Burning My Bridges in Brazil
HAVANA TIMES – Just one day after reaching “senior” status as a butcher—a designation given to employees after more than a year of experience in a specific role—I arrived at the supermarket and quit.
In one swift move I decided to leave behind the experience I had gained, the skills, the stability, and the prospect of a promotion—something that, at first glance, seemed like a terrible move. Except that this move, at least this time, was carefully thought out.
Someone who knows me and is launching a franchise of cellphone accessories and repair shops decided to take a chance on me, even knowing that my knowledge of cellphones barely goes beyond what I read when I’m about to buy a new one—and even then, I end up forgetting it.
This person not only took a chance on me as a salesperson but also offered me accelerated training so I could soon manage the recently opened store.
“I need people I can trust, people who let me lay my head on the pillow at night knowing everything is in order—that no money will be missing from the cash register in the morning, and that the store will open on time the next day,” he told me.
Apparently, such responsible people are scarce. Or at least, responsible people in a situation like mine, with a still undefined professional path. My achievements as a supermarket butcher didn’t seem sufficient to justify turning down a promising offer.
What my new employer is paying me—despite being a newcomer in the field—equals the salary I earned after more than a year and a half of grueling work as a butcher. On top of that, I’ll earn 2% of all my sales and a bonus when the store meets its overall target.
We also agreed on a pay raise once I acquire the skills needed to manage the store.
In this country, where the minimum wage hovers around 1,500 reais ($269 USD) and most jobs pay just slightly above that, few business owners are willing to value the contributions of employees who truly help their companies.
Many employers resist giving raises to their star workers. And many of them lose those workers for that very reason. I think that’s a flawed strategy. The Brazilian people—despite this being one of the richest countries in the world—are among the least empowered.
Did he also tell you that 50% of all businesses fail WITHIN the first five years and 90% within 10 years? Also, the barriers to entry in selling and repairing cell phones is insanely low – meaning anyone can setup shop right beside you and undercut your prices. I bet that the grocery store where you worked is well established and well beyond those thresholds – therefore, it won’t fail.
You made a bad decision.
A butcher is a globally recognized skill, and one that is really well paid outside of Brazil. Anyone, regardless of education and skill can sell cell phone accessories – and in fact anyone and everyone does. But very few people are butchers.
You say that Brazil is one of the richest countries in the world, but although their GDP is ranked 10th globally, the GDP per capita is only 82nd. So the country may be rich but the people aren’t necessarily so.
You should have stayed where you were. But, if anything, you should have started looking into owning your own butcher shop. As a new business with low overhead, you could have priced your products a little less than at the grocery store, or priced at similar rates but with a highly personal customer service appeal – offering special cuts and/or custom services for special events.