M, 29, been dreaming to break into a tech career for over a decade. Got an interview in February for a job that paid $16.50/hr at full-time, less than my previous 17.75/hr job but I took it because I went from a soul-sucking insurance sales job to having a chance to break into IT with a swath of eclectic knowledge and experience in a variety of areas that would prove to be generally useful (enough to get multiple certifications, which was my plan after I saved some money to take the exams.)
First month was a trial by fire, I was assigned to a single client day in and day out for over a month, had the ropes shown to me, bossman is polite and basically tasked me with writing up simple SOPs(Standard Operating Procedures) while doing the day to day things that come up, like resetting user account passwords, or deploying new Apple devices for nurses and corporate employees needing them. I formed what I thought to be simple coworker friendships while I was there, fixing whatever typically menial stereotypic things happened (phone/email/printer not working, conference call issue, etc) and all seemed well. But as always, tech issues are often actually people issues.
Early on there was a complaint according to my boss about my “appearance” Which was particularly strange because I wear a uniform. I have long hair tied up in a ponytail and a beard not at all dissimilar from other male employees, but my skin is darker and people often asked me what my racial background is, which I get a lot because people have thought I was anything from Hispanic, Greek, Indian, etc. So I thought nothing of it, my work wanted to make sure I look good anyways so they comped me a barber visit to make myself look tip-top.
Well fast forward another couple weeks, another complaint about me “coming around too much and loitering.” I had made a habit of checking in with people at their desks twice a day, once in the morning and once before leaving for the day to make sure that things are running smoothly and to give an opportunity to answer questions that tend not to come up until they become a problem later.
Boss says stuff like “yeah this place behaves very politically, and you gotta behave in a certain fashion even if it just to keep up appearances.” This is a paraphrase but it's pretty damn close to what he actually said, which I scoffed at in my head but I was determined to not let it stop me from doing my due diligence.
During this time we got a new employee that the boss knew personally while working for another client, I showed him the ropes of the day to day and we worked together for a bit and traded shifts, I also started getting to see work with other clients.
Well, Third strike and I'm out. Another final complaint from someone else unspecified in the details but essentially boiled down to me “looking like I don't do anything.” And my boss gave me the “Sorry, I gotta take you off of this client and put you elsewhere. This is a setback for you but not a huge one.” (Spoiler: that was a lie) And so I was reassigned to… nothing. “We gotta figure out what we have available for you to set up your schedule.” Ever since then, I don't even know if I'm working often until the evening prior or a few times, the morning of. I slept in till 915 this morning and noticed that at 830 I was pinged, asking if I can go OUT OF TOWN, which I was willing to do but it didn't matter because immediately after that he said “never mind I got (new hire)”.
I am scheduled to work 8 hours this week. I can't even afford to buy groceries or get the fucking gas to go out of town and do the job that they want me to do. I had to ask my parents for money to pay off the loan that I had to take to cover the gap from changing fucking jobs. I'm doing weird odd jobs and shit for friends and family and I am actively seeking anything now at any amount of pay at full-time because I can't afford to work at this anymore. They say one thing and do another, which would be something I would be willing to put up with if they weren't actively fucking over my ability to have a place to live, and have fun things like a working fridge, or lights.