Well, I just got fired on the first day of my new job (long)

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Note to mods: if this is better suited to the pit, please feel free to move it there.

I got home from college in mid-May. After spending a couple of weeks relaxing after a bit of a tough semester (I go to Virginia Tech, in case you don’t know), I started looking for some kind of work, since the internships I was looking for didn’t work out.

My search has not gone well. I’ve submitted resumes and/or applied at over twenty places. Most places have told me quickly that they don’t want to hire a worker who will only be in town for 3 months. It’s now down to 2 months and even fewer businesses are interested.

On Saturday, I finally heard from a place that showed interest. It s a local diner, Bob and Edith’s (name not changed as I feel no need to protect the not-exactly-innocent), that was willing to to take me on if I also agreed to work over my Christmas vacation.

Today was my first day of training. As a trainee, I wasn’t allowed to work the computer registers so all I could do was take drink orders, bus tables and do random little odd jobs pointed out to me (take this pitcher of sugar and refill all the dispensers, wrap this silverware in napkins, etc.) I did everything anyone asked me to do quickly and (as far as I could tell) about as well as a trainee could be expected. No one I was working with voiced any complaint against me.

Seven hours later, I’m a little tired (it’s been over a month since I had to spend even close to seven hours on my feet.) It’s about 2:30 so the lunch crowd is thinning out. There are two customers in the diner. Both have have their drinks full and are still eating. A guy named Greg (who I assume (based on his behavior and the name Greg listed as owner on a sign on the wall) to be the owner) comes in and talks to the main waiter on duty for about 10 minutes, while I’m waiting for something that I can do to come up.

After the fifteen minutes, he asks me to talk to him outside. He tells me that this job isn’t for everyone and that it’s “obviously” not for me. He tells me that I’m fired. I proceed to ask why. (“If you wanted this job, you would be working harder.”) I proceed to ask for another chance. (“No, now get out. There will be a check for your eight hours waiting for you on Saturday.”) I proceed to ask again for another chance. (“Get out of my restaurant or I will call the police and have them get you out.”) I leave.

What the hell!? This man watched me for 10 minutes when I’m tired and business is slow, on my first day of training, and decides that I’m not working hard enough. Instead of telling me that I’m not working hard enough, or suggesting something for me to do, he fires me on the spot. What the hell!?

2

Sounds like a dick. I think you’re better off not working for him. Did you tell him you had been working hard all day and this was the first chance you’d had to breathe?

Ivyboy was running into the same problem, trying to find a summer job before college starts. He shows up for an interview at Steak 'n Shake in his suit, the manager practically pees herself that a teenaged boy shows up for an interview nicely dressed, called us to congratulate us for raising him right, and still didn’t hire him because he’d be leaving in August.

He does have a summer job now, and the issue of his (ahem) length of employment has not come up. When he does leave he will offer to work over the Christmas vacation.

3

Dude, you’re better off. Seriously - if that’s the way they’re gonna be, do you really want to work there?

Ideas: have you tried a temp agency yet? Also, if you just need something/anything as a job - try applying to larger retail outlets as a stockboy (think Toys R Us or Target).

4

Oh, I wouldn’t work there now if Greg himself showed up at my door and begged me to come back.

Still, it would have been nice if he’d at least given me warning of some sort rather than the “can I talk to you for a moment, your fired, leave or I call the cops” act.

Temp agency, major retailer stock work. Hmmm, I’ll add them to my list of things to look into. Thanks.

5

Wow, that does sound like a serious WTF moment. Agreed that you’re better off, although I know the job search can be tough I wish you all the best.

6

I think what many retailers forget is not only are you an employee…you are also a potential customer. I’m sure you will be telling a few people about your experience, and I’m sure you won’t eat at that diner again.

7

Greg is a bullet. Congratulations on the nice dodge!

Here’s a tip for summer work. Find a temp agency. Personally, I’ve had better luck going through locally-owned agencies (I’m not sure why, I’ve just gotten better jobs through them). The best jobs I ever got were through the agency attached to UNC-Chapel Hill: high-paying jobs in a relaxed environment. It’s what I did over every summer and winter break during college, and was rarely without work.

Apply at several agencies, follow their rules about calling in, have a decent resume and a decent work outfit, and good luck!

Edit: Curses, beat to the punch again!

Daniel

8

I had the same trouble finding summer work in college. We were on a quarter system so we got out a month after all the other colleges. Most of the places willing to hire summer-only help had filled all their positions.
What I found was that jobs that had a longer learning curve like waiting tables were even less likely to hire because they knew that by the time I was up to speed I’d be leaving.
The first summer I ended up night cashier at a convenience store only because they were extremely and unexpectedly short staffed. The following summer I was a receptionist at a car dealer because I knew the right people. That winter I worked in a large mid-level department store at the mall, and they were always willing to take me back even if it was only for a few weeks here or there. Big stores are more flexible and won’t be that put out by training someone who isn’t going to be there long.

9

What a jerk! I know it’s hard to find summer jobs, but seriously, at least you found out early on what a dickhead he was. Better luck with your next one.

