Who here has worked for HEB (or otherwise knows about working there)

[JAL71]

Originally Posted by wCat

I will say right off that I am not an HR person. But I've been in the "re-starter" job market before. I'm not saying this is the case with Bill Millers....but some of these companies put out "jobs" to the public because they HAVE to. When you have a company that has a lot of store locations, they often have employees within the network that might be waiting for a better location, or better hours, or MORE hours...or a promotion of sorts. That is most likely your competition when you have good experience and aren't getting anywhere. It's much easier for a company to go through the motions for legality purposes, but still hire "within" because they want the investment they've put into an employee to pay off.
It's just another reason that some of those kinds of jobs are "dead end" interviews. Try not to internalize too much and allow it to hurt your self confidence. It's the system that gets in the way.....not you. 11 years is a great track record to offer the right company. But finding that company is sometimes a crap shoot.

Good luck!

All excellent points. I totally understand where a company would do that, or HAVE to do that. Been in the industry long enough, and did a bit of the interviewing & hiring myself as a manager.
So, they save the PT cashier/bagger postions for the teens or retired folks. They save the management positions for the ones right out of college that they can pay at a very low starting salary, or for the ones they hire from within.

[fierce_flawless]

Originally Posted by wCat

FF....sometimes it's about too much experience. It's either because they might think she's overqualified for a job that pays $9 an hour. Or...even though she has a legitimate reason for being at a job for a short time, they often look at "short time" or a lot of jobs as a "job hopper". Sometimes that just can't be helped.....but often the person weeding out the applicants is sort of at the bottom of the rung and not the best person to make such calls.
Of course that depends on the size of the company...smaller companies might have the owner or manager do the hiring....and sometimes that's better.

I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but you seem to have a lot of confidence in your partner....but you are talking about her applying for some jobs that are fairly low paying or generally "starter" wages. She may be selling herself short thinking she has to start at the bottom and work her way up. I'd encourage both of you to think "bigger"....and polish up everything...including the old "self image".

Obviously I don't know the whole story...but it's sort of the hampster cage syndrome.

Taking a risk of doing more of my "yes, but"ting... I DO think it's more about realism in this instance.

I will be quite honest here. I KNOW I can do more than half the jobs I see daily that require a Bachelor's degree, but I also know that I can't even get an interview with my 10 hours of college credits and nothing further. So I do my best for now to find something that pays decently and won't make me suicidal. I'm able to make a bit above what my partner makes because when I was 18 I took a secretarial course and have had a lot of "office jobs" but not what you'd call the level of "Administrative Assistant". More like filing, data entry, mail clerk, etc.

As for the admin. assistant thing; i do realize there's money to be made in that particular position but it is just not something I could pursue. I don't much like the other office stuff (although I can enjoy it if I am left alone to do my data entry or filing). I am sure I'd hate the upper level admin tasks where you're in constant contact with people both inside and out and someone is always wanting something yesterday. I have DONE the work, but it left me with no desire to do it again (and well, I wasn't getting paid for what I was doing either at that particular job).

My partner has even fewer opportunities. That's the reality. I know she could single-handedly manage the place where she works now, I know she can DO It...but in reality she dropped out of high school after 9th grade (after getting pregnant, and no, it was not consensual). She got her GED, didn't work until her child was a bit older, and took what she could get at that time, which was food service. She's worked food service and convenience store jobs her entire adult life. Regardless of how awesome I think she is, because I know her and live with her and see her determination and strong work ethic, that's what she's been trained in and it's what she knows and until she changes that with vocational training or college or both, what are you going to do? Look for those jobs that start at $9 an hour vs. $7, that's the only thing TO do, unless I'm missing something. The job she is in now, she brought experience of almost 18 months, but was still hired at the starting wage for all the 18 year old kids with no experience, but when you have kids to feed and they're offering you a job, you take it.

We are both really just trying to find the best pay with the skills we currently possess. Neither of us are fooling ourselves as to what is needed to get out of these jobs, and we're both going to school off and on, and will be again in the spring. With my partner it's really a "lesser of many evils". Work at one food place that sticks you on nights and you work every weekend, or find a similar job that maybe is close Sundays and doesn't stay open as late, or pays a little more, or in an ideal world, both.

I'm not offended at all, I'm just trying to be realistic, and when it comes down to it, getting medical/dental/vision, good chances for advancment down the road, and a free pound of coffee a week (for a $7 an hour job) is nice but those 2 bucks an hour more you can make at Bill Miller or HEB means another $80 a week to pay the bills with. So unfortunately, money is what matters for now, vs. a progressive company or great bennies or room for advancement. It does no good to have medical if you can't pay your rent or afford to pay the doctor the co-pay because your pay is so low. Heck, my most recent long term job had full benefits offered but in over 2 years of working there I never had health insurance, because I couldn't afford the premiums coming out of my check on $8 - 9 an hour.

