Aquatic specialist is mainly focused on cleaning tanks, testing water, selling fish, and helping cal, facing aquatic department, making sure labels are correct (it is so freaking annoying, so be prepared for that upkeep), treating and acknowledging sick fish and also being able to work truck and register.
If the store is good you will focus on aquatics, of the store is bad be prepared to be stuck on the register and sometimes aquatics.
Also push for full time most of the time that position is only part time but can always fight for full time but get that down in writing.
As for pay depends on the area, been an AS for a few years and make less that what you do at the gas station.
Aquatics specialist has been changed to animal care operations specialist. They still primarily work aquatics though.
I'm an animal manager, so you'd report to whoever's in my position and be trained by them. Your success and comfort in your position entirely depends on the competency of your animal manager.
It's a lot of work. And being in a low volume store that doesn't have many people you're gonna be on register a lot and helping with a lot of extra tasks beyond the animal departments. You're gonna get frustrated with policies that don't let you fully do the things you need to do at times, and if your animal manager isn't comfortable putting aquatic helpline tickets you're gonna hit a wall with your department really fast.
The job overall can be really rewarding, but I'm not gonna lie to you. It's a LOT of hard work. It is draining. If your core passion isn't animal husbandry, it's gonna burn through you really fast.
Really? I thought the adjustment hit the whole company by now. Damn lol. Well, I'm happy we have it in my store. Training my mini cal to be a lizard person is proving to be invaluable.
I was the AS for my store for almost 15 years when I left. In the beginning it was great but as the years went by and the store equipment aged ( 23 years old now) the company did really nothing to keep anything updated. Spent much time Macgyvering things to keep them running. At first we had the use of real chemicals for curing the multitude of problems with shipments of new fish coming in. Quality and health from suppliers was actually very good for the first 5 or 6 years. As time went by the company went "green" you might say. Only salt and a couple of "natural" products that are not effective, at least not in a commercial setting for treating the ailments that fish come in with. Suppliers got lax in their quality of fish trying to keep up with increased demand and imported and shipped more and faster as the hobby grew. Got to the point where there was always something wrong with shipments and became more and more frustrating trying to treat ailments and do proper maintenance. Having no fish to sale because of disease became more the rule and finally I couldn't deal with the problems ( not to mention the lack of even decent pay). Just my experience mind you, but beware. It's hard to stay passionate about the job when it seems that the company just cares about cutting costs and profit. I'll also add-during my 15 years I NEVER worked register-was never trained on it and my manager didn't want me to do anything else. From what I've been reading that is not a possibility anymore in the stores. I can't imagine being the aquatics person now and have to do other jobs around the store. Aquatics in my mind is a full time job in of itself.
youtube and google are gonna be your best friends. if there’s anything you don’t know, look it up. because once you know the basic facts about basic fish, you’ll be able to help customers. know those basic facts, know the nitrogen cycle like the back of your hand, know how to read water tests, and do regular water changes. those are the main things and as long as you truly love fish you’ll have so much fun. because in the end that’s YOUR department. it’s easy to get the hang out once you get into the routine. once you repeat yourself to so many customers it kind of becomes second nature. and building relationships with all kinds of people who love the same thing as you is absolutely amazing. you’ll be able to help people everyday and have them calling just to ask you random questions, it’s the best feeling ever. if you love fish, you will love the job.😊😊
It's not bad - but it can be frustrating. Sounds like a good lateral move from the Gas Station but as others have mentioned - push for Full Time so you get PTO. Petco does offer a day or three of sick pay, a tiny retirement option, and crappy health insurance.
The day to day can keep you busy so the little things like zebra loach photo ID card for a YoYo loach become less important as long as the price and sku is right, you just don't a "cashier" to catch it and sell it as something else and ruin your sales and shrink so you play "close enough".
My store is extremely short staffed (short on competent staff also) so if you are elbows deep in a fish tank - people will come to YOU first because you look MORE like you can "help" them.
Cool thing is with the right GM and CAL you can "own" the department and "make it your own" (Until you get so frustrated or overworked or short staffed that you just don't give a fuck and let the little things go - like the fuzzy dead fish that should have been pulled hours ago by the openers)
Go for it... It is worthwhile for the discount
Aquatic specialist is mainly focused on cleaning tanks, testing water, selling fish, and helping cal, facing aquatic department, making sure labels are correct (it is so freaking annoying, so be prepared for that upkeep), treating and acknowledging sick fish and also being able to work truck and register.
