I have been in retail for 6 years and Home Depot 11 months now and I am finally going to try something different, I recently graduated from truck driving school and I got my first job offer from a well known trucking company.
My experience with home depot was absolutely awful, I enjoyed working at Target and Walmart more.
Why? Because at least there I felt valued as a person, at home depot I was just a meat bag expected to work life a dog for little in return. No matter how hard I worked, no matter how many people I helped, they would make me full time, the work just kept getting harder and harder.
I was expected to lift 15 bags of concrete, heavy lumber. Etc… into trucks everyday, run customer service, do online pickups, work cash register, help loadout, get screamed at and have customers throw change at me, get yelled at again because I'm supposed to know what kind of glue you use to glue floor tiles on the floor…” I work front end, I'll be glad to radio a flooring associate and have them meet you down the aisle?” Oh he didn't like that, he was PISSED! He made me call a manager… SMH..
All of this BS for $15/hr? And NO raises? Hell no.
Even at Target every 6 months I got a 60 cent raise and the most I lifted was like 50 pounds. Only left Target because I moved to an area that didn't have one nearby.
Anyways, I am glad I'm finally able to get out of retail and start making an actual living.
I'll start out making $60k a year at this new job of mine. This is most I have EVER made!
in retail the most I brought home in a year is MAYBE $28K after taxes.
One last thing, don't stay in retail… Go in the trades or get your CDL… Retail is NOT worth it if you are young and ambitious and want to have a good life and make some good money.
You'll never make enough in retail.