role: user

text: my hope is to live in downtown / soma san francisco... what stores should i apply to?


role: assistant

text:
If you’re aiming for downtown/SoMa, I’d start with these (closest + easiest commute):

- **San Francisco – Pacific Place (225)**: `10 4th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103` ([locations.traderjoes.com](https://locations.traderjoes.com/ca/san-francisco/))
- **San Francisco – 9th St (78)**: `555 9th St, San Francisco, CA 94103` ([locations.traderjoes.com](https://locations.traderjoes.com/ca/san-francisco/))
- **San Francisco (Hayes Valley) (226)**: `555 Fulton St, San Francisco, CA 94102` ([locations.traderjoes.com](https://locations.traderjoes.com/ca/san-francisco/))
- **San Francisco – Nob Hill (200)** (nice “close enough” backup): `1095 Hyde St, San Francisco, CA 94109` ([locations.traderjoes.com](https://locations.traderjoes.com/ca/san-francisco/))

Quick splitter question: are you picturing **east SoMa (near Embarcadero/Salesforce)** or **west SoMa (near 9th/11th)**? That’ll tell me which two stores to prioritize first.


text: both seem fine.  SF is only 7 miles across.


text:
Totally—on a map. In real life, 7 miles can still be 20–50 minutes depending on hills, Muni, and whether you’re opening/closing.

If you’re downtown/SoMa-flexible, I’d apply to these SF stores (priority first):
- Pacific Place (10 4th St) and 9th St (555 9th St)
- Hayes Valley (555 Fulton St) and Nob Hill (1095 Hyde St)
- North Beach (401 Bay St)
- Bonus “more shots on goal”: 3 Masonic Ave, plus Stonestown (265 Winston Dr) ([locations.traderjoes.com](https://locations.traderjoes.com/ca/san-francisco/?utm_source=openai))

Do you want to optimize for shortest commute, or maximize hiring odds (apply to all 7)?


text: do you know the salary ranges?  and how much work do the want each week?  40 hours?  how brutal is this going to be for my return to the job market?


text:
For SF **Crew** roles, here’s the most concrete picture I can give you:

- **Pay (SF):** Recent SF Crew postings list **$20.00–$22.00/hour** starting pay. ([snagajob.com](https://www.snagajob.com/jobs/1177944831?utm_source=openai))
- **Sundays:** Trader Joe’s has a **+$10/hour premium for all Sunday hours** (so that $20–$22 becomes **$30–$32/hr on Sundays**). ([foodandwine.com](https://www.foodandwine.com/how-much-does-trader-joes-pay-11741481?utm_source=openai))
- **Hours/week:** Full-time Crew postings commonly say **“Hours: up to 38”** (so: usually **not 40**). ([snagajob.com](https://www.snagajob.com/jobs/1177944831?utm_source=openai))

“How brutal?” It’s more **physically tiring + socially “on”** than mentally brutal: lots of standing, lifting/stocking, fast customer interactions, and they really like **evenings/weekends availability**. ([snagajob.com](https://www.snagajob.com/jobs/1177944831?utm_source=openai))  For a return to work, it’s actually a pretty friendly ramp because the job is concrete, team-based, and you get good at it fast.

Do you want to aim for **near full-time (30–38 hrs)** or **a re-entry pace (like ~20–30 hrs)** to start?


text: yeah, let's try 20/hours a week to start.  will they hire me for that?


text:
Yep — **20 hrs/week is a reasonable ask**, and TJ’s *does* hire **part-time Crew** in San Francisco (e.g., a SF Crew posting lists “Part-time,” and notes they most need people who can work evenings/weekends). ([indeed.com](https://www.indeed.com/q-trader-joes-l-millbrae%2C-ca-jobs.html))

Two gotchas to plan around:
- Some stores have reportedly pushed a **minimum ~3 days/week** expectation for Crew, so “one or two days” can be a tougher sell. ([theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/dec/01/trader-joes-work-schedule-part-time-employees-minimum-days-policy?utm_source=openai))
- At ~20 hrs/week you likely **won’t hit the ~28 hrs/week average** that’s commonly tied to health benefits eligibility. ([prismedia.ai](https://www.prismedia.ai/news/what-trader-joes-crew-should-know-about-pay-hours-benefits?utm_source=openai))

Best positioning: “Part-time, ~20 hours/week to start, reliably available **3 days/week**, and I can pick up extra shifts when needed.”

What’s your real availability grid (days + earliest start/latest end), and can you do at least one weekend day and/or some closing shifts?