Where does one begin when creating a post about Wal-Mart? I guess I will start with questions that seemed to go unanswered and pose them to you my readers. When Mr. Walton opened the original store almost 75 years ago, his mission seemed simple enough. He wanted to sell more goods at a cheaper cost in order to drive sales in his store up. Seemed like a win win for all parties. Well, then again there is the exception of the employees that were paid pennies to work; were expected to work over time without pay and to do it all without complaining.
Employees worked there because they had no choice. Many employees o Wal-Mart are women trying to keep food on the plates of their family, a roof over their heads and heat in their homes. It is a gross injustice that this company has managed to repress people as long as it has because people feel as if there is no other alternative. They are not educated enough to get skilled labor jobs, they live in rural areas, they may not even know any better. How can a company not be forced to pay minimum wage? Isn't that what is meant for, to ensure that all people have at least an "even playing field" in the workforce?
Wal-Mart's company policy "if you want to take care of the customers you have to make sure you're taking care of the people in stores" is an absolute joke. The people are being treated as if they are second class citizens, not being paid fairly, not being able to make an honest living, not being able to support their families even if they are working forth hours per week, and to top if off they don't even have the ability to obtain health benefits due to the fact that hourly wages are so petty.
Shopping for me at Wal-Mart is always a double edged sword. I feel like I am patronizing a store in order to be treated poorly. It is a very weird dynamic. Sure, you could possibly save a few bucks and in this economy every little bit helps, however at the register shouldn't the person that is greeting me be doing it with a smile? Black Friday you will not find me within a five mile radius of a Wal-Mart. They are known for their shady sales (where they have one item of the most popular toys out there and use that to drive the masses to their store). It is absolute mayhem with people going as far as to camp out for hours, missing holiday time with their family in order to save money. At the end of the day your family wants family time, the gifts under a tree don't mean anything without family.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Sunday, October 20, 2013
The American Dream
I seldom wonder what it was like for my ancestors coming to America and envisioning what their lives would be like. The vision of working hard and being rewarded with a home, hot meals, heat, running water and all of life's necessities. However, I have learned that for them the American dream had to first start with overcoming the American's preconceived notion of what kind of people we were.
Irish immigrants were assumed to be drunks, unintelligent and not the most dependable workers. They were often turned down for jobs based strictly on their nationality. They had potatoes thrown at them, because it was assumed that they were poor and the only thing that they could make was stew. The Irish were known for being skilled workers. Capable of building a home, doing electrical work, agricultural work and even being able to throw a good right hook. Not all of the Irish were equipped to do all of these, but they had the dream of one day being able to accomplish one these or one of the many other luxurious jobs that they could attain in America.
How can one become successful if they are not given an opportunity to prove themselves? It's like the commercials state "I can't get a job because I don't have the training, I don't have the training cause I can't get a job". Unless you are fortunate enough to have a job handed to you, chances are more likely than not going to be that you will struggle to work up the ladder and to be able to attain financial freedom.
However there is also the flipside of the American dream. Saving your money, not squandering away money on things that aren't necessities. Many of us are guilty of receiving our tax rebate and spending that money on a vacation, a new car, new furniture or something that could most likely wait for us to "have the money". However, isn't the American dream that reason why we have the luxury or the choice of being able to do just that? Perhaps a new car is necessary as your other car is not functioning properly which then makes you have to lose hours at work which ultimately could cost you your job.
I believe the American dream is still alive and that we are able to make that dream a reality. Moreover, I believe every one of us is entitled to our dream and just because others aren't trying to play keep up with Jones' with you doesn't mean that they don't envy what you have attained in your American dream. Every day I wake up and count my blessings that I have one more day on this earth to make an impact on people's lives, including my family, friends and especially my children. That is MY American dream.
Irish immigrants were assumed to be drunks, unintelligent and not the most dependable workers. They were often turned down for jobs based strictly on their nationality. They had potatoes thrown at them, because it was assumed that they were poor and the only thing that they could make was stew. The Irish were known for being skilled workers. Capable of building a home, doing electrical work, agricultural work and even being able to throw a good right hook. Not all of the Irish were equipped to do all of these, but they had the dream of one day being able to accomplish one these or one of the many other luxurious jobs that they could attain in America.
