Three Days to Go...

I just realized something when I went to write my blog post today. I never told you that I quit my job. That's right, my days at the makeup counter are numbered. To three. I have just three days left starting tomorrow. Thursday will be my final day and on Monday I begin my new job.

Now that I only have a few days left, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on my experiences working there.

There were definitely some perks. I know I'll miss the free products from my counters more than anything, not to mention the discount. And I did become rather fond of several of the girls I worked with, but it was definitely the right decision.

For one, the money sucked. FYI to anyone out there who's thinking of applying to a Beauty Advisor position, if it isn't one of the main counters (Lancome, Estee Lauder, MAC, Clinique), it isn't worth it. It's retail, so your base pay will be horrendously cheap, and unless you work for one of the heavy hitters, your commission will amount to nothing. Which mine did.

It didn't help that I had to pay for parking. That's right. The department store where I worked was in a mall downtown and we got absolutely no discount on parking. Which meant $12.00 a day during the regular season and $25.00 a day during Christmas (and by Christmas, I mean November 1st - February 28th). So, in order to make any money at all, I've had to beg loved ones for rides to and from work for the entire winter season.

The other problem with working downtown was the clientele. Downtown is basically the hub of activity for weirdos, hookers, drug addicts and shoplifters. Despite seven months - almost to the day - of working there, I just couldn't get used to drug addicts and hookers shamelessly trying to put their makeup on at our counters. I wasn't a big fan of chasing them away either. That seemed like more of security's responsibility, not mine.
In conclusion, obviously this job wasn't for me. There was just no way I was ever going to be a lifer. I worked with some women who are, and I just don't get it. But what do I know? Maybe it's their calling. Maybe it's what makes them happy. Not me.

I'm very excited about starting my new job. Sadly, it's not a writing job, but I don't mind. It pays a lot better than retail, and I won't have to deal with customers on a regular basis. That's right. I found myself an office job. I know this means I probably won't have as many funny stories for you, but I'm looking forward to a little more peace and quiet. I've always enjoyed working on my own, putting my head down and just losing myself in the zen of a repetitive task. For me, it's like meditation. I've never appreciated having my thoughts disrupted by customers.

I promise I'll give you the run down of my new job after my first day next Monday, but in the meantime I plan to soak in all the weird my makeup counter has left to offer. Just in case I'm low on writing material one day.