And Then I Danced...
Required Listening:
So I quit today at Target. Amazingly, it wasn't the result of yet another responsibility leaped upon us salesfloor peons, while our pay remained cripplingly the same. I didn't hash it out with one of my managers I don't like about making only 14 cents more than I did when I started in November of '09. It wasn't even about the often-subtle but highly perceptible abuse that we receive at the hands of customers whom often are not malicious so much as aggressively indifferent to the effects of their behavior.
No, I quit because my manager dismissed a suggestion I had.
Let me paint a picture for you. At Target, specifically in the electronics section, we've recently begun installing a new background graphic that looks like paneled wood. It's not clear why we as a corporation thought paneled wood was a good look for the high-tech side of the store, but what the hey.
The problem is that all the high-tech devices are dark blue, silver, or black. If you know anything about advertising, illustration, etc, you know that this is a bad idea. What happens is the customers eyes will travel past the products and focus on the background. It's subtle, and there are exceptions both in placement and in customer reaction, but when most customers look at our cases, look at our walls, look at our displays, they will not see the camera on sale but see wood paneling. Most (60% to 80%) of customers' views will almost literally 'slide' off the merchandise to look at the paneling, which means they'll have to consciously focus on looking at the product, which will translate into missed sales.
When asked what I thought of the display, I off-handedly commented 'I have a few issues with it'. My manager responded rather comedically "So?"
Before this comment reads a little harsh or whatnot, he meant it both in very good humor (I sure as hell laughed) but mostly in the cynical take many of us who work at Target have with our corporate overlords - meaning 'it doesn't matter if I have an issue with it or not'. And that really struck a chord.
I have a degree in graphic design and a not horribly lacking resume and portfolio of work that I've done freelance since graduation. I'm not a good designer, I'm not a skilled designer, I'm barely a designer at all. But I know enough about design to know not to put electronics on a wood paneling background.
But that consideration would not be heard by the Target corporation. Hell, the manager of the store probably wouldn't even hear me out. And I'm not saying that the Fortune 500 company should listen to some guy with a BA about how to decorate a thousand+ stores, but the fact that my experience and training will NEVER be called upon nor heeded by the company was what sealed the deal.
I have no future at Target. There isn't even an assistant manager position for me, much less any position that will require or even benefit from my colegiate or professional experience. And given just how low the pay, how high the workload, and how much I hate working there, it became clear to me that I was flat-out wasting my time working there. It's not worth $400-600 a month to hate waking up in the morning because of how I'll spend the majority of the day, to hate who I see when I in the mirror. Working at Target took a considerable toll on me, and that is no better illustrated than by just how amazing I feel now.
Between clocking out today and coming home, I sang aloud, danced up steps, nearly wept with joy, and generally couldn't stop smiling. All because, in two weeks, I won't have to clock in at that store again.
You know what? One song isn't enough...
Goddamn, it's a good day.
Click to viewSo I quit today at Target. Amazingly, it wasn't the result of yet another responsibility leaped upon us salesfloor peons, while our pay remained cripplingly the same. I didn't hash it out with one of my managers I don't like about making only 14 cents more than I did when I started in November of '09. It wasn't even about the often-subtle but highly perceptible abuse that we receive at the hands of customers whom often are not malicious so much as aggressively indifferent to the effects of their behavior.
No, I quit because my manager dismissed a suggestion I had.
Let me paint a picture for you. At Target, specifically in the electronics section, we've recently begun installing a new background graphic that looks like paneled wood. It's not clear why we as a corporation thought paneled wood was a good look for the high-tech side of the store, but what the hey.
The problem is that all the high-tech devices are dark blue, silver, or black. If you know anything about advertising, illustration, etc, you know that this is a bad idea. What happens is the customers eyes will travel past the products and focus on the background. It's subtle, and there are exceptions both in placement and in customer reaction, but when most customers look at our cases, look at our walls, look at our displays, they will not see the camera on sale but see wood paneling. Most (60% to 80%) of customers' views will almost literally 'slide' off the merchandise to look at the paneling, which means they'll have to consciously focus on looking at the product, which will translate into missed sales.
When asked what I thought of the display, I off-handedly commented 'I have a few issues with it'. My manager responded rather comedically "So?"
Before this comment reads a little harsh or whatnot, he meant it both in very good humor (I sure as hell laughed) but mostly in the cynical take many of us who work at Target have with our corporate overlords - meaning 'it doesn't matter if I have an issue with it or not'. And that really struck a chord.
I have a degree in graphic design and a not horribly lacking resume and portfolio of work that I've done freelance since graduation. I'm not a good designer, I'm not a skilled designer, I'm barely a designer at all. But I know enough about design to know not to put electronics on a wood paneling background.
But that consideration would not be heard by the Target corporation. Hell, the manager of the store probably wouldn't even hear me out. And I'm not saying that the Fortune 500 company should listen to some guy with a BA about how to decorate a thousand+ stores, but the fact that my experience and training will NEVER be called upon nor heeded by the company was what sealed the deal.
I have no future at Target. There isn't even an assistant manager position for me, much less any position that will require or even benefit from my colegiate or professional experience. And given just how low the pay, how high the workload, and how much I hate working there, it became clear to me that I was flat-out wasting my time working there. It's not worth $400-600 a month to hate waking up in the morning because of how I'll spend the majority of the day, to hate who I see when I in the mirror. Working at Target took a considerable toll on me, and that is no better illustrated than by just how amazing I feel now.
Between clocking out today and coming home, I sang aloud, danced up steps, nearly wept with joy, and generally couldn't stop smiling. All because, in two weeks, I won't have to clock in at that store again.
You know what? One song isn't enough...
Goddamn, it's a good day.