I hope I'm not coming across as too negative. I'm really just explaining how it is for us both right now. I've got a bit more of a choice due to my clerical skills but beyond that...? The be-all-end-all piece of paper rules the game, so I will chip away at college in tiny increments I suppose.

[SanAntoQT]

Fierce, I'm not understanding why you both don't go to college. I'm sure you would qualify for grants. You could take courses online and do schoolwork around your schedule. While I know this doesn't answer your immediate needs, there is no reason to delay getting an education while looking for a job.

[fierce_flawless]

Originally Posted by SanAntoQT

Fierce, I'm not understanding why you both don't go to college. I'm sure you would qualify for grants. You could take courses online and do schoolwork around your schedule. While I know this doesn't answer your immediate needs, there is no reason to delay getting an education while looking for a job.

We have been... well me more so than her, but off and on for us both. I went in the recent Spring flex 2 semester and we're both admitted for the Spring 09 regular session. Just waiting on financial aid approval which should be in a week or so.

I know this won't fly with some folk but this past spring session was a nightmare for me while trying to work too. I'd been out of school a LONG time and it was a flex course (8 wks vs. 16) and I thought I'd be fine with online courses but I got horribly behind and bombed a class I should have passed easily. I was mortified and froze up about it.

For the part that won't fly with those of you who have successfully done it all and done it all at once: I'm really not convinced that I can handle working enough to survive and going to school simultaneously. I know some folks are kick ass this way but I don't think I'm one of them. For the most money you need to go at least 3/4 time, right? Last term I got a Pell Grant, no loans, and it left me with a few hundred dollars over and above books/tuition/supplies. I don't know how to manage finances, working, and school without something suffering. I was an insane woman, working and then trying to do my school stuff after work online, no time to study alone because my partner works nights and so the kids were here and it was just awful.

Now, maybe this will change after a couple more semesters when I get into the "swing" of things and if I am careful to take my easier courses first? I plan on taking on-campus courses too, for anything I might have trouble with. I don't know. I think it was a huge mistake to jump into a flex course for my first time back in a long time, AND online courses too because in this instance the course was probably twice as intense as a 16 week one. I think some instructors try very hard to make their online course harder to eliminate the chance of cheating or something.

I think my GF has delayed school because she knows she will have to take a ton of remedial basic education courses (not her core degree courses either, the ones before that!) to even get started, but she's decided she's ready to get back into the swing of things finally.

So, that gets back to the job thing..... since we will still have to work while going to school, getting a higher paying job gives us better chances to work part time instead of full time and still bring home enough money to pay the bills. Why work 40 when you can make the same money in 30? That's why the focus on "entry level" jobs that pay $8 or $9 an hour vs. 6 or 7 (for her).... and that's why she has the desire to change jobs even though her current one is talking about advancement.

[SanAntoQT]

Well, Fierce, all I can say is ya gotta start somewhere! Speaking for myself, I managed to go to school, work full-time and take care of my family. I didn't have time to sit around and complain about much. It wasn't easy and it wasn't a 'quick fix' to anything, but getting an education is worth the effort, if you are so motivated. I knew that if I didn't do anything for myself, no one was going to do it for me. If I wanted to live on minimum wage, or near minimum wage, for the rest of my life, then I would have found every excuse in the book to stay stuck. That was not what I wanted for myself or my family and I'm sure it's not what you want for yours. I know I'm not sounding as nice as others who have given you advice, but you have countered every piece of worthwhile counsel. Quite frankly, you need to stop, get up off your rump and just DO IT!

[Age_of_Pisces210]

Originally Posted by SanAntoQT

The same thing happened to my daughter. She was promised that she would be become a full time employee, but, instead, they cut her hours drastically. The last straw for her was when they gave her only 4 hours a week for two weeks straight. She was not a happy camper.

The same thing happened to my husband. He worked for HEB after graduating Highschool and was working 50 hours a week PART-TIME. He asked for full-time employment and they cut him to less than 10 hours a week.

I think the pay is decent for warehouse and corporate positions but as far as I know, working in the actual grocery store is just a step above working for Walmart.

I know one of my friends quit her job at HEB to work for Jack in the Box because they paid her $9.00 an hour with a guaranteed 40 hour work week. Plus she was able to attend college in the morning while working afternoons, without that "I need you to come in right now even though you are at school" crap.

[jiltedseaworldlover]

Originally Posted by BUSTOFF

HEB puts a lot of hiring weight on an unwritten rule about being bi-lingual. If this ever got out there would be no end to the lawsuits against them.

I'm not bilingual and I got hired.

I was hired at one of the job fairs. Did two interviews and got hired. Haven't started work yet, but it's a job and I'm sure I'll like it. Most places will work with you on hours if you show initiative. The woman at the second interview, probably the manager for the cashiers, told me that only way to get full time was to earn it. Ok. I'm game.

I'm 39, but look like I'm 26. At least according to everyone I talk to. I used to job hop a lot, but I still managed to get a job no matter what. It's all in how you sell yourself to the interviewer. I'm just myself. If nobody likes it and wants to hire me then that's there loss.