So far, Sephora isn’t giving me many hours. It makes a certain amount of sense; though I assumed since I had OPEN AVAILABILITY (something retail people practically crap themselves for) I would maybe be getting 10-15 before the holidays. Nah; I had like 9 last week and I will have (including today and a week from today) only almost 8.
I finally had my training shift on the register on Friday. I caught on pretty darn fast (I should–I’ve worked with no less than 5 different POS systems, performing way more complex functions than just ringing people out). Even two of the other new girls who had had previous cashwrap shifts commented on how fast I was already doing it (I wasn’t 100% but I was close–meaning I still needed help with a couple things but all in all I was getting people checked out quickly and remembering what I needed to remember, etc…)
I had considered covering a couple cash wrap shifts before a couple days ago because someone either needed them covered or they added available hours, but I said nothing because I hadn’t even had a shift on the register yet. Well, now I have, so this morning I get an email from a girl who needs her 3-6 cashwrap shift covered. I’m already going in for the “holiday meeting” tonight from 6-9 so I figured, kill two birds with one stone–get more hours while I’m already needing to be there, anyway. So I call the girl, call the store and talk to Ashley (whom I’ve met before but she probably doesn’t know me from Adam). And I told Ashley (she’s one of the management team) that I was a new hire. Now I’m thinking I should have said nothing and just said I was covering Samantha’s shift.
Then Sam texts me a few minutes later and says Ashley called some girl, Monica, to come in because she’s not a new hire and it will probably be busy. So now I’m super annoyed for two reasons. One, it’s not like I’ve never had a retail job. It’s not like I didn’t ADVANCE in said retail job(s) to a SUPERVISOR position(s). And two, maybe I shouldn’t have told Ashley I was a new hire. I said she didn’t know me from Adam, and Sephora has a lot of employees, so she would’ve been like “Ok.” Also, I’m annoyed that on the phone Ashley said “Ok, great, thank you for offering to come in, I’ll make a note of it.” She didn’t say “Thank you, we will keep you in mind but let me call a few people who have more practice because it’s a weekend and we might be busy.” I’d still be annoyed, but less so.
Also, I bet if Alex had been there (she trained me on Friday) she would’ve let me come in since she knew I caught on pretty damn fast, and we talked a bit about my previous work experience.
Mostly it’s also just that I’m antsy about not having hours. If I knew what sort of hours to expect come Christmas season, maybe I’d be less antsy. I guess when the new schedule comes out on Tuesday I’ll know. But Cori and I are at the point where we are super strapped for cash. I cried while filling up my car with gas yesterday even though it was only $22, and then I bought milk and butter and orange juice and that was another $10 (we needed other groceries but I couldn’t bring myself to get them), and then I needed a black sweater for work (I tried wearing the one sweater I have on Friday, but Rachel, the manager, said I could still wear it that day, but it’s black and gold and they only allow black–I guess they allow gold accessories but not clothing and I misinterpreted it). So that was another $18. I also haven’t had my hair cut since my birthday in May so I made an appointment at a salon nearby that may cost me between $30-40. I’ve had bad experiences with discount hair salons, Great Clips in particular when I used to live near Dayton, so I wanted to avoid it. I just paid the electric bill. I have to pay my $320 car payment and 3 credit card bills whose minimum payments keep going up. And when I thought I was getting the hours I needed, I was like, “Great ! It’ll offset at least one of those purchases.”
So I talked with Cori last night. I really do want to work at Sephora. I do like it there. And I did try to apply for non-retail jobs once I moved here, but I’m no closer to knowing what I’m actually qualified for than I was back in DC. Besides that, I still get mad that I probably paid a good $700+ in medical expenses and premiums this year because Virginia is stupid and didn’t expand Medicaid, but here in Ohio I qualify for Medicaid. I would’ve had an extra month’s rent. Everyone I know got their jobs because they knew someone. The girl I met up with recently, Danielle (we used to be best friends in 1996-2000 but then kind of just went our separate ways, nothing really happened), she was at Yankee Candle a few months ago and is now at Reynolds and Reynolds (a company in Kettering, OH). When I saw her about 2 weeks ago, she said she had a friend who was already working there that got her the referral for the interview.
And Cori had his own hours cut in half, which is good for his sanity but not for finances. And I would love to have a job that would enable him not to work, but I’ve felt so burnt out about retail and my college degree meaning absolutely nothing and I’m going to be 28 in May and I’m still just going through life like I was when I was 20 and had time to figure out what I wanted to do.
So yeah. It’s funny that Christmas is coming and I can’t buy gifts for anyone. Hell, I can’t even get cards unless someone like Habitat for Humanity sends me generic cards in the mail. And of course I can’t go home, either. I’ve been super homesick lately. The good news is that Cori’s brother, whom I’ve never met and he hasn’t seen since 2010, is coming out on Christmas Eve. I don’t know how long he’s staying, and even though I’m excited (and nervous) I was kind of hoping to go back home with Cori between December 26th and December 31st. His brother may be here for 2-3 days which means there’s no point in me trying to go back anytime near Christmas.
Amanda also went to visit Heather this weekend and I couldn’t go because of work. Granted, I told Amanda back in September that the earlier we went the better, because I hoped to have a job by November (and I did). And she spent a lot of time asking me if I could give up the hours and I spent a lot of time saying we were in a precarious financial situation and I needed every penny. She’s never had financial issues in her whole life, so I never expect her to understand.
So things are better and worse at the same time. A couple weeks ago Cori and I bought a small $20 4-foot Christmas tree and now I’m wanting to return it for the money. It seems a waste of money to me now. And I always loved getting presents for people and I can’t this year. And I can’t even be with family, either. I mean, Cori’s my family now, but… I really miss home.
So yeah… it’s been a little rough. Cori and I are still getting along wonderfully, no problems, but it’s all the other things that have become difficult.
~Rachel
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