I have been working auto parts retail jobs for the past few years. Was just a easy job and was good at it, never satisfied with pay but whatever. After peak COVID I got fired from a place I put my everything into, absolutely crushing my spirit and becoming jaded from the experience. A couple days after I stumbled into another auto parts store, with the manager hiring me on the spot. When I tell you he was a cool dude, I mean I've never met a manager like him in my life. Could shoot the shit, left everyone alone to do their job, was hardly at work so no pressure, always took care of his people when it came to corporate, that kinda guy.
About a week ago or so he got fired out of the blue, he always told us the district manager had it out for him but finally found some dirt I guess. They brought in a new guy who we knew was a total asshole. The kinda guy who'd flip on his staff from what we heard. Kissed our ass and told us he wouldn't change staff, thought we were great workers, blah blah blah. He asked me what I wanted out of this job, going on about how he had drivers become store managers and whatnot. My answer of “a steady paycheck” didn't sit right with him, going on about how he wants people who care about this place and business and whatnot. I told him I could get 15 an hour almost anywhere, and he told me they needed me and pay wasn't an issue. So I told him I wanted a 3 dollar raise and he said I'd have to accept more responsibility, when I already do 3 different jobs. I accepted it and got back to work, determined that I'd get out of there.
Well once I got home I feverishly applied to jobs and within 10 minutes had a phone call with a software/hardware repair company desperately trying to find people and said my resume stuck out. I studied IT/Computer Maintenance in high school so it was in my wheelhouse, albeit being so long ago, I figured I'd get out of my comfort zone with an entry level tech repair. Within 20 minutes he sent forms over to get onboarding started and along with it came that 3 dollar raise I was looking for.
The story would've stopped there, however when I got to my interview, the supervisor I talked with was so impressed that he offered me a salaried management position that has me overseeing 100 staff and monthly flight out to California, company car and gas card, my own office, amazing benefits and so on. I kept my cool and had a smile from ear to ear as I walked back to my car. I called my mom to give her the news and she was happy for me. After, I stopped by my old job, said hi to everyone and told them I quit. Hope they can find better positions or work for themselves, as I learned my lesson staying at jobs where you're suddenly no longer needed.
Tldr; mgmt fired cool manager, so I went out and got a raise from 15/hr to $52,000 a year after a 10 minute job search