Summer Student Work - Retail or Office?

[keilo]

I'm a mature student who's left IT to study Speech Therapy. In the past few summers I've been trying office admin temping with little sucess & soul destroying jobs. I'm now seriously thinking about applying to my local supermarket - less money, but more regular work. Has anyone else done the same? How much does retail actually pay? Am I fooling myself that being checkout girl would be better than a nameless typing chimp?

[mollydolly]

Pay is around �5 ph Working in a retail environment can be very rewarding it all depends on your attitude Over the years I have managed a broad spectrum of people from all walks of life including students some of whom have gone on to become doctors solicitors & marine biologists & teamwork has always been the key to success The ones who usually fall by the wayside are those like yourself with "superior being attitude" You refer to a typist as being a nameless chimp!! how insulting! Get a life please - did no-one ever tell you happiness is a state of mind that you can find anywhere it does not come from a job title

[ursula62]

I'm sorry kello, but if you came to me looking for work I wouldn't employ you. Not only have you changed careers several times by the sound of it (a mature student who then changes courses) but also you seem to look down on people because of what job they do.  

Many people who do secretarial work actually never inteded to take that route as a career, and are extremely intelligent people who find that the money they can earn as a "typist" is better than in their dream job. People don't just work for job satisfaction, they often work for money too! Mums in particular often do secretarial or admin work because they can often jobshare or choose their hours and because the family needs regular  money, when in reality they would much rather do something different.  But you know what? They are happy to do this because they don't define themselves by their job titles, and they can see the bigger picture.

Then there are those who geniunely want to work in an office and type for a living. They are usually extremely intelligent people too, with a flair for organisation, people who want to make a difference in a firm, people who want to see a result to their efforts at the end of the working day, people who thrive on challenges.

There are also people that thrive on working in a supermarket environment. One of my sister's friends is a "checkout girl". She loves her job. She has an English degree and is a qualified pilot as well, but she took a job at the supermarket when her children started school and now she loves it,  and wouldn't leave.

If you can't get past judging people by their choice of employment then I doubt you will succeed in any career, no matter how "mature" you feel yourself to be.

[keilo]

Oh no, please, you've completely misunderstood. I have only changed career once - my first lasted 15 years for the same company before it was time to move on to my first and only degree which I am loving doing. I would never look down on someone because of the job they do, but I've had horrible experiences temping because I've spent so many years in offices and my new career has given me a taste of what it's like to be out & about working with people. I honestly do not feel superior!! It's just that so many people have warned me off retail because of their own experiences (and maybe their own predjuces), but I know deep down that I'd enjoy a public facing job so much more than being on my own in an office (which many temping jobs are).

Thank you for the advice mollydolly & ursula - you've convinced me that I would enjoy doing it.

[Miss Zippy]

When I was a student I did various retail and admin work part time and during the holidays and did enjoy the retail work much more. I loved the camaraderie you get working in a large store and I enjoyed dealing with the customers. The admin work was mostly dull but I did it because it paid more than the shop work.

[Lillabet]

As someone who was a student for a long time and had a variety of part time jobs I would agree with you, that depending on the particular office culture, being a temp admin person can be one of the most thankless tasks there is. Sometimes - probably as they know you are only there for a short time - no-one even makes the effort to say hello. If you've been brought in cos they need extra help you're often on a desk they've brought in and stuck in a corner away from everyone else. Also you are bound to be given the least interesting and most mundane tasks cos as a temp they don't want to spend any time training you in their systems - not even half a morning...

Retail work might well suit you better if you're a sociable type. It isn't that well paid - but depending on your circumstances and the stores around you a lot offer higher rates for working unsociable hours - the night shift at a 24 hour store or stock work when the store is closed.

As an alternative what about bar work? Again it isn't the highest of pay but is very sociable.

Or a combination - temp admin stuff in the day and a few shifts at your local to relieve the boredom and reverse the soul destruction...

[keilo]

Lillabet, you've absolutely hit the nail on the head, it is about the social aspect, and although admin pays better I'd rather cut down on my expenses and get to work with people. Yes, I have thought about bar work but don't know if I'd be considered without experience. I like the idea of trying some shift work, I'm a natural night owl and all the surrounding supermarkets where I live do 24 hours.

[acw]

May I suggest going through agencies?  Although this does not guarantee income, if you sign up with enough (free) temping agencies, you can get in for admin AND bar work.  I have earned around �250/week the last few summers just doing daytime or evening catering through only two agencies at home - so you CAN earn enough money through these agencies. 

 

Judging by many of my colleagues (both present and past) at catering events, no experience is necessary to get hired - and after one evening on a bar, with a small degree of intelligence, you will know the ropes really well.  Pay with agencies is usually the same as, or even higher than the staff who actually work directly for the establishment you get sent to.  The big advantage of agency work is that if you turn up in a place like lilabet  described, you can leave after a week and the agency will already have found you something else!! 

 

The other major advantage is that you don't get told told when you are working, you get asked if you want to work. The usual rule is that if you turn down about 3 shifts in a row without good reason you go to the bottom of the list, but at least you can define your own working hours and work hard all week and still guarantee yourself time for a night out with the girls/in with the fella/sunday round at Mum's (to stereotype!!!)

 

Moving around to lots of different places also give you a great opportunity to meet lots of different people.  I love doing agency work (to supplement my LLM) because if you meet great people, they can become friends, if you meet w*nkers, you need never see them again!

 

Good luck either way!