Wal-Mart Jobs

About Wal-Mart

The world’s largest public corporation by revenue as well as the largest private employer, Wal-Mart was founded by Sam Walton in 1962. Wal-Mart now employs 1.9 million people throughout the world. Currently, there are more than 2,700 Wal-Mart Stores, 495 SAM'S Clubs, and 1,150 international stores in operation. The Wal-Mart headquarters is located in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Wal-Mart, in addition to being a retail giant, is also a prominent manufacturer of private label goods. In fact, 40% of the items now sold at most Wal-Mart stores are brands produced through third-party contracts awarded to the lowest bidder. This includes Sam’s Choice, Great Value, Equate, Hometrends, Mainstays, No Boundaries, Simply Basic, Kid Connection, Puritan, and Metro 7 products.

Wal-Mart Career Opportunities

Although most people think of the Wal-Mart associates who run the cash registers as the store’s primary employees, there are actually many different types of Wal-Mart jobs available. For example:

• Pharmacists fill prescriptions for Wal-Mart customers.
• Optometrists are needed to conduct eye exams in the stores with vision centers.
• Automotive technicians are needed to work in the Tire & Lube Express areas of Wal-Mart supercenters.
• There is a 17 to 19 week training program for store managers, many of whom are promoted from within the company after working as hourly associates.
• Advertising and marketing professionals help prepare the campaigns that drive customers into Wal-Mart stores.
• Computer programmers and Web developers are needed to work on the Wal-Mart Web site.
• Junior or senior business students at accredited four year colleges and universities can participate in the company’s internship program.
• International career opportunities are available for those interested in working in Wal-Mart stores in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, Germany, Mexico, Puerto Rico, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.

Benefits offered to Wal-Mart employees include profit sharing, retirement savings, educational reimbursements, child care assistance, free computer training, and a discount on store merchandise. Available insurance includes health, life, dental, disability, and accidental death and dismemberment coverage.

Applying for Wal-Mart Jobs

If you are interested in applying for a position as a Wal-Mart associate, the easiest way to be considered for available openings is to simply complete an application using the computerized kiosk in your local Wal-Mart store. If you are interested in one of Wal-Mart’s professional positions, however, you can search for available openings and learn more about application procedures by visiting the Careers page of the Wal-Mart Web site.

Wal-Mart Employment Controversies

Although Wal-Mart does offer many different types of career opportunities, the company frequently comes under fire for its employment practices. For example:

• Wal-Mart has a very high employee turnover rate when compared to other companies. Studies have indicated that almost 70% of employees leave within the first year.
• In 2006, it was reported that the average full-time hourly associate received $10.11 an hour. Since most employees work less than a traditional 40 hour work week, however, this results in earnings of between $17,000 and $18,000 per year. This makes many Wal-Mart employees with children eligible for government benefits such as food stamps, rental assistance, and Medicaid – effectively costing taxpayers millions of dollars per year.
• Several lawsuits brought by former employees have alleged that the company does not obey federal employment laws. A class action lawsuit in Missouri recently claimed that almost 200,000 Wal-Mart employees were denied overtime pay, not allowed to take scheduled restroom or lunch breaks, and forced to work off the clock.
• Wal-Mart has been accused of punishing associates who have tried to bring unions to the workplace.

To learn more about the controversy surrounding Wal-Mart jobs, you may want to check out the documentary Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price or the book The Wal-Mart Effect: How the World's Most Powerful Company Really Works--and How It's Transforming the American Economy.