When people ask me how things are going, I have plenty of wonderful news to share. Within the last year, I’ve gotten married, moved into a new house, and last month, I got a promotion at work. But what I don’t always share is what it took to get to this point.
Today I’m training to be an assistant manager at the Bellevue, Washington, store. Several years ago, I wasn’t sure I even wanted to work at Walmart. At the time, I truly needed a good full-time job – I was lucky to get eight hours a week in my position at another retailer – but I had heard negative things about the company and believed the hype. After a period of moving with my then-toddler son from living in our car to staying at the local YWCA and finally sleeping on my sister’s couch, one night, I had enough of the situation and submitted a job application at Walmart.com. My retail experience got me in fast enough to attend orientation the very next week. After that, I’ve never looked back.
When I joined the company six and a half years ago, I was on welfare and food stamps. Within my first year, I gained enough stability to get off government assistance completely. I started with the company as an overnight stocker, got a promotion after only six months, and I’ve been moving up through the ranks ever since.
Now, I want people to know about the good things Walmart has done for me. No other job I’ve had has given me these kinds of opportunities. I’ve had to work hard, but that’s true for any job, and my effort has paid off in the end.
My opinion of Walmart has changed, and so has the trajectory of my
career. While my road getting here was sometimes rocky, I only hope that my
about-face can show others that never giving up – and trying new things – is
always the hopeful path.