How can one become successful if they are not given an opportunity to prove themselves? It's like the commercials state "I can't get a job because I don't have the training, I don't have the training cause I can't get a job". Unless you are fortunate enough to have a job handed to you, chances are more likely than not going to be that you will struggle to work up the ladder and to be able to attain financial freedom.
However there is also the flipside of the American dream. Saving your money, not squandering away money on things that aren't necessities. Many of us are guilty of receiving our tax rebate and spending that money on a vacation, a new car, new furniture or something that could most likely wait for us to "have the money". However, isn't the American dream that reason why we have the luxury or the choice of being able to do just that? Perhaps a new car is necessary as your other car is not functioning properly which then makes you have to lose hours at work which ultimately could cost you your job.
I believe the American dream is still alive and that we are able to make that dream a reality. Moreover, I believe every one of us is entitled to our dream and just because others aren't trying to play keep up with Jones' with you doesn't mean that they don't envy what you have attained in your American dream. Every day I wake up and count my blessings that I have one more day on this earth to make an impact on people's lives, including my family, friends and especially my children. That is MY American dream.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Education and Work
I have had an array of jobs throughout my life: receptionist, customer service, marketing, B2B sales, sales support, DBA, etc.... I have been successful due to my drive, my ability to learn quickly and my overall attitude. However I learned something last year when trying to secure a position for a company that requires, at minimum, a bachelors degree.
Last year I found myself in a position with a company that was not what was presented to me (Business Development). Upon accepting the offer I tried to be successful, tried to make the position one that I could be proud of, one that wouldn't erase the many years of hard work that I had put into learning all that I had and that would challenge me. However the job was not what is was supposed to be, so I resigned. I thought I could just send out a bunch of resumes and I would land something even better. However, the one company that I really wanted the job at requires a degree, even for a sales support role!
I made the decision right then to come back to school and pursue a degree. I am hopeful that this will give me an advantage for future opportunities and I am certain that I am making my children's future a bit brighter. With great struggle comes great rewards.
Last year I found myself in a position with a company that was not what was presented to me (Business Development). Upon accepting the offer I tried to be successful, tried to make the position one that I could be proud of, one that wouldn't erase the many years of hard work that I had put into learning all that I had and that would challenge me. However the job was not what is was supposed to be, so I resigned. I thought I could just send out a bunch of resumes and I would land something even better. However, the one company that I really wanted the job at requires a degree, even for a sales support role!
I made the decision right then to come back to school and pursue a degree. I am hopeful that this will give me an advantage for future opportunities and I am certain that I am making my children's future a bit brighter. With great struggle comes great rewards.
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Post Interview
Fisnik Cana (goes by Nick) is who I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing. He is a soft spoken young man that is just embarking on his college path. Upon his arrival to our class, he immediately noticed one distinct difference between him and the other 16 students in the class, he is the only one with a Y chromosome! He was a bit taken back by this observation, as he was told there would be more males in the evening classes.
Nick is the YOUNGEST of five children, and just like his college classmates, he is the only male born to his parents. His family is Albanian, they moved to the United States in 1999 when Nick was only 11 years old. He attended Allen High School and upon graduating he started working at various restaurants in the Lehigh Valley as a server, busboy, food runner and host.
In Nick's spare time he can usually be found touring the Valley with his friends, occasionally shopping and taking in other leisure activities. He does have a passion for travel, so some day he'd like to explore more and get to see more of what the world has to offer.
He came to Cedar Crest because his sister is attending classes here. He is not sure about the college route, however he is interested in possibly owning his own restaurant some day. He seems interested in many other options, but I am certain that once he is on the path that is his destiny he will surely take in all there is to offer.
Nick is the YOUNGEST of five children, and just like his college classmates, he is the only male born to his parents. His family is Albanian, they moved to the United States in 1999 when Nick was only 11 years old. He attended Allen High School and upon graduating he started working at various restaurants in the Lehigh Valley as a server, busboy, food runner and host.
In Nick's spare time he can usually be found touring the Valley with his friends, occasionally shopping and taking in other leisure activities. He does have a passion for travel, so some day he'd like to explore more and get to see more of what the world has to offer.
He came to Cedar Crest because his sister is attending classes here. He is not sure about the college route, however he is interested in possibly owning his own restaurant some day. He seems interested in many other options, but I am certain that once he is on the path that is his destiny he will surely take in all there is to offer.
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