How do I maximise the potential of a Saturday job?
September 5, 2015 7:28 AM Subscribe
I would like to feel as if I have not hit rock bottom in life. Please help me believe that.
I used to work in an office and got made redundant with a nice benefits package. Since then I have been doing unpaid work experience and volunteering for other companies but I now need an income. I appear to be completely unable to get work in an office or in the field of administration so I am swallowing my pride and taking a part time job in a food shop/store (I am so sorry if I am coming off like a snob). I used to work in a store and so I associate the job with being a kid. I feel as if I have taken a step back however I cannot take a step forward because at 30 something, I am still completely unsure about what I want to do in life (not administration). I feel very anxious about running out of time and i'm pretty depressed (I have been experiencing what I think is depersonalisation - just feeling out of body). I am really trying to not be catastrophic in my attitude.
Can you think of ways in which I could really turn this job into something more for my resume? I am self-learning html/css at the minute and I am looking into social marketing so I think I could possibly convince the boss to do his social media (I'm not even sure he has a twitter account) and possibly build a very simple website (obviously I am not expecting extra payment for these things). Another avenue I was considering was accounts (I am starting a course later this month) so perhaps I could get experience in that area, helping him out once I have built trust. Any other ideas? I just don't have enough experience in life to know what other career I could have.
Thanks.
I used to work in an office and got made redundant with a nice benefits package. Since then I have been doing unpaid work experience and volunteering for other companies but I now need an income. I appear to be completely unable to get work in an office or in the field of administration so I am swallowing my pride and taking a part time job in a food shop/store (I am so sorry if I am coming off like a snob). I used to work in a store and so I associate the job with being a kid. I feel as if I have taken a step back however I cannot take a step forward because at 30 something, I am still completely unsure about what I want to do in life (not administration). I feel very anxious about running out of time and i'm pretty depressed (I have been experiencing what I think is depersonalisation - just feeling out of body). I am really trying to not be catastrophic in my attitude.
Can you think of ways in which I could really turn this job into something more for my resume? I am self-learning html/css at the minute and I am looking into social marketing so I think I could possibly convince the boss to do his social media (I'm not even sure he has a twitter account) and possibly build a very simple website (obviously I am not expecting extra payment for these things). Another avenue I was considering was accounts (I am starting a course later this month) so perhaps I could get experience in that area, helping him out once I have built trust. Any other ideas? I just don't have enough experience in life to know what other career I could have.
Thanks.
You're not running out of time at the age of 30!
Use the work in the store to build sales skills. You may not have a "sales-y" personality and you may not care to develop one. But with anything you do, you have to be willing to at least sell yourself. Working in a store, you can build those skills and take them with you when you move on. Remember, you can learn and grow even in a very unpromising environment.
Just for reference, I took a job in a store at a similarly bad time and still do it for fun--and for the employee discount, and the little bit of guaranteed income, and the physical activity, etc.
posted by BibiRose at 8:00 AM on September 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
Use the work in the store to build sales skills. You may not have a "sales-y" personality and you may not care to develop one. But with anything you do, you have to be willing to at least sell yourself. Working in a store, you can build those skills and take them with you when you move on. Remember, you can learn and grow even in a very unpromising environment.
Just for reference, I took a job in a store at a similarly bad time and still do it for fun--and for the employee discount, and the little bit of guaranteed income, and the physical activity, etc.
posted by BibiRose at 8:00 AM on September 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
If you work hard and are moderately intelligent, you should be able to move up fairly quickly and could be a manager within a few years. I work in a grocery store and moved up over time, and I still enjoy it. Retail is fun!
posted by Slinga at 8:10 AM on September 5, 2015
posted by Slinga at 8:10 AM on September 5, 2015
It sounds like this is a small business rather than a large corp. If so, the owner likely has trouble finding good help and you'll distinguish yourself (and probably grow your responsibilities/importance to the store) if you excel at your job. Once you are there for a little bit, pick a part of the business that interests you, that you could see doing outside of working at this store, and try to learn as much about that as you can so you can start building up skills in that area. I think your idea of working on the business's social media branding might be a good one.
