Should I work at a game store?

>>53562067
>8/hour
Yes, you most certainly should apply for another job.

>>53562067
>Please give me advice.

Any wisdom I can offer is 100% anecdotal and not guaranteed - or even necessarily likely - to be representative of what you might experience in your particular circumstances. With that said, I'll keep it short and sweet:

If you enjoy eating sausage, the quickest way to ruin that is by working in a meat packing plant.

File: 1420780726068.gif (2MB, 250x197px) Image search: [Google]

2MB, 250x197px

>>53562067
>it has been my dream to work at an FLGS for years now

>>53562067
>I only make 8/hour right now
Pretty sure Taco Bell pays $14/hour minimum starting

>>53562067
A job is a job and money is money. Take the job while improving yourself (night school, trades skill etc) in your free time.

>>53562180
>If you enjoy eating sausage, the quickest way to ruin that is by working in a meat packing plant.

Very true. Very true. I feel like I wouldn't mind too much seeing as I've put a lot of thought into opening my own shop despite having not even a tenth of the startup money required.

>>53562137
Yeah it's part time too and they expect me to have a car and shit.Thing is the owners literally can't afford to pay me more, they are already losing money as it is.

I think my biggest worry is: I will hold fast that I cannot work saturday or friday evenings despite the application asking that, but I don't know how to explain that that is my RPG time.... I dont' want to give a bullshit reason and make it look liek I don't care about the job, but.... I cannot give up my saturday gaming. I literally have no other reason to live. I just need to know how to explain it. Also if they offer me the job but it's contingent on me taking the weekends I am worried I'll puss out and take it and end up miserable.

>>53562223
Um dude I live in america. There are few McJobs that pay more than 11 an hour or so. Most are 8pe

>>53562212
If I had 10 million dollars I'd move to the coast and open an FLGS in one of the cozy towns out there, and happily hemorrhage money until I die.

Working at one is the next best thing.

>>53562254
Now, it's not quite the same but /k/ommandos ask all the damn time about working in a gun store. More than a few have and tell their stories. In general, if you like it as a hobby don't do it as a job. You like playing MtG? Well now you get to herd cats during FNM as every mouth breathing retard wants something from you.

That said, you could get lucky. Your store and community could be top notch and you'll love it. Depends on your area. But if your area/store isn't the best thing since sliced bread, then I'd recommend not doing it.

>>53562223
>>53562276
Depends on the area. Town I used to live only payed 8/hr. Place I moved to for college pays between 10 and 12 a hour, depending on exact restaurant. More during the summer when a lot of students leave for summer break.

I own a FLGS and it's alright. I don't stock MtG or 40k because I don't want those cretins in my shop and bankruptcy is imminent but it has some good days.
I just have my buddies come over and we take turns DMing and play for 30+ hours every week.

There's nothing better to do on slow days so might as well play some games.

>>53562323
I pay attention to the guy there. The community is REALLY nice, hell I even get bothered by assburgers curious about my homebrew world and I don't even mind because of my infinite tolerance for social retardation (being a 23 year old kissless virgin who besides D&D is a shut-in helps), I am really friendly and social at my job, though. And yeah the /k/ thing sounds similar but I feel like gun stores you have to deal with more jackasses cause of fudds. Anyway, thanks for your thoughts, I just want as many peoples' opinions as possible so I can make a decision.

>>53562254
>Thing is the owners literally can't afford to pay me more
Sure is the owners' problem. No reason it should be yours.

On the other hand, when the new jobs asks for a degree and you don't have a degree it usually can be arranged anyway, but when the new job asks for weekends and you "can't" work weekends, it's usually gonna be a deal breaker.

But hey, it's all about priorities. You decide what matters for you the most.

>>53562223
Depends on the area. Lots of places in the midwest, south, etc pay minimum (or just over) starting. Meanwhile, in the northeast and Colorado/California, McD's starts at 11/hr.

>>53562407
Fudds are like grognards (old way is only way)
ARfags are like 3.pf babies (muh options)
AK fags are like 5e babies (game is FINE!)
milsurp fags are like the AD&D fags (eh, I like old stuff)
"FUCKING ANTI-GUNNERS!" are like "FUCKING SJW'S!!" (exaggeration of victimhood, even if victimhood is real)

Jack asses are everywhere anon. You'll be serving them when you get that job.

>>53562615
What about the deerfuckers?