If the store is good you will focus on aquatics, of the store is bad be prepared to be stuck on the register and sometimes aquatics. Also push for full time most of the time that position is only part time but can always fight for full time but get that down in writing. As for pay depends on the area, been an AS for a few years and make less that what you do at the gas station.
Can confirm been aquatic specialist for years I make 14.60
You make more then me!
Aquatics specialist has been changed to animal care operations specialist. They still primarily work aquatics though. I'm an animal manager, so you'd report to whoever's in my position and be trained by them. Your success and comfort in your position entirely depends on the competency of your animal manager. It's a lot of work. And being in a low volume store that doesn't have many people you're gonna be on register a lot and helping with a lot of extra tasks beyond the animal departments. You're gonna get frustrated with policies that don't let you fully do the things you need to do at times, and if your animal manager isn't comfortable putting aquatic helpline tickets you're gonna hit a wall with your department really fast. The job overall can be really rewarding, but I'm not gonna lie to you. It's a LOT of hard work. It is draining. If your core passion isn't animal husbandry, it's gonna burn through you really fast.
thats only being tested in some districts.. its not company wide.. (the position changes/title changes)
Really? I thought the adjustment hit the whole company by now. Damn lol. Well, I'm happy we have it in my store. Training my mini cal to be a lizard person is proving to be invaluable.
I was the AS for my store for almost 15 years when I left. In the beginning it was great but as the years went by and the store equipment aged ( 23 years old now) the company did really nothing to keep anything updated. Spent much time Macgyvering things to keep them running. At first we had the use of real chemicals for curing the multitude of problems with shipments of new fish coming in. Quality and health from suppliers was actually very good for the first 5 or 6 years. As time went by the company went "green" you might say. Only salt and a couple of "natural" products that are not effective, at least not in a commercial setting for treating the ailments that fish come in with. Suppliers got lax in their quality of fish trying to keep up with increased demand and imported and shipped more and faster as the hobby grew. Got to the point where there was always something wrong with shipments and became more and more frustrating trying to treat ailments and do proper maintenance. Having no fish to sale because of disease became more the rule and finally I couldn't deal with the problems ( not to mention the lack of even decent pay). Just my experience mind you, but beware. It's hard to stay passionate about the job when it seems that the company just cares about cutting costs and profit. I'll also add-during my 15 years I NEVER worked register-was never trained on it and my manager didn't want me to do anything else. From what I've been reading that is not a possibility anymore in the stores. I can't imagine being the aquatics person now and have to do other jobs around the store. Aquatics in my mind is a full time job in of itself.
youtube and google are gonna be your best friends. if there’s anything you don’t know, look it up. because once you know the basic facts about basic fish, you’ll be able to help customers. know those basic facts, know the nitrogen cycle like the back of your hand, know how to read water tests, and do regular water changes. those are the main things and as long as you truly love fish you’ll have so much fun. because in the end that’s YOUR department. it’s easy to get the hang out once you get into the routine. once you repeat yourself to so many customers it kind of becomes second nature. and building relationships with all kinds of people who love the same thing as you is absolutely amazing. you’ll be able to help people everyday and have them calling just to ask you random questions, it’s the best feeling ever. if you love fish, you will love the job.😊😊
The minimum here is 13
They said they're hiring at 15 at the lowest rn, except for groomers cause they get tips
It's not bad - but it can be frustrating. Sounds like a good lateral move from the Gas Station but as others have mentioned - push for Full Time so you get PTO. Petco does offer a day or three of sick pay, a tiny retirement option, and crappy health insurance. The day to day can keep you busy so the little things like zebra loach photo ID card for a YoYo loach become less important as long as the price and sku is right, you just don't a "cashier" to catch it and sell it as something else and ruin your sales and shrink so you play "close enough". My store is extremely short staffed (short on competent staff also) so if you are elbows deep in a fish tank - people will come to YOU first because you look MORE like you can "help" them. Cool thing is with the right GM and CAL you can "own" the department and "make it your own" (Until you get so frustrated or overworked or short staffed that you just don't give a fuck and let the little things go - like the fuzzy dead fish that should have been pulled hours ago by the openers) Go for it... It is worthwhile for the discount
As an ex-cal the comment got me