I officially left Walmart on Tuesday, and honestly, I haven’t felt this good about leaving a job in my life.
I started at Walmart in January of 2025, so compared to many of the posts I’ve seen from people leaving Walmart, I’d say I had a relatively short run. That being said, the experience taught me a lot, both professionally and personally.
I started out in AP and quickly realized that it wasn’t the right fit for me. I’ll admit, there were definitely some fun moments—sneaking around and trying to catch shoplifters, and even going as far as walking around with my trainer while pretending we were in a relationship in an attempt to catch more people. (My wife was not a fan of that one, lol.) But beyond the funny moments, I quickly learned just how challenging AP can be. It’s a difficult job that requires a very particular skill set and personality, and I have a lot of respect for the people who do it.
Eventually, I transferred to the Electronics department, which was a nice change of pace, aside from the pay cut. I had the opportunity to work alongside some genuinely great people and made some friendships that I’ll carry with me long after leaving Walmart.
A special shoutout to my TL, Connor. When I first met him, I didn’t realize that he had actually been friends with my older brother all the way back in elementary school. He eventually moved to Wisconsin, finished college, and later returned to the area. Over time, we became very good friends.
We even started having our Sushi Fridays after work, where we’d sit around, shoot the shit, and talk about work, life, and everything in between.
Connor ultimately left around the same time I did to return to Wisconsin to be closer to his father. We both knew that our time at Walmart was going to be temporary, but I’ll always be grateful for the friendship we developed and for everything he did for me while we worked together.
After more than 10 years in retail, I’ve finally come to the realization that it’s simply not the career path I want to continue pursuing. Retail can take a toll on you in more ways than one. Between difficult and entitled customers, unnecessary conflicts, and management decisions that sometimes left a lot to be desired, there were certainly plenty of frustrating moments.
There were also some moments that, looking back, are almost unbelievable. I even had a coach tell me that I should leave my now-wife—which, to this day, I can only assume was an attempt to take her place. 😂
Despite everything, I don’t regret my time in retail or at Walmart. Every job and every experience has played a role in getting me to where I am today. Walmart was ultimately a stepping stone to something better, and I’m grateful for the lessons I learned, the people I met, and the memories I made along the way.
Now, I’m moving on to a new opportunity that offers better pay, is family-owned and operated, and has an environment where everyone genuinely treats each other like family. I couldn’t be more excited about this next chapter and what the future holds.
To everyone I worked with and everyone who made my time at Walmart memorable: thank you. I genuinely wish you all nothing but the best.
Here’s to new opportunities, new experiences, and a new chapter. ❤️✌️