First ever job

Synax_Injector

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I've been looking for work for months now, had quite a few interviews, all have gone well and then lead to no where.

Had an interview last week with a couple of guys at halfords, they were looking for a couple of people apparently, so just went in and gave it my best.
They said they'd send me a letter out letting me know, but they said I've come across really well and to get my form ready for monday...Kind of hinting that I may have a job but didn't want to say there and then.
Anyway, today came and no letter, however there was a message on the answer machine asking me to come in to "discuss" somethings...didn't sound promising.
When I got there, they said they knew half way through my interview that they were going to offer me a job, but just needed a week to discuss what job it would be :thumbsup:

They decided to offer me a full time/full length contract (9-5.30, good and bad lol) at...not the best pay, but £5.70 an hour.

Of course I was accepting anything as I've never worked before and the job centre said I had to sign up to a ymca course tomorrow if I didn't get this job, so that's a relief.

They said because of my general interest in gadgets etc and my IT background, they'd like me to be their full time ICT (In car technology) sales person, and rather then giving out 2 part time jobs, they liked me so much they made it 1 full time job :thumbsup:
I will be selling sat navs, car computers, car dvd players....car entertainemt really, and after 3 months I get the title ICT specialist :D

I start on wed at 9.30am, and they are sending me to a course for 4 days next week to a busier store where I will meet with some people from Garmin and Tomtom to discuss their products (I hope they give me some free samples lol).

Bit nervous as I've never worked before, so don't really know what to expect and like most new things I have the, "What if I don't know" worry as he said I have to proove myself very quickly because I go on holiday for a month next month and the job has a 3 month probation period.

So ye, quite please that this is my first real job, was worried I'd be plucking chickens or something...but selling sat navs in Halfords isn't too bad :thumbsup:

Means I can finally save for a car I actually like :devil: (woo mini cooper hehe)
 
Congratulations mate......hope it all goes well for you. :thumbsup:

Since it's your first job, it should give you plenty of good experience and if you knuckle down and work hard at it you will be the one carrying out the interviews before long. :D

All the best.
 
well done mate it does not matter what the hourly rate is or if your a salesman or a binman as long as you get off your ass and go to work then you will do for me
good luck :thumbsup:
 
Congratulations mate :thumbsup:


It's a good feeling knowing somebody out there thinks you're worth something.

If you make a go of things, you might soon find that at the end of your probation you're worth even more. :smashin:



Enjoy your new job, try hard, be nice, and be happy. :)
 
Thanks very much guys :)

I agree, I hated telling people that I'm not doing anything at the moment because although I was looking for work, I still felt embarrassed by it.

Thank god I don't have to spend hours filling in application forms, or sitting in the job centre with people dressed like they've just been hit by a truck carrying poo :D

I plan to pay people back what I owe, and in 6-8 months time if all goes well, buy a car :thumbsup:

Though that's a long way off, need to think about working and not how I'm going to spend it all lol.
 
I can remember my first pay slip. Got £80. That was when I was 16 and thought that was loads. How things change. I started on £2.40 an hour which was 10 years ago now.
Well done on your new Job, just do the best you can and opportunities will come your way in the future.
 
Can I just extend you my best wishes for your new job. You must be getting quite excited about it. Hope it all goes well for you. :clap::clap::clap:
 
Thank you very much :thumbsup:

I am excited and nervous because:

1. I can't wait to get the first day over and done with as it's the scariest day lol

2. It's different, new and exciting

3. Going to be hard getting myself up at 7am (I have to walk the dog before work) and then working till 5.30pm after doing not much for around 8-9 months.

4. Looking forward to just going to work every day and actually having money that I feel I earned rather then money that has just been given to me.


I mean, I can't wait for day 1....but at the same time I'm dreading it, I'm worried I'll start working, they will realise that they have made a mistake, I will get things wrong etc etc.

Will see how it goes, no one *wants* to work, but that's life, so tough poo if I hate it!

Even if it does only last 3 months, that means I can still pay my mum and sister back which is top of my list, and I'd have experience behind me.

But he said if all goes well, after 3 months my pay will go up and I will be moved on to a bonus scheme and can start working my way up the ladder, so hoping that this goes ok for a few years :thumbsup:
 
1. I'm sure everyone's like that on the first day.
2. Something to look forward to then.
3. It'll take a week or 2 max and then you'll get used to it, We all started off somewhere.
4. Best feeling in the world and the fact you can now start treating youself.

Best of luck :)
 
Well done mate. You're obviously interested in gadgets etc as you frequent here :) Best thing to do would be to learn about the stuff you're going to be selling so you know what you're talking about. When it comes to dealing with the public if you're confident you know what they want you'll come across loads better and your bosses will notice!

