STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

ILoveChoo wrote:

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I guess I feel like its kind of a cop out and people will think I was too lazy to work a real job or something like that. Would I be stupid to do this? Or am I just going nuts becasue I am tired and miserable and in a dead-end job that I have no motivation in?  -- Edited by ILoveChoo at 21:52, 2005-07-26

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I didn't work in retail b/c I was too lazy to take a 'real job.' I worked in retail b/c I couldn't find anything esle. Is this for a management position?  If so, it will be hard work (not really mentally challenging, but timewise and physically challening).  Say goodbye to nights, weekends and holidays.  You won't have them anymore.  I literally missed every holiday for the past two years (except New Year's when I was in Vegas) and I only had one weekend off every month and a half.  Making the switch from office to retail isn't something that I would recommend. 

I do, however, understand hating your job. Is there something else you can do?  Have you tried an employment agency?  I've had success with those.  They do most of the job searching work for you.  All you have to do is show up to the interview.

Good luck and keep us posted.

ILoveChoo wrote:

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yeah, I've worked in retail before so I know it's a ton of work but I feel like it still has a stigma where people consider it to be a "kid's" job or something you only do for a summer. (not that I should care what other people think about my job...) I sent in a simple app but would ask them about management opportunities at the interview if i choose to take it. I have thought about trying an employment agency, but how do you find a decent one? The only one's I have seen deal only with temp jobs, or only place people in reception type positions. I could find a receptionist job on my own, but would be bored to tears in a position like that.

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Yeah, that's why I hated working in retail. I felt like people were looking down on me b/c of it and I just wanted to scream, "I HAVE A COLLEGE EDUCATION & I'M NOT DOING THIS BY CHOICE!!" 

And about employment agencies, yeah, most of them find administrative positions (that's what I'm in now from the employment agency that I went through and yes, I'm bored to tears, but I needed a job and couldn't find anything else).  My job is temp-to-perm with opportunity for advancement. Just about everyone who has been in my position has moved into higher positions.  I think you just need to specify what you are looking for.  There are a few other people here in the sales department who came from employment agencies, too. 

As far as finding a good employment agency, you just never know. I would look in the phone book and just send your resume to them and get listed with them. You never know what they'll find for you. 

laken1 wrote:

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I so feel your pain. After getting my degree, climbing the corporate ladder, having a high paying job with the appropriate title, I got laid off about a year ago & had to take a hard look at my life & path. I got offered a job that would have doubled my salary but would have also doubled my stress level that was already too much for me. I just don't want to be unhappy forever & I'm 33 & still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. I am really considering taking a job at a bookstore or volunteering at a local museum or something just to get out of the house. My parents are really having a hard time with this because they think I have lost my mind, but you know, you have to be happy with your life. I am still struggling with the "prestige" issue because I sold my acura & am driving an old blazer for free, but man what a difference in my mind set, stress level, overall health!! I have considered a temp agency too just to do something for short spurts so I don't get too bored until i figure out what I want to do. This probably isn't helpful, but I just wanted to give my "life's too short to be unhappy with your job" speech. Do what is right for you if you can afford to do it (and it sounds like $$ is the same) and be happy.

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I'll jump on this bandwagon as well.  If you think that you'll be happy working in retail (God bless you!) and that's what you really want to do, then by all means, do it.  Sometimes taking a leap of faith is the only thing that will preserve your sanity.  I had to quit my job in retail without anything but blind faith that I was going to find something else before I ran out of money.  Sometimes you just have to do something that others may view as slightly crazy to preserve your happiness. 

And of course, things don't always go as planned. I still am not a fan of my job, but at least I don't have a crazy boss anymore.  I am very unchallenged and bored (I just got a thrilling project of stuffing more brochures), but I'm hoping I'll either find something else or get promoted. But at least I have off on weekends, which was a big deal for me.

Do what you need to do to be happy, even if it entails a job that requires a funny hat and the phrase, "would you like fries with that?" 

I work in retail...........and I have a college degree.It is in management so fortunately the company I work for allows me, no better yet, the capacity that I have to function in MAKES me use my brain!Even though I'm broke as hell right now (because I have refused to budget, but I have learned my lesson) I make very decent money.As a matter of fact in the 3 years that I have been with this company my salary has jumped 18k and I relocated to another state (which happens to be only 40 mins. from where I actually really want to be) at the company's expense. So I guess it's all about where you want "retail" to take you.Some people hate it, but I don't mind working nights and weekends and don't work every single holiday. I also don't plan on being on a store level for the rest of my life either.

Soooooooooo.After this long drawn out story, I don't think that you should attach working in retail with all these stigmas.And for right now it might not be a bad idea for you to go to a place like Nordies until you get situated.Plus holiday is right around the corner.......sounds like major discounted gifts for people on your list.

