the Wal Mart application

[katieGrace]

It was me against the machine (computer) me against corporate America, me losing my mind....I applied at Wal Mart yesterday. What ensued was funny, pitiful and enraging all at the same time. I had tried to apply several times, always getting error messages that their system was experiencing technical difficulties. No s***. It took more than a half dozen trys to get a user name and password. The blinking thing malfunctioned through every frikkin step. I went to the store for help. The young man, bless him, he tried. Let me add i have utmost respect for Wal Mart employees. My son and daughter in law have worked for them for five years. They are overworked, seriously underpaid and unappreciated by management and customers both. Still...I need a job. So.....after a trip to the store where I received the same error messages, and a call to a store about a pin number it was demanding (I didnt have one to give it, the young lady said to use the last four digits of my social....think they might have put that somewhere on the app)...I finally get in the system. You have to go through every step a dozen times, after being informed of their "system error" every single step of the way . I realized that you had to simply repeat the steps incessantly until it would finally go through. It said my ss number was invalid. Enter repeat enter repeat...finally it took it. On and on, until you get to the psychological testing part. honestly, I am of average intelligence and the test was not easy. Not at all. Stupid pointless trick questions, I wanted to scream at this point. It literally, overall, took several hours. This is an example of what we have come to in trying to find a job in America. rant over!

[josantoro]

Remember when a real person would decide if you got the job or not?

[katieGrace]

Remember when a real person would decide if you got the job or not?

Vaguely. My first job in the late 70s...I went in and talked to the manager. That was it. He called me two hours later and offered me the job. I worked in that office for six years, making a good salary with medical benefits. I was 18 yrs old when I was hired....Gone are those days..

[BlissMommy]

A lot of the big places do it like this now. It can be very frustrating.

[Jeanna]

The one thing I do not think is right is that they ask if you are receiving food stamps or such. Except for the ones that have been their awhile our Walmart is staffed by, mostly--and I don't know how to put this tackfully--very very slow minded people. I get so frustrated with some of them that I will wait in a line twice as long as theirs just to not go through the hassle of talking to them. But the main point is that everyone should have the same chance at the job. I know that the government gives Walmart a credit of some kind to employ people like this but it just isn't right.

[melanies]

I hear ya when it comes to Wal Mart, but a jobs a job for now. Good luck.

[miss_cas]

I think you can fill that application out from the internet @ home or library. Local store confirmed they got it and called me about open positions. That was 1-2 years ago.

I hear Walgreens is desperate for evening and weekend help a lot of the time. You might try there too.

If you have college degree, some of these places just think you are going to be a temp employee. Don't put your college down and don't discuss it.

[katieGrace]

I tried filling out the online app from both my home computer and at the store. Same issue at the store. Their web site simply does not work. (finally got it to go through from my home computer). I agree it is nobodys business if receive food stamps (i do not, but what does that have to do with it) Its such a screwed up system and not likely to get better. Many places hire like this although I have never seen one that malfuntioned as much as this one. I know people who work there. They treat their employees like garbage, but i need a job and have looked everywhere.....

[Megareader]

My stepson's ex works at the Walmart near us. We try to shop during hours we think she will not be there...if she sees us, she corners us and wants to have a long conversation about how awful and sad her life is. This is someone who has not exactly been friendly to me over the years...and she thinks I want to hear her sob story?

Tell me this kind of behavior is against Walmart employee policy!