble if you do's". I've never worked for a department store before, only small boutiques for big companies like Victoria's Secret and Nine West but their orientation was heavily based on product knowledge, company information, and the less emphasized points were ones about things that will get you fired.. lol.
I guess I am starting to feel like I'd be just a number, and never get ahead at this job. Or if I did get ahead, I would be stuck at a low pay level indefinitely. They still haven't even told me what my pay rate is, but I heard others speaking of theirs and they were being paid minimum wage (7.15). So I'm assuming all seasonal/part timers start at that. Raises are only done once yearly. Walking around the store, all the employees look miserable.
I don't have a college degree ( I have one year of fashion merchandising under my belt and 3 years of assistant manager experience), but I feel like this job just will never work out in my favor. I feel confident in my experience level and think that I can do more than straighten racks and ring customers out. I really don't want to be somewhere just seasonally and I also don't want to get stuck in such a low paying job that I can never get out of. I mean, even McDonald's is paying more than this dept store!
I don't know
. I was diagnosed with panic disorder two years ago and it's been really hard for me to get back out there and going again. But I don't want to take this job just because it was the first one laid out on the table and be in a worse, anxiety provoking situation.
What do you guys think?