Job search

From field of study, snagged a temporary position at the supermarket, and had been there ever since. branches and through mobile check deposit services, including large check deposits.

The day flew by, facing mostly older adults, many of whom were ready to complain and huff and puff at me for no reason. I politely busted one shoplifter with a pack of pork chops carefully tucked under her fake Gucci purse.

But for the most part, I was too busy taking directions from my trainer — and making far too many mistakes.

Wednesday: In the self-service aisle, an attractive young woman exploded in anger, cursing at any employee who tried to assist her because the UPC on a package of chicken would not scan.

It was a terrifying 10-minute tirade so bizarre that I wondered if the meltdown was part of a scam. Was someone using this diversion to steal a shopping cart full of steak and lobster? Aside from some eyerolling, everyone stood silently stunned.

They’re training branch employees to take steps such as looking at check numbers, because checks are typically written in order, or noticing when a check is being written for a much larger amount than previous history would indicate. Banks also

I had Thursday off. What a relief to do laundry and errands! And with more joy and enthusiasm than usual.

Friday: Again, so many customers, so many unpleasant people. They seemed to have saved all their venom for me — dirty looks, sotto voce comments.

It was not the time to ask questions about the multitudes of codes that had to be keyed into the cash register.

I found that older women can be the worst customers. Generally, men are at least civil. Often, they seem to want to entertain with their own brand of homegrown jokes.

I began to think that maybe a job that includes satisfying people who need to prove their importance by acting out is not for me.

Saturday: Halfway through the morning, my lack of due diligence became obvious. I had thought buying and selling groceries would be a pleasant exchange, with customers getting fresh food, their bonus points and a smile, and me, a few bucks to take home.

But it’s way too few to take the abuse for now deploy software at their branches to flag suspicious checks.

But those systems become moot if criminals are able to persuade tellers — often at the front lines for check acceptance — to look past any red flags.

“These fraudsters are much more aggressive than they were in the past, and they are pressuring tellers to override internal systems that might flag a potentially suspicious transaction,” said Paul Benda, a senior vice president at the American Bankers Association.

$13.25 per hour, with more than $11 daily going to the union and gas for a nearly one-hour round trip.

My hat is off to all the pleasant cashiers who can recall hundreds of codes, pack thousands of bags, appear concerned about customers, and leave it all at work when they clock out.

Maybe I’m no longer resilient enough to deal with the public. After not even a week, it was time to seek out the manager again — only this time, to quit.

AP Small Business Writer Mae Anderson contributed to this report. © 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

What’s next?

I realize other 77-year-olds are ringing up customers at this very moment. My failure to conform could simply be founded on my intolerance of bad behavior.

But after leaving the grocery business behind, these days, I have a better, more realistic sense of what I’m looking for in a job. I’m leaning towards working with plants.

The search continues. Wish me luck.