>>53562615
>ARfags are like 3.pf babies (muh options)
>AK fags are like 5e babies (game is FINE!)
>milsurp fags are like the AD&D fags (eh, I like old stuff)

Holy shit man that's priceless. Spot on.

>Jack asses are everywhere anon. You'll be serving them when you get that job.

I've spent dozens of hours in that store and seen like 1 to 2 jackasses. Most of them are pretty tolerable. But yeah I guess that's a good point.

>>53562553
Well the weekends thing is a dealbreaker for me, too. I don't mind my current job, mostly because it DOESN'T make me work weekends because I threatened to quit if it did. But for this... yeah if they need weekend help... I mean I can work Saturday evenings maybe, or Sunday evenings. It's not like old job where I'd hate the work, either, I'd look forward to even just carrying crates of fucking D&D books, at least it's somethin I'm passionate about.

>>53562401
Hope you do well man. Yeah I love MTG but the players are usually fucking awful, most stores have to sell their soul to get into it.

>>53562067
You're a dumb motherfucker. I hope you don't intend to spend the rest of your life working in a game shop.

>>53562666
Well that's /pfg/ of course. I was just hitting the high notes.

>>53562669
Thank you. I thought the AR/AK one would be a bit odd for some people because AK's are an older pattern but they were matched up with the newer game.

>>53562715
no but if I could I would.

>>53562739
>I thought the AR/AK one would be a bit odd for some people because AK's are an older pattern but they were matched up with the newer game.

Nah it worked fine, but yeah i can see that.

You said.
>"My group plays on saturday and I cannot give that up and I am worried working there will fuck up my entire schedule, but it has been my dream to work at an FLGS for years"

Your choosing to live in poverty for a dnd night?
Your dream of working (not owning tellingly enough) some where is being by passed for a game that could be moved.....your worried about 2 trips , so super short gain for the loss of more money and higher wages.


You are short sighted and doomed to poverty and unhappiness with this mind set.
Also rural nevada here...mcdonald's is starting wage 10 bucks, ask for a raise from your current work or youll walk, your a manager or at least shift lead... you need 12$ an hour or you walk, be firm, be respectful, but you are being taken advantage of/ripped off

>>53563097
>Your choosing to live in poverty for a dnd night?

Don't tell him where his priorities are. Some people have incredibly low expenses and they can get by in relative comfort at practically any legal wage as long as they have the opportunity to work fulltime. He didn't frame his question around it being a financial problem, so stop trying to make it one.

As to your actual question, Anon - you have absolutely nothing to lose by applying and being honest. Tell them exactly what your availability is, and see if they bite. You say you can probably work Sundays, and maybe Saturday evenings - well, that might be enough.>>53563097
There's no reason to disqualify yourself based purely on speculation.

>>53562067
Worked at flgs for years. It really killed my love of gaming. Not blaming anything in particular, coworkers were great, customers were cool, store did well. But it all got to me eventually. Took me a while after I quit to really get back in to gaming.

>>53562223
The shit south is all minimum wage, all the time. Same with most of the shit tier fly over country states.
Generally, they vote red, minimum wage.

>>53563750
>tfw you have never made less than $20, and your BS and Masters were free.

Feels good to live in a blue state with cheap tuition and good public schools, bruh.

>>53562669
>most stores have to sell their soul to get into it.

You aren't wrong. I enjoy MtG and actively play but getting into bed with GW or WotC is probably worse than working with the devil himself. Buying secondhand printed material and comics and doing the bulk of trading on ebay is enough to stay afloat for a while at least. I'm a close friend of the guy who owns the other FLGS in town who primarily does stock MtG and I've heard some horror stories that only reaffirmed my stance.

>>53562254

So you've got 2 vacations already planned and booked. Neat. Be up front with that. Most jobs I've gone into and had something already on the books has NEVER been an issue. Especially if it's in that first couple weeks. You're training. Probably new and can't quite be left alone yet anyway, so being out isn't hurting.

Far as your Saturdays, how long does your game night go? Can you work a shift that fits your timeframe, like opening so you're home in time? Otherwise, you gotta decide what's more important to you. Making more money, and a job you'd like, or time off with friends? If you can't make sacrifices to move foreward, you're gonna stall out and get left behind in life.

Lastly, I feel like the game store is the LAST place you need to make an excuse for your hobbies why you can't work. That's literally going to be your job, selling that shit. Fuck, that probably nets you points over the random walk in applying off Craigslist without s clue what the place is.