Cheer up young lady!

NylaBelle wrote:

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carmenb513 wrote: I work in retail...........and I have a college degree.It is in management so fortunately the company I work for allows me, no better yet, the capacity that I have to function in MAKES me use my brain!Even though I'm broke as hell right now (because I have refused to budget, but I have learned my lesson) I make very decent money. I agree, I was making decent money in retail management.  I took a paycut to leave, but it was worth it to me to get out of retail. It's just not for me.  I was a store manager and a visual merchandising manager and for me, personally, I felt extremely bored and unchallenged.  I didn't feel like I was using my brain to the capacity that I wanted to be using it.  But some people do really like it and make careers out of it and that's fine for them.  It just wasn't for me and I have very strong feelings about it. I still have found, though, during interviews, that people in the business/office world do look down upon retail. I've had people insinuate that I must be stupid because I worked in retail, I've had people give me an I'm-better-than-you attitude when they found out I worked in retail, I even had someone make a comment about working in retail (even though I was a manager) to the effect of, how did I ever expect to work in anything else b/c I worked in retail (as if I was doomed to work there or something).  I've also been told that b/c I worked in retail that I wasn't 'qualified' for an office job, even though I have a degree and did several internships. So, like it or not, the stigma exists. It sucks, but I've faced it head-on and it's not pretty. 

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I totally agree with you.But I don't mind people in an business/office setting looking down on me!Frankly..........If it wasn't a high pressured job (I tend to like the whole hustle and bustle of it all, despite the ulcer you may get)  with a  some big shot company, I'd end up falling asleep at my desk. But as I said before it's a stepping stone for the next thing I want to do in my career.I try to make decisions that I see getting me to the next thing.For example I left my famly and friends to travel 600 miles, because I knew if I turned the promotion down, I would have railroaded myself from all other opportunities with this company.So even though I could have perhaps hated being where I was (hey,I could always go back with mom!) I though about where I see myself in 5 years.Ouch that hurts, in five years I'll be almost 30.......That hit a nerve..................

I guess it stems from the fact that retail jobs don't require college degrees (although that is definitely shifting). I think pretty soon, it will require a degree to work at McDonalds.  I used to want to hit people when they would ask me what I did and I would tell them and they'd get this look on their face and say, "ooooh, that's nice." Grrrr. So irritating. Hehe...I'll be almost 31 in five years (actually next Friday it will be exactly five years). YIKES!!!  Crazy how time flies. 

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Sometimes I think that people at McDonald's need a college degree.........They can screw up a Sundae! I've found that people even stereotype and look down on you for working for a particular company or in my case at a particular mall!I've just come to the realization (sp?) that some people are just evil you know whats!.They aren't happy until they've made you fell like s---!

ILoveChoo--I agree with what a lot of the girls are saying, but there's a few things you have to keep in mind:

1)  If you make the same amount of money, or even more, working at Nordstrom than you are now, you may actually take home LESS.  I know at least for me that if I were surrounded by all the clothes, shoes, etc. and got a discount on it all, I'd have a hard time resisting the temptation to buy.  And I know I'd have a hard time walking through the mall to the parking lot every single day without wanting to buy something.

2)  I agree completely with the idea that there is a stigma attached to working retail and I think you might have a hard time trying to get out of retail if you decide not to try to move up within Nordstrom.  Although you get great resume experience once you move into a management position, you probably won't be learning much just working the floor, so you won't really be doing anything that will add to your resume.  (Girls, please correct me if I'm wrong on that--I don't mean to offend, that's just my thought.  I worked at Starbucks in college and although it was good, it didn't do much to add relevant working experience to my resume when I really could have used it.)

3)  Benefits.  Do you get health/401k benefits where you're at now?  I kinda doubt you would at Nordie's unless you were a salaried employee with a managment position, so that would be an extra cost.

Obviously, we don't make career decisions solely based on how it will benefit us financially, otherwise the world would be a pretty unhappy place, so ultimately it depends on how unhappy you are where you're at.  I, personally, wouldn't go to Nordie's unless I had exhausted all my other opportunities, but it depends on what you really want to do.  I think you should go ahead and interview with them so you don't burn any bridges, but think hard about this before you just up and quit your job.

Also, are you working in politics now?  If so, what do you do?  Just curious b/c I work in politics too. 

I do political research at a non-partisan group and I love it.  I have no desire to ever be a politician.  I'm not sure if I have what it takes to work campaigns either, but who knows?  That could be something down the road for me. 

Direct mail could be very interesting, as could public affairs, but I can certainly understand wanting to take a break from politics!  Good luck in the job hunt!