Not worth it

So, as many of you know, I'm working this "awesome" job for a high-end hoitey-toitey jewelry store in Brighton. If only the job were so awesome. If only I liked the job. It's been two weeks and I'm quitting. Some of you may think that's insane of me, even immature. But I'm going to go ape shit if I stay. This goes beyond not liking my job; I'm fucking miserable. I've hated it from day one.

1) My boss is an ego-centric prik who thinks he's royalty.
Dude, you own a jewelry store. I don't care that you drive a BMW 120 MPH down I-275 and have a fleet of attorneys to get you out of any tickets. You're just another shlub who wears a Rolex to make himself feel better.*

2) The lead sales-person, Libby, who has been there 9 years, is a queen bitch. She acts like she runs the store (and probably does, in all reality, since I never see the boss do anything other than show up and be demanding). She's rude to me, talks down to me, and practically had me in tears.**

3) Ever been to a used-car dealership or Art Van? Feel like they aren't going to let you leave until you buy something? That the sales staff are leeches ready to suck your last dime? And that they have you surrounded and that there's no way out. The jewelry store's sales tactics are of the same school.

4) If I don't do two hours of community service a month, I don't get paid my comissions. 1st, I don't think that's even legal. 2nd, their idea of community service is not what most would consider to be community service, like helping out at a soup kitchen or volunteering to tutor under-privledged kids after school. No, their idea of community service is rubbing elbows with at a Chamber of Commerce meeting and drumming up business. They don't want us slumming it -- poor people can't afford their jewelry. Not to mention, the "community service" has to be done in the Milford area.

5) Milford? Wait. Wasn't I working in Brighton? Yeah. That's what I thought.

6) I've had shit for training. All I'm told to do is shadow the associates to learn. Umm, that's great in theory, when the associate you're supposed to be shadowing lets you. In fact, I'm told to learn from Libby, since she's got years of experience. Libby has made it clear (not to my face, but to the manager, and to boot, while I was in the room) that she doesn't want me with her. So I'm left to scrounge for any material that I can find with information about the lines we carry. We're supposed to be experts. Hard to be an expert and give customers accurate information when you don't know the product.***

I thought this job was going to be a great opportunity. I was thrilled to be getting back into jewelry. I had hopes of becoming a Graduate Gemoligist, something I've wanted do since I started making jewelry in high school.

I've put up with a lot of shit over the years. But this is too much. So, I'm quitting Rottermond Jewelers. I'm going in tomorrow, turning in my keys, and leaving. I figure if I wait it out and stick around longer than I'll feel obligated to give notive. I've only been there two weeks. I don't feel obligated to them for diddely-caca.

Not convinced I hate it there? I get an awesome discount. Really awesome discount. And there's a pair of ruby earrings that I want.**** Really want. Discount be damned. Ruby earrings be damned. I quit.

I've talked to Mel at my old store and she's giving me hours there.***** I'd like to a job at U of M (isn't that what everyone in the Ann Arbor area ends up doing anyway?). They have tuition reimbursement, and I can go back to school. Is it a perfect plan? No. In fact, you may say I'm being a bit rash and stupid. But in the end, it's my overall happiness and sanity at stake. I know I need the money that I'm getting from this job. But Rob and I have talked this over. He agrees with me: I need to leave. And since working at the University is like being a part of the mafia, Rob's going to help get me a job there.******

So begins the next saga in my life.


*No, I don't have Rolex envy. I just have better things to do with $30,000.

**Those of you who know me, know that I'm more likely to tell someone what I think of them and make them cry, than I am to cry myself. Yes, she's that big of a bitch.

***What? What's that you say? That you weren't trained that well at your job? I've worked retail for over 10 years, and have never had such shitty training. And that includes at Ritz. At Ritz I got paid for my training, at least! Product information was made alvailable to us. My boss and co-workers were good about letting you listen in on sales and at offering information and helping. So no, I'm not going to go home and look stuff up on my own. It's not that I don't enjoy jewelry. It's just that training should be a part of my job. Unless they want me to make shit up as I go along.

*****Everyone thinks every girl wants diamonds. Fuck that. I want rubies. Lots and lots of rubies.

*****Mel's had two people quit and one cutting back on hours over the last few weeks. She seems happy to have someone already trained on board.

******It helps to know someone to get a job at U of M (as in you really can't get a job unless you know someone), and once you're in, you're in. Don't like where you're working in the system, then make a bid to transfer.