>>53563821
Fuck yeah.
Fuck the south, fuck fly over country.
ANY Coast better than shit south (only Northern East Coast though)

>>53562254
>Thing is the owners literally can't afford to pay me more, they are already losing money as it is.
Enormous fucking red flag here, one that's likely to get you raked over the coals. You've also stated numerous examples where their terms of employment outright don't work for you. It sounds like you've already decided to take this "once in a lifetime opportunity" though, so have at it. Be sure to do yourself the service of a post-mortem afterwards, be a shame to waste this learning experience.

>>53564063
no no I am talking about my old job. Where I make 8 an hour. i don't know what the new job pays.

>>53563750

The problem is the areas like mine with $15 minimum wage, the cheapest houses cost $700,000 and average is $1 million.

So yeah. That buys a mansion on its own block in those "shit south" states.

>>53563380
shit really? Do you know why? I know I ended up quitting MtG for a while after I started browsing magic threads on /tg/ cause it suddenly felt like the game is pay to win and I lost all faith when I showed a homebrew deck I'd been winning with in Modern and they told me to drop that shit and start netdecking. I was like "fuck it, why even play if you dont get to create your own deck"

idk, i believe you but if you could elaborate that'd be great. if not, i understand.

>>53563097
>Your dream of working (not owning tellingly enough) some where is being by passed for a game that could be moved

Except it can't.

>your worried about 2 trips

Yeah because they cost more money that I'd make at the job and are a gift from family.

>You are short sighted and doomed to poverty and unhappiness with this mind set.

I suppose. I already have a job though. I am probably going to lose money working at the FLGS but I would prefer the work.

>>53564583

You need to get your fucking priorities in order. Or you're just a retard that can't be saved, who knows.

>>53564583

What's the fucking trip you're taking? Around the world in 80 days? Or is this some weekend thing somewhere?

>>53564583
Keep working a 15+hour job for 8 man, ypur full of nothing but excuses. You clearly want to work there more than the games store, any increase in your wages will off set the loss for your trips.
You want to be told man that sucks, but what sucks is you are not willing to loose out or be discomforted even slightly to move up in life.
The game on Saturdays will end some day as people get diffrent jobs, kids, other obligations.
You will make your own choices but from the outside looking in, your being short sighted

>>53564813
It's a 2 week trip that's already been paid for I'd be a huge ass to back out of it now.

>>53564891
>You clearly want to work there more than the games store, any increase in your wages will off set the loss for your trips.

Hahaha no it won't, are you fucking kidding me?

>You want to be told man that sucks, but what sucks is you are not willing to loose out or be discomforted even slightly to move up in life.

Moving from one min wage job to another is not "moving up."

>The game on Saturdays will end some day as people get diffrent jobs, kids, other obligations.

Unlikely, seeing as we have switched to jobs that specifically don't require weekends. As for kids, only one person has children, the others are permavirgins so no kids for them. I don't even know what you mean by "other obligations" but i am pretty sure it's covered here.

>You will make your own choices but from the outside looking in, your being short sighted

Jesus Christ learn to spell you fucking retard. Did you even graduate high school? No wonder you think "moving up" is switching one shit job to another. Try going to college, THAT'S how to move up.

>>53563965
Jokes on you, I live in the north midwest.

All the benefits of being blue, without having to deal with some cunt from New York or Jersey.

>>53562401
I can't wait to buy your foreclosed house for a discount. Keep playing 30 + hours worth of tabletop games while your business suffers!

>>53565391
Fresh coast still coast

>>53564530
Better an apartment somewhere nice than a mansion in the sticks man.

>>53562067
OP, I have no idea why this thread has become a discussion of your finances and ambition when what you earn was merely an offhand comment and has nothing to do with what you were actually asking. Furthermore, it doesn't seem to be something that concerns you, so please don't listen to disparaging remarks from people who have no clue about the context of your financial situation.

With regards to, y'know, the thing you were actually asking about, I'd say go for it. I know you have concerns about scheduling conflict, but that's okay. Most employers expect that sort of thing, you just need to be a) forthright and b) flexible.

You have the advantage here. An LGS thrives on community, so they're going to be predisposed towards hiring a valued customer whom they already know (and know is interested in the hobby) over a rando off the street. You have nothing to lose by applying, and a lot to gain by the sound of it.

