| Topic Name: |
SLP |
| Message Name: |
thanks |
| Date Posted: |
01/06/2006 |
| In Reply To: |
Ex-SLP has one point of view. His posts detail a very negative experience. I, on the other hand, continue to enjoy life at Home Depot.
Work at Home Depot is very fast-paced. Extremely. The volume of work is staggering. You are armed with technology equivalent to bear skins and stone knives. There is very little office work - one has to learn to manage out of whatever you can carry in your apron. Clean? Certainly not - I ruin a pair of Dockers a month.
So ... why would anyone want to work there? For starters one can see the value-added immediately. We sell items that bring our customers enjoyment and allow them to live better and increase the value of their homes. The business model is simple - a pleasant contrast to the dotcom era. The majority of Associates are wonderful.
Home Depot opens a store every 43 hours - there are opportunities every day. Do not, however, expect to be handed the keys to the Executive Washroom on the first day. Home Depot is an operations company. Learn how to operate the core business before deciding that marketing is your career path.
Most importantly I would suggest that you respect the long-term Associates. Without us MBAs they got to 50 Billion. Maybe they have a thing or two to teach us.
With respect to schedules, the life of an ASM is no more grueling than that of a management consultant. Better still, you are home most every night.
Is the money as good as a management consultant? No? But the business delivers double-digit growth on a sustainable business model.
The kill rate on SLPers continues to be high. Why? Likely because the recruiters fail to align expectations. The recruiters talk about the future, not the now. For those SLPers who manage the first two years, opportunities are good. Of the original 16 in my region, 8 were gone in six months. Of the other 8, three manage 'average' stores, one manages the largest in the region, two are District Managers, one an e-Commerce merchant, and one a Director.
See you at the next Store Manager Forum. |
| Message: |
Thanks a lot for your detailed note. I feel very confident that the SLP program is right for me. Hope to meet you one day!
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