Once again, well done mate, it certainly does feel better when you're working!
 
Well done mate. Any job is better than no job and it just gets your foot in the door to start climbing the ladder. Although a job at Halfords is pretty respectable.

I first started as a petrol pump attendant filling up cars for £1.50 an hour; any mistakes I made came out of my own pay so when people decided to do a runner with a full tank of fuel (before the time of cctv), I had to pay for it. Some weeks I effectively worked for nothing. I don't know why I ever put up with it, I wouldn't now but then I wouldn't have to now.

Rock on r'kid :thumbsup:
 
Good luck.
My first full time job was working for Woolworths selling TVs, radios etc (no videos in the esrly days). I'll never forget my first sale: £17.99 for a cassette recordder when the woman just came up to me and said: "I want one of those for my son". Vesta V175 in silver. How anal is that?

All I'm saying is the buzz you'll feel when you make yout first sale is great, and you'll feel much more confident after that.

Enjoy it. Your first job is, in some ways, the best one you'll ever have as at your age you won't have a mortgage, responsibilities etc.

And as for the wage only being £5.70 per hour- I wish my wife would let me keep that much!
 
Congratulations! On two counts!
Firstly after all the nonsense on another thread and secondly telling the world you got a job on the day the UK is officially supposed announce* that it is in recession.
I like your exquisite sense of timing.:thumbsup:


(*according to the French Media this morning)
 
Hey fellah, well done and good luck.

Dont forget to look in the future though, where the job will lead you to in say 12-24 months.

Yeah its good for now but have a direction to follow with a timeline to achieve things.

What will this job give you in say 2 years time, what can you do with your experience, where can it lead you to?

Again, have fun fellah.
 
Thanks for all the words guys :thumbsup:

The guy at halfords was saying my first aim is in 3 months, I pass the probation period, he said I just need to work hard and show motivation and all is good, it's a full time contract but he said everyone has to go through a 3 month probation period.

The first step after 3 months is earning my title of In Car technology Specialist.

Then he said after 6months-1yr I can start applying for promotions etc, he said it's a job where I can move up and up in the company.

Apparently the guy I'm replacing has been there 18months and started doing what I'm doing (only with less hours) and I'm only taking his job because he's been promoted, so I'll have to wait and see I guess.

Just looking forward to getting the first few weeks out of the way and getting in to a routine :thumbsup:
 
Yip, well done mate, I read the stick you were getting on the thread yesterday morning and this just shows you to have aspirations above what you were given credit for.
You never know, in a few years you may be running your own ICE installation company.
 
Well done mate. Any job is better than no job and it just gets your foot in the door to start climbing the ladder. Although a job at Halfords is pretty respectable.

I first started as a petrol pump attendant filling up cars for £1.50 an hour; any mistakes I made came out of my own pay so when people decided to do a runner with a full tank of fuel (before the time of cctv), I had to pay for it. Some weeks I effectively worked for nothing. I don't know why I ever put up with it, I wouldn't now but then I wouldn't have to now.

Rock on r'kid :thumbsup:

Geez, that's so unfair, especially when it isn't company policy or common practice to get motorist to pay first before they fill up.
 
Congratulations. Very pleased for you. :thumbsup:
 
Dont forget to do extra reading around ICE and not just use what Halford feeds you.

Halford staff get called all sorts on car forums for their lack of knowledge in the department they work in, especially the ICE section.
 
Well done!

My tips - listen carefully and don't be afraid to say "I'm not sure, let me check for you..."
 
Excellent news mate, well done :thumbsup:

If someone asks you a question you don't know, don't be afraid to tell them that you're unsure, but will find out the answer for them.

There's nothing worse than someone trying to sell something they clearly have no knowledge of and is trying to make up random facts. I much prefer the honest 'Sorry, I'm not 100% sure on that, I'll just go find out for you" approach.

Anyway, hope it all goes well. :)
 
Thanks a lot guys, good advice, that's one thing that makes me nervous...what if I don't know, and I know I'm probably going to come across that on a daily basis.
I just won't do what really annoys me, when someone asks a question and the person working there just looks at the box, like the customer already hasn't done that lol.

I have a savings account for a Mini cooper car, as soon as that hits around £5500 I will get myself one :thumbsup:
So gives me something to save towards next year and keep the motivation.
Just hope I keep it long enough to do so lol.

Signed off today, apparently I get a "Back to work grant" because I didn't miss any job centre meetings or something, and I get 1 weeks pay to.
1 week pay is £45 and the back to work grant is £100, so that's a bit of a bonus :thumbsup:
 

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