YAJobT: Question about leaving a job to get a new one

[S Freud]

So I currently work in a grocery store as a checker. They pay minimum wage, which sucks and after school and bills I am practically left with no money at the end of the month.

They just opened a new Home Depot near me and I would love to apply for a job there, I heard they start pretty high.

My problem is this: I work at a grass seed farm during the summer that makes me very good money for what I do. Would it be wise to quit my job and work at Home Depot and then turn around and leave them for the summer job? How could I go about telling them that I would like to work my summer job without screwing myself out of the home depot job because they know I am going to leave in a few months?

The reasons I want to leave my current job:

-Pay sucks

-They only post the schedule weekly so I can never plan anything in advance

-They are always trying to call me in when I have class because they don't schedule enough people. Then they get pissed when I tell them I have class and can't come in.

-My boss doesn't even know my name...I wear a name tag.

 

[BigJ]

If you're hired, you'll likely be hired on as a temp at Home Depot in Gardening/Seasonal or as a cashier. Most temps go on to become regular employees if they choose to. I'm going to warn you right now that late March/early April things start to pick up and you are going to be busting your butt. Loading bags of potting soil, all types of -cides, paving stones, etc is a real pain. Not to mention constant watering and sweeping.

As far as the pay is concerned, if you're currently making minimum wage you will be pleasantly surprised. The key is to get as much money as you can during the hiring process (this goes not for temps, but for all regular employees) because the raises each year are not a lot for many people (there's a big exception to this, but it's not something I'm going to go into).

 

[S Freud]

I don't mind the work, that is actually one of the reasons I don't like my current job. All I do is stand there and check groceries for rude people. I just wanted to know what I should do about quitting and then getting a new job but tell them that I work a job during the summer.

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: S Freud
I don't mind the work, that is actually one of the reasons I don't like my current job. All I do is stand there and check groceries for rude people. I just wanted to know what I should do about quitting and then getting a new job but tell them that I work a job during the summer.

Considering you're most likely going to be hired on as a temp, it's going to be a non-issue. The right thing to do is tell them upfront. That said, this may result in them passing on your application or during the interview process.

If you don't mind me asking, how much are you getting for the summer job? Feel free to PM me if you don't feel comfortable with posting it.

 

[S Freud]

For the summer job I only make $8.25 an hour. But I work over 130hrs in two weeks, we work about 13-15 hours a day 6 days a week running farm equipment. I recently got my W2 from them an from late June to the middle of September(So about three months) I made $6,800. The work is long but there is no way I can pass that money up.

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: S Freud
For the summer job I only make $8.25 an hour. But I work over 130hrs in two weeks, we work about 13-15 hours a day 6 days a week running farm equipment. I recently got my W2 from them an from late June to the middle of September(So about three months) I made $6,800. The work is long but there is no way I can pass that money up.

Depending on your offer, I would seriously consider going FT at Home Depot. All I'm going to say is that working 40hr weeks, for 3 months, some new floor associates (non-cashiers) may come within a few hundred dollars of that. This number may vary based on geographic location.

 

[S Freud]

Really? I didn't think they made that much. It might be a stupid question but do you know the chances of becoming a floor associate? I helped restore both my parents houses and did some construction work while in high school, so I do have prior experience in areas that would pertain to that.

 

[BigJ]

PM coming your way.