>>53565341
College is not moving up, i make 70k to 85k a year with full benefits for a telecommunication company. No college ever

>>53566648
>>53565341

>College is not moving up

Can confirm this, I'm a plumber, literally got paid to learn my job.

>great money
>spend half the day driving between jobs chilling to music
>actually do different shit every day
>i'm not stuck in some office wearing a tie

Sure, I essentially fix toilets for a living but when i'm charging $300 for the privilege it's really not a big issue.

If i'd gone to college, i'd end up working at a desk coding and i'd be found dead in a bathtub by 40.

>>53564552
I dunno exactly. I guess the main culprit was simply being inundated with gaming all day, every day. All I know is as time went on those days where I woke up dreading work became more and more common. But that's just me.

>>53562067
>hiring, potentially a full-time position

Stopped reading right there. You're going to be cheap summer labour and probably will be sacked the second the kids go back to school. Then you've no job, no useful experience, and likely no references for the otherwise gaping hole in your CV.

If you insist of being a wage slave, at least pick a stable slavery.

>>53566648
>>53569870
Except neither of your jobs are at an FLGS. And you had to learn shit for those jobs even if it wasn't actual college. But yeah you are right otherwise, I've been sperging out over this, I should just apply but hold firm on commitments I've already made, say that saturday early in the day is mine, and negotiate. I mean my current job said "weekends a must" and I barely work on the weekends at all now.

>>53573104
Yeah that's likely a good point.

>>53562067
OP, given all the information you've provided in the thread so far, I'll give you my opinion based on everything EXCEPT obvious financial reasons. I'm currently a manager at a local small business, they work very differently than corporations do.

Pros:
1. Scheduling. Small businesses are VERY flexible with their scheduling, there's no reason you shouldn't get your two planned vacations off, as long as you've given them proper heads-up ahead of time.

2. It sounds like this is something you're passionate about. This is good, that means it'll be a hell of a lot easier to get out of the bed in the morning (or afternoon, for most game shops). You'll find it easier to go to work and you'll do your job better because it's something you care about.

3. Experience. If you're actually serious about opening your own FLGS, this is the perfect opportunity to see exactly how they operate. Let the owner know you would like to open one yourself in the (distant) future, he might take you under his wing and teach you, or offer a chance to franchise his store.

4. Small stores are usually more laid back, which means less paperwork and no heavy uniform policies.

>>53576993
Cons:
1. I'm going to assume that the owner will be there, if not everyday, at least 2/3rds of the time you'll be working. Depending on how much of a hard-ass he is, this can call for a lot of pressure on you. Working next to the owner is a lot different than working next to some random manager, this is the guy that signs your paychecks after all.

2. There is no HR department in most small businesses. If your manager or co-worker is a huge cunt, you have to go straight to the owner with any issues. Depending on how small the business is, your meanest co-worker might be the owner's nephew. There's not much animosity, they'll most likely know if you snitched if the owner isn't discreet.

3. Small business means just that, it's small. If the store is hitting a bad month, don't be surprised if your hours get cut slightly or if the owner *accidentally* forgets those two hours of overtime you earned last week.

All in all, if you show the owner you have the store's best interest in mind when you're there he'll be more likely to trust you and give you more hours. Especially if you improve sales.

>>53577012
>>53576993
This is inspiring. Thank you anon you just motivated me to actually finish my application.

>>53562067
I used to work/run a FLGS, so take my advice from that standpoint.

Are you a MTG player, and only a MTG player? I don't want to hire you unless that's 100% of what the store does. MTG players tend to be the worst employees for what you can get working at a FLGS. Anyone can learn the hobbies, getting someone fresh is always best.

If your FLGS sees you as a good worker, but cannot accommodate your 2 week plans you have already made, then they are not looking for quality workers, just minions to do shitty tasks.

Many people have misconceptions on what working for or running/owning a FLGS is like. It's not fun and games, it's work. If you enjoy running events, giving demos, answering questions (within reason) and have reasonable social skills, then working for/running/owning a FLGS might be for you.

You won't generally find time to play the games, you won't generally be able to play in the FLGS events, you'll be working.

When you're not working, customers will treat you like you are working if they can't find another employee.

You'll have to deal with autistic fuckwits that can't hold a normal conversation and crowd around the front counter wanting to talk about their flamebreath dragon or some shit.

If all this sounds up your alley then go for it. If not, just walk away, just 540 and walk away...