Who would you rather work for?

[Glendor]

I have a pretty good 9 - 5 job (actually 6:30 - 4:15) as IT support for a big company, but since my wife had to resign her job with the school district (her Multiple Sclerosis got worse) I'm having a hard time paying off all our medical bills, and just making ends meet, on just one salery. Since I have to drive into work in downtown Houston, I thought I might as well get a part-time job with a business on the West side. I could go there right after I get off work at my primary job, and earn some money rather than just sit in rush hour traffic. Who do you think would be better to work for based on: salery, benefits, environment, etc...

MicroCenter
Best Buy
Circuit City
CompUSA
(other suggestions welcome)

I could work almost anywhere (Academy, Walmart, Target, etc...) since I had several years experience in retail before I moved to IT, but I figure I might as well work in a store that I have an interest in so it might not feel like so much of a hardship (working 6:30 - 9:30 or 10 each day). Maybe it could even be fun?

Anyway, your comments are always welcome.

 

[iamme]

i dont' have experience in with any of those places, but just wanted to wish you and your wife good luck

 

[TheAudit]

Originally posted by: iamme
i dont' have experience in with any of those places, but just wanted to wish you and your wife good luck

Yeah, me, too. Good luck and take care.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: TheAudit

Originally posted by: iamme
i dont' have experience in with any of those places, but just wanted to wish you and your wife good luck

Yeah, me, too. Good luck and take care.

Me three.

 

[mchammer187]

CC or BB

they have a wider selection of items

compusua and MC are mostly computer stuff

the discount will come in handy

 

[Gurck]

Yep, best of luck to you. I'd have to say MicroCenter, simply because I've never heard of them and the other places you mentioned are hell on earth.

 

[Glendor]

By "hell on earth", can you elaborate on that?

I've shopped at each, and they have their good / bad points, but I hope someone with first hand experience and give me advice on who is willing to work with odd schedules, and actually shows an interest in the employee.

When I was between high school and college, I worked as a Supervisor in the Hunting/Fishing dept at Academy Sporting goods. Around Christmas, I thought it would be interesting to get a job at a local pet store when I bought a lot of my aquarium fish (former hobby). The manager understood that I had my primary job, and I was working for them only in the evenings (and rather cheaply I might add), and the other job came first. He was cool with that, till the first time I had to be late because a delivery truck from a vender had a flat and was late arriving at Academy. He b!tched me out something fierce! Turns out he was totally unreasonable about the schedule, and the "flexibility" he promised was a myth.

That's the kind of situation I would like to avoid.

Does anybody have any stories about any of the places on my short list that would fall into that catagory?

 

[Khaos]

Isn't there a Fry's opening on that side of town? I know we're getting one on the south side. I don't know how their work environment is though. Good luck!

 

[Ausm]

CompUSA...Because the people they have in there store don't do squat

Ausm

 

[purbeast0]

dont work at BB! I worked there one summer just to earn my discount after 30 days, and it SUCKED HARD!! You get treated like crap, you have to push and push the PSP's, and you dont even get commission! I used my discount on my 31st day to buy about $1800 in stuff, saving over $1400, and then i told them I am never working there again and quit.

 

[Arkitech]

Sorry to hear about your wife dude, good luck on the part time gig.

I used to do deliveries after hours in a higher income neighborhood in Chicago. The tips were great, I made quite a bit of cash. It was tough doing another 4 hours after my first 8 but the money was decent.

 

[ggnl]

My experience with BB is that they aren't very willing to work with you on your schedule. If you want a promotion to a position with any benefits, you have to guarantee availability for a certain number of shifts.

 

[Glendor]

BB is the only one who actually let me meet a manager and hand off my resume. I'm not really looking for advancement though.

Oh, and my wife was completely unwilling to let me become a Gigolo, so that's out.

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: Glendor
BB is the only one who actually let me meet a manager and hand off my resume. I'm not really looking for advancement though.

Oh, and my wife was completely unwilling to let me become a Gigolo, so that's out.

heh dude, you don't need a resume to work at bb. i got the job calling a phone number then doing an automated interview, pushing 1 for yes and 2 for no. after passing the automated interview, i went for an in person one. then i went for ANOTHER in person one. then i got the job.

all i'm saying is that for a saes associate job (unless i guess you are doing tech type stuff there, which i have no exp with at BB, only sales) then i don't think the resume means much.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

Originally posted by: Glendor
BB is the only one who actually let me meet a manager and hand off my resume. I'm not really looking for advancement though.

Oh, and my wife was completely unwilling to let me become a Gigolo, so that's out.

my advice....don't give a resume, just go in and fill out an app like everyone else. They will likely cringe at someone way overqualified as they feel it is more likely you'll just bail if you don't like it.

 

[Glendor]

I did fill out online apps for BB and CompUSA (or it might have been Circuit City). I don't know when the Fry's will open, and I'm in a rush anyway. Hopefully I'll get some calls today. I get every other Friday off from my primary employer, so maybe that will help too.

 

[Glendor]

I'm off to try CompUSA in person. Nobody called from yesterday, so I'm still looking. If I don't have an electronics place by this weekend, I'll expand my search to Sporting Goods, or <shudder> Department Stores. I want to find something close to work so I don't have to battle traffic getting to my second job. The sooner I'm there, the sooner I can start the clock.

Wish me luck.

 

[DAGTA]

I suggest looking into starting a home business. It will be harder in the short term but much better in the long run.

Your wife can probably handle working to get it started for now. Then you can take over and be home with her if/when her MS gets worse.

Best wishes!

 

[Taggart]

Good luck!

What do you like to do in your spare time? Maybe you can turn that into a part-time thing. Why don't you start a little IT biz on the side?

Much better than working retail

 

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by: Glendor


Wish me luck.

best of luck to you and your family :sun:

 

[yoda291]

my suggestion, look in HD forums and figure out which Store you can consistently make deals out of. Work there.....Profit!

 

[Glendor]

I've had an interview with Micro Center, and they seem interested, but the hiring process is a bit lenghty. They pay their sale people an hourly/commission rate and they pay the seasonal help straight hourly. I don't know what would be better because they didn't offer any hard numbers, and I don't know how I would do as a salesman.

Nobody else has called, and I'm I'm putting in an application with Sam's Club today. It's right down the street from where I work, so I could almost walk there after work. A benefit to working at sams is that (I suppose they get an employee discount) I could get bulk groceries there like we used to.

Glendor...