10

True. I’ve already informed two people I know who eat there on occasion (besides myself) of this. That’s part of the reason I mentioned the diner by name. Any northern Virginia dopers who read this are welcome to join me in never again spending one red cent in Bob and Edith’s Diner (specifically the older of their two locations, the one nearer to the Pentagon, though I doubt I’ll eat at their newer location either.)

11

I run a temp agency (sadly, in another city). I’ve seen this kind of thing happen many times. Having hired and fired literallly thousands of people, I can tell you first impressions mean a lot. Sometimes it just doesn’t seem fair. I can’t really defend Greg, since I wasn’t there, and it sounds like he was unduly harsh. But, I have had to fire lots of people on the first day who didn’t undestand why they were being let go. It’s a tough decission, but usually a correct one. Although they aren’t always right, the owner/manager usually knows from experience when a person will work out, and when they won’t.

Instead of just being mad at the guy, it might be good to take it as a lesson. Remember, some employers put an inordinate emphasis on the first day’s performance. Be sure to hustle your butt off to make a great first impression.

12

As they used to tell us all the time in the convenience store biz, “if you have time to lean, you have time to clean.” If there’s nothing else to do, there’s always a chunk of floor in need of a mop… It’s especially smart to grab said mop when the owner walks in, just sayin’…

Make the rounds of all the c-stores, somebody’s ALWAYS quitting or getting fired and managers pretty much always need someone who can handle a cash register.

13

A suggestion: Always be doing something. Especially when the boss is watching. Since the boss had never seen you work before, when he shows up you should be doing something.
Grab a rag, wipe the counter. Pick up the salt shakers, and verify they are full. Same with the pepper. Sweep the floor, carry the bus tray back to the dishwasher. make sure the menus don’t have ketchup stains inside. I don’t care if you did all of this 5 minutes ago, do it again. The boss is watching this time.
When you get your next job, do this and you will be told what a great worker you are. Stand around when the boss is not watching.

14

Lord Il Palazzo, you really don’t remember, do you? But then why should you? You wouldn’t even recognize him after all this time. After all, you were only 4 years old when your parents told you your older brother Gascon was going to “live on the farm with your bunny and turtle.” How were you to know that the “innocent little accident” you caused when you mixed the “pretty pink and green stuff” from his chemistry set would ultimately result in his requiring 8 years of reconstructive surgery and 15 years of psychological counselling? Oh, no, it wasn’t your fault! You weren’t to blame!

Oh, but Gascon knew. He knew you planned it all! A child? Yes you were, but a crafty, deceitful child who’d been planning all your miserably brief life to get rid of him. Your parents may have been fooled, and even he was, at first. But after years of replaying the incident in his mind and being haunted by your so-called cute little cry of “Whoopsie boom!” he finally realized the truth and now, NOW his vengeance will begin. You thought being fired was the worst thing to happen this summer? Just you wait.

15

Good points. Hindsight is 20/20 and all that.

16

This is an excellent tip. Us older folks, over the years we have developed a sixth sense for this - without really looking, we know when we need to look busy and when we can shoot the shit around the water cooler. You also need to find more work when you’re slow without actually telling anybody that you have nothing to do - say that too often, and they’ll start to wonder if you’re really necessary around there.

Sorry it didn’t work out, though. I third (fourth?) the temp agencies - there should be plenty of people taking their vacations while you are looking for a couple of months work.

17

Good luck on the search for a job…

You may want to omit the fact that you only intend to work for 2 months during your job search.

You have to look out for yourself, and rest assured that the business won’t collapse because they didn’t know you were going to quit to return to school.

18

Hey, I know that Bob & Edith’s…I used to go there a number of years ago, but haven’t been in a long while. Knowing they have an asshole owner means I’m not going back. There’s plenty of other places to get eggs and homefries.

BTW, I had this mistaken idea that a real Bob & Edith ran the place. A nice, elderly couple who remember the good old days and always remember to thank customers as they leave. I think people should demand Truth in Advertising and have them change the name to Asshole Greg’s.

19

Sorry, I have to dispute this a bit. He’s been working seven hours straight. He is entitled to a break (by law, but YMMV, depending on state laws and age of the employee.) The fact that he was taking a ten minute breather after running around all day should have been mentioned.

Lord Il, instead of begging for another chance, I would have said that this was the first time I’ve had a chance to breathe. Either way, sounds like Greg is a jerk.

Good luck on finding something else.

20

Besides temping - specifically summer work is good. College painters, landscaping, lawn service, tourist traps. My little sister worked for the Dept of the Interior fighting forest fires.

Also, don’t wait until 2 weeks AFTER school ends to start looking. Next year, start calling places that will hire summer work in March. Use your networking abilities - call your friends, your friends parents, your old high school teachers. All the jobs were gone before you got done relaxing. Yeah, I know Virginia Tech - guess what, employers don’t care.

As for Greg - whatever. Move on. Maybe you made some comment to the head waiter you were working with that made them think you weren’t right. Maybe he didn’t like what you looked like. Maybe you should have been wiping salt shakers. Maybe you looked wiped after seven hours on your feet - wiped enough that he thought he might be hiring a stoner.