Today I am celebrating quitting my second job of the year. Last Sunday was my final shift working as a retail associate at Ulta. I started working there last July and it was my first real part time job where I worked close to 20 hours a week on top of school. I loved being around makeup all of the time, but I honestly didn’t enjoy that job very much. I’m happy to say I’ve finally quit that job!

Holiday 2019

Last December, I worked holiday season at Ulta and it really started to bum me out. I am an introvert so having the same conversation (Hi! Did you find everything okay?! Do you have a rewards account with us?!) with a long line of people for hours everyday was really draining. I recovered after the holiday season and then I was furloughed when the pandemic originally hit in March until late June.

Working During the Pandemic

I loved being unemployed (aside from being broke af lol) and when I came back to Ulta, I discovered the malice of customers during a pandemic. People would come into the store without masks. I would politely ask them to wear a mask (to comply with the governor’s rules as well as my personal ethics) and I was typically met with rude comments.

Since I came back from furlough, I’ve been called “f*cking annoying” by a customer simply for doing my job. Some of my other coworkers were called even worse names 🙁 Dealing with these types of people really started to take a toll on my mental health. I felt disrespected that people would treat me (or my coworkers) like that when I was risking my health to work during this pandemic.

Quitting

When October came around, I felt a drive to get the heck out of there with holiday season quickly approaching because I knew the customers would only get meaner. I job hunted on Indeed through the month of October, but the options looked bleak. I started to have nightmares of Karen’s harassing me or customers crowding me at the register. When my manager told me the maximum amount of people allowed in the store for the holidays was increasing, I knew I had to find another job quickly not just for my mental health, but my physical health as well.

I started handing out resumes to local businesses and I found a job that will be much safer for the holiday season. I smiled all the way to the store to hand in my two weeks notice. So many changes this year have been out of my control, but quitting my second job made me feel like I was in the driver’s seat of a bada$$ mobile.

Adapting to 2020

I’ve always struggled with change so this year has truly challenged me to be more adaptable. Some changes have been tough and others, like moving in with my boyfriend, have been great. While 2020 is a difficult year, I am grateful that it has weeded out the unimportant/unfulfilling things in my life. I’m sure 2020 will continue to challenge me, but quitting my second job was a win for me. Every job I’ve worked slowly gets me closer to my future career because I use the money to pay for college. Each job gets me closer to where I want to be <3

What changes have you adapted to this year? Have you ever left a job you disliked?