How My First Week At A Retail Job Transformed Me

I feared this experience for so long. But it certainly didn't go anything like expected.

Drastic Transformation

A week ago, I was hired as a customer service associate at Walgreens for my first paid job. And man, these last seven days have transformed me.

Let's start with my prior perception. Retail jobs were touted as the utmost torture anyone could ever endure. You got paid minimum wage to be constantly abused by customers and corporations alike.

I read that sentiment again and again. I was socially awkward and hardly talked for years. I was still bothered by negative events from years ago.

I would literally die in this environment.

While I applied to all jobs during my 2+ years of unemployment, I hoped I wouldn't get them deep down. I hardly applied to any non-software jobs, though I did some.

I'd have to endure hell if I got a callback. The discussion would be snarky and interrogative. The job itself would be worse than death. That's the idea I'd been inundated with.

I applied on Tuesday and got a call on Wednesday morning for a job interview. I went to the store in person on Thursday. I noticed the vast difference in vibe compared to corporate.

The demeanor was laid back. There wasn't corporate jargon about teamwork and friendship – other than the questions they were required to ask. Everything felt genuine, not fake.

I was slightly awkward. But the next day, I received another call informing me a job offer was on the way. 3 days from application to hire, as opposed to 4 months of multi-round hazing for a generic rejection.

That is a process that respects my time.

I was nervous at first. I felt like an idiot a lot. Forgetting what was just said, not retaining information, and having my facts wrong. There was a lot of information to remember in a few days.

Coupon policies, item locations, FedEx dropoffs, card reloads, and bank transfers. Communication devices, Zebra scanners, and confusing legacy systems.

I received a rude remark from the very first person I rang up. One guy didn't respond to my questions and snatched the receipt from my hand. These negative experiences match the horror stories I read online.

But they are not the only page in my story.

I feel super great today. Tired, but not more than when I could do nothing but send applications into the void. Not a tainted void that keeps me up, but a feeling of conclusion I can sleep on by day's end.

Friday was a rough day –my first 2-10:30 PM closing shift with severe understaffing and many unhappy folks.

That was offset by a near-perfect Saturday and Sunday. Everyone was kind, and my mistakes were less. I've begun to get into my groove.

I'm already over the few negatives. Perhaps the overload of new experiences has bolstered my brain. Even disregarding that, an overwhelming majority of interactions were great.

I spoke with more people this week than in the last decade. I don't even think that's an exaggeration. I've met many interesting folks through this.

One told me they worked at Walgreens for 30 years. A nice Doordasher guy with a cowboy hat hyped me up about this being my first job.

A few people asked about my wrist braces and recollected their experiences with work-related symptoms. I met a guy just today who had a robotics startup and asked me for my contact info.

I won't lie – I considered the possibility of connecting with someone in the tech industry through this role. I didn't expect to meet someone this quickly though... like wow.

I'd be heavily conflicted if I got a software job though. I started this a week ago, so I wouldn't want to get up and leave so early on. All my co-workers have been kind.

The choice boils down to money. The bane of my existence, one I wouldn't care about if I didn't need to. I hardly remember I get paid for this job – the addition to my bank account feels like a bonus.

I've reconnected with the physical world and humanity again. I'm no longer rotting away in the confines of my room. I'm tired, but it's nothing compared to the perpetual headache and eye pain.

The worst period in my life is over, and I don't need to concede to mistreatment for the minuscule prospect of employment. I've had tons of practice to improve my conversation skills.

I've learned how to use my voice properly again. My inability to say what I wanted frustrated me to all hell. But speaking doesn't hurt anymore and I can project my words.

The little things bother me less. I've figured out how to avoid negative situations, not because I'm always at fault, but because I know there's a way I can bypass them for my sake.

If not, there was nothing I could do.

My first week at a retail job mended multiple holes within me. Employment, social anxiety, and hyperfixation. Long-standing issues that plagued my life for years are receding into my rear-view mirror.

I never would've imagined feeling this way. Once again, the misrepresentations of the Disinformation Age paralyzed me with fear. The provocations dictated my future and claimed I was a fool to believe otherwise.

The second I walked through the door, an angry boss would come to abuse me. Then a customer would arrive and throw some pennies in my face, screaming and yelling for all 8 hours. The internet painted that picture.

But my experiences are what matters in my life.
And my experiences were nothing like this.

The job I worked was not skillless, but quite involved. I've developed new habits that software engineering hasn't provided. My manager, co-workers, and all but a few customers were not demons. We were all human.

Working in retail was not a living hell. Stressful situations at times, but nothing compared to the burdening feelings and self-harm I committed in the not-so-distant past.

Perhaps I'm just naive. A corporate slave or mindless drone. Maybe I'm yet to see true reality after only a week – as also told for my past 23 years. If there's an indication of a pattern from my realizations, the claims are likely worthless to me.

Regardless of what liking this job makes me, I am content. I've regained my last bit of vitality – and feel whole again.

That's how my first retail job changed me.