Anyone ever left their profession for a retail job? (update)

[ha98ed14]

Liziz-- Thanks for this. This is exactly the kind of perspective I was hoping to get-- the things you don't anticipate. Another friend (IRL) said I should anticipate what it feels like to essentially be disposable. I am used to operating in a world where very few people can do what I do. Obviously recent events would indicate differently, buy you get the idea. In retail you are replaceable.

Globetrotter, I think professional volunteering may be a better fit. I'll check out the website. I also found one called volunteer match which looks like it does similar things.

[DualvansMommy]

Liziz-- Thanks for this. This is exactly the kind of perspective I was hoping to get-- the things you don't anticipate. Another friend (IRL) said I should anticipate what it feels like to essentially be disposable. I am used to operating in a world where very few people can do what I do. Obviously recent events would indicate differently, buy you get the idea. In retail you are replaceable.

Globetrotter, I think professional volunteering may be a better fit. I'll check out the website. I also found one called volunteer match which looks like it does similar things.

I see nothing wrong with going retail or hourly employment, but it isn’t all cracked up as one think ie stress free, etc and if you don’t like customer front side then retail in say Macy’s, Christmas store, etc with the holidays, it can be rough! A good family friend of mine worked for postal service for 20 years before moving out of state and went to work at Home Depot, Fed ex type of jobs. What pp said above about clocking in, time requests off etc was much harder to manage than he previously used.

I was in your shoes 18 months ago. Didn’t really know what to do with myself and decided to go in as a volunteer in an area I was passionate about. One of people there needed a part time position filled in her organization and asked for my resume, and now after a year of working part time, I became FT this month. It’s a non profit where the pay isn’t all that great, but tons of fringe benefits and flexibility with working from home. So look into whether you can parlay your skills in the non profit world?


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[Globetrotter]

My kids have used volunteer match to find opportunities.

One of my friends was a volunteer grant writer for an organization and they offered her a paid admin job when there was an opening, as that’s the kind of work she was looking for. She decided not to take it as by then she knew the organization was run a bit haphazardly, But that would have been a way to break into a new work role.

Regarding working as an hourly employee, I worked in healthcare before, and in my last organization there were always customer service reps and other hourly employees. I’m sure they were annoyed when I walked into work around 9 AM, But they didn’t see that I left late in the evening. Their hours were rigid and they had to go to lunch at a certain time, whereas I had a lot of flexibility and autonomy, which as you know also means working above and beyond the hours many times. I’m not sure I would like a job where I had little flexibility and wasn’t treated with as much respect, But the tradeoff would be regular hours and when you’re off you’re off! There’s something appealing about that, too.

[bisous]

OP, I'm of the opinion that different things work for different people and I don't really judge there. I can't say I'd ever choose retail. That's probably my last choice for employment. I'd rather do janitorial work but that's just me. Keep me busy and working hard. I like people but I don't like refolding things to look like I'm busy. I haven't worked hourly for a while but that also seems much less than ideal. Still, it sounds like from this thread that many women are doing this and finding satisfaction in it! Could be worth trying if its been tugging at you for awhile!

[bisous]

This is a great idea! Hadn't thought to sign up with a temp agency. It might be great because-- unlike FT consulting-- they don't expect you to be "on" after hours... at least I imagine.

I used to work as a recruiter for a temp agency. Here's some advice for anyone going that direction. It can work out really well for you but you need to know what you're doing when you sign up. They really aren't working to find you a job. They are working for a company to find an employee. The distinction is important. If you go to them thinking they'll help you--they won't. That's not what they are there for. If you happen to have the skill set that they are looking for then the job can be very mutually agreeable. It is definitely worth looking into. My BIL has been working at a major biotech company for the past 16 years and started as a low level temp that I placed. He's now a director! So clearly it is a good option for many. Be prepared to communicate with the agency about what you are looking for and what you are able to do. It might mean that you take a short-term job that is slightly less than ideal for a short time and prove your reliability. I can elaborate if anyone has any questions!

[candaceb]

Congratulations on forging your own way! That actually sounds like a service I would enjoy providing. Did you train for it? Or was it just your own in-born skill set? How did you market yourself?

Thanks. It took a lot of soul searching and work to get to this point, but it seems like the right thing for me at this point in life.
I did an online training program through the National Association of Senior Move Managers, and then I did everything I needed to become a full member of the association - insurance, LLC, web site, etc.
I market through Nextdoor, Facebook, referrals from previous clients, and a lot of networking. I think networked referrals are the best source for me because they are somewhat vetted. I have befriended a lot of realtors in the last year!

[StantonHyde]

Having worked retail--you couldn't pay me to go back to it. Long hours on my feet. Answering the same question over and over. Refolding and restocking. A rigid shift. Asking permission to go to the bathroom. No thanks. Volunteer.

[mom2binsd]

I currently work in long term care as a SLP, but this is something I could see myself doing, I'm fascinated by how the business model for this works, but I definitely have a feel for that population. I may reach out to you with questions, as their are changes coming to Medicare which may impact my job prospects.

[AnnieW625]

I have not, but honestly if I weren’t working full time I could see myself being an uber or lyft driver because it would be pretty easy to work with my kids schedule, and then working in errands as I can.

I have known a few moms with kids who have worked at Williams Sonoma and have really enjoyed it.

My best friend quit her admin. assistant/event planner job at a community college when she had her daughter in 2008 and after a few years after being a sahm she began working part time a local chocolate factory in her town (a small one location place with a website) and she loves it. She also is a Pampered Chef consultant as well, which I think she started after she had her daughter. Her DH is a sergeant in the CHP so she needed a job with flexible hours as he is not usually available to do anything kid related during work hours.


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[ezcc]

My dh worked for Home Depot for a while years and years ago before we were married and in general liked it I think- it had some nice perks (he still has some stock) and people were pretty nice. The hours really were a drag though- late evenings, weekends etc. If I wanted an entry level job somewhere I would definitely look for a small, local business (toy store, book store etc) it just seems that employees are more valued in that setting but I'm guessing pay and benefits might be less. I think trying to find a volunteer opportunity makes sense too, and those often lead to something down the line if you need the income eventually. I don't think I will ever go back to the working world- I have stayed at home for close to 15 years and even though my youngest is 7 our family just works so much better with me at home and we are fine with just dh's income. I do some volunteering (should do more probably) but find myself plenty busy with house and kid stuff.