Our first paid Job

Written By Morgan Edgecombe

Right so this is a little hard for me to write as it does not have a happy ending necessarily and I want to share my experience but I want to be as objective as possible.

So context. I have only done volunteer work at a second hand store before this job with Moose. I enjoyed working there and they were supportive and understanding.

I see a job advertised for a novice dog groomer, but it had been up for while and I figured they likely have hired someone, but I applied anyway. To my surprise I got a call asking for an interview. My interview went well, they had no issues with my need for an assistance dog as staff could bring their pets to work anyway. I meet my potential coworker's later that week and had a day trial to see what I can do. It went well, I liked the team and hoped I would get the job.

First Day

I did. So the 90 day trial began.

I had been working there about little over a month when I found out that the store manager that hired me was soon to be fired and a temporary manager would be brought in till they could find a replacement. I will call them Pink.

So Pink started as the Temporary Manager.

About a week in Pink asked me to talk to them in their office, I did not think anything of it as they were talking to everyone. By the time I came out I was very confused as it was like I was having an interview for my job all over again and my intelligence was in question. I talked to my salon manager about it and she said I'm fine and not to worry, so I brushed it off with the thinking Pink had poor people skills.

Things did not get better when it came to Pink. I felt like they were constantly watching me as any time I looked up from my work I could see them through the salon window to the main store (it was a big store). As the weeks went on I found out from other staff that she was asking them questions about me but not the how do you think shes going kind of questions but the "Why does she need the dog?" or "Why does she sit down all the time?". Its not like I was hiding anything, if Pink had ask I would of answered and they were all asked and answered in my interview too.

I remember one day I had just finished with a difficult customer and Moose had told me I needed to sit down and do DPT. Pink walks in shortly after I sat down and asked why I was sitting and I said I needed to as Moose alerted for me to do so. I was then told I should go to the staff room if I need a break as it looks bad to see me sitting. (Note the staff room is up 2 sets of stairs). I said I would be ok in a few minutes and it was not the best idea to go up stairs the way I was. Through this conversation she kept trying to walk closer to me and Moose had to stop DPT and cut her off (doing his job like a good boy) and Pink got frustrated with Moose getting in the way and just pushed past him, instead of continuing to try and walk around him. Moose then came round and jumped on them pushing them back and partly into a corner then sat in front of them. Pink finally got the point Moose was making and did not try and get to me. Another staff member was in the room at the time and they made a comment after Pink had left that it was cool to see Moose work in that way.

The Salon. Moose hanging out with a clients dog

From that day on I felt like Pink was fishing for a way to get rid of me, but I said to myself Pink was only the temporary manager and as long as I did not give them anything to be able to cancel my 90 days I would be fine.

The 90 days came and went, still things with Pink was hard, but I liked everything about my job and the main people I worked with. I also found out that a lot of the other staff disliked Pink too. This made me feel a bit better knowing it was not just me and that it was not my disability putting false feelings in my head.

The news came that Pink was now the new Store Manager. I had the worse day as I ended up having an argument with another staff member over nothing as we both hated the new Manager, and i also injured myself which meant I could not work in the salon and so I had to work in the store.

Since Pink became the official Store Manager any mistakes I made were like a criminal offense. Pink contradicted them-self all the time and you could not point that out. Pink went on and on about the importance of communication but if I tried to talk to them about something, it was like how dare I speak and if i did answer their questions they would ask me the same thing a few days later or even the following day and I would get the stink eye if said we had talked about that previously.

I started to feel like Pink had made it their personal mission to make my life hell. I started hating going to work as I did not know if Pink would be there.

I handed in my 2 week notice after about 8 months working there, it broke my heart, but I could not cope with Pink any longer. During the time I worked out my notice I discovered five people in total had handed in resignations.

My last 2 weeks were bliss, Pink left me alone and did not talk to me at all. This only sadly confirmed my suspicions that Pink wanted me gone. I still do not know why as from where I stood I did my job well.

Its been about 3 months now since my last day and it still upsets me as I feel I have lost all the freedom and independence it gave me. I felt like my life was on track but it was for the best that I quit as its obviously not good to work in that environment. It has given me insight into what I like in a job and what I don't. I'm moving on and it's their loss as I know I'm a hard worker. Looking back on the situation, there are a few things I could have done, whether they would have made any difference to the outcome I don't know. After going to the Salon Manager for help but being told that I was fine just ignore Pink, I should have gone to Pink in person. At the time I did not want to be seen as confrontational but if I had voiced the matter directly with Pink regarding my feelings about the way Pink acted instead of going through a third party, then perhaps we could have sorted out whatever it was that had Pink uncertain about my abilities. You only learn by experience, and sometimes that can seem hard, but just being told isn't enough.

Thanks for reading.