You can also use this as an opportunity to define specific attributes you'd like out of a job. For example, when I was feeling burnt out at a job (software) on year I took a holiday retail position. It wasn't that great a job, but I was surprisingly happy doing it, although I'm sure I would have tired of the environment if I had been there longer. But most importantly I learned that helping people was an attribute that was important to me but lacking in most of my jobs. I also really liked that the day was full of unexpected things and while there was a certain amt drudgery/routine, you never knew who was going to come through the door. It beat sitting at a desk doing mostly the same thing every day. I wouldn't have learned that either of those 'fuel' me if I had kept doing what I was doing.
Good luck!
posted by snowymorninblues at 8:18 AM on September 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
You can also use this as an opportunity to define specific attributes you'd like out of a job. For example, when I was feeling burnt out at a job (software) on year I took a holiday retail position. It wasn't that great a job, but I was surprisingly happy doing it, although I'm sure I would have tired of the environment if I had been there longer. But most importantly I learned that helping people was an attribute that was important to me but lacking in most of my jobs. I also really liked that the day was full of unexpected things and while there was a certain amt drudgery/routine, you never knew who was going to come through the door. It beat sitting at a desk doing mostly the same thing every day. I wouldn't have learned that either of those 'fuel' me if I had kept doing what I was doing.
Good luck!
posted by snowymorninblues at 8:18 AM on September 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
I lived and worked overseas and returned to Canada at age 32 with my family, hoping to find a job.
One thing I never realized was that your professional network is more important when looking for work than your actual skills. People hire people they know and trust. So I missed out on building up a web of professional contacts in Canada, and when we returned I had to start from scratch.
Amazingly enough I did find a good job about three months after we got back, but things went sideways and just a month or so before Christmas I had no job, and I needed one.
So, I applied at the local call centre. I got an interview (there was so much turnover that they had a massive waiting room with interviewees). I got a job there.
It felt like I had been sent to jail.
Then, the same day I was supposed to start I got a call about doing a contracting gig that paid about 5X as much an hour as the call centre. So I escaped.
My point is that you don't have to be happy about going to work in a store. But you should be happy that you are doing what it takes to pay the bills. It's called survival.
If you're trying to figure out what to do I would recommend What Color Is Your Parachute.
The book really helped my when I was changing careers (and I have changed careers a couple of times now).
The book has a bunch of exercises you can do, and it also has a great message: have faith.
posted by Nevin at 8:33 AM on September 5, 2015
One thing I never realized was that your professional network is more important when looking for work than your actual skills. People hire people they know and trust. So I missed out on building up a web of professional contacts in Canada, and when we returned I had to start from scratch.
Amazingly enough I did find a good job about three months after we got back, but things went sideways and just a month or so before Christmas I had no job, and I needed one.
So, I applied at the local call centre. I got an interview (there was so much turnover that they had a massive waiting room with interviewees). I got a job there.
It felt like I had been sent to jail.
Then, the same day I was supposed to start I got a call about doing a contracting gig that paid about 5X as much an hour as the call centre. So I escaped.
My point is that you don't have to be happy about going to work in a store. But you should be happy that you are doing what it takes to pay the bills. It's called survival.
If you're trying to figure out what to do I would recommend What Color Is Your Parachute.
The book really helped my when I was changing careers (and I have changed careers a couple of times now).
The book has a bunch of exercises you can do, and it also has a great message: have faith.
posted by Nevin at 8:33 AM on September 5, 2015
As a sometime hiring manager I 100% prefer people who have taken a job somewhere, anywhere to pay the bills and keep working over people who have just sat home because they're not finding their dream job.
As others have said retail and shops often provide an easy path to distinguishing yourself as well.
posted by randomkeystrike at 9:32 AM on September 5, 2015 [6 favorites]
As others have said retail and shops often provide an easy path to distinguishing yourself as well.
posted by randomkeystrike at 9:32 AM on September 5, 2015 [6 favorites]
You can optimize any work experience by looking for opportunities to help the business and make a difference. Retail does have a lot of jobs where there isn't much involved in terms of creativity, but if you can help the manager/corporate (if it's a chain) with displays and sales and community outreach, it can be an interesting position. Especially getting involved with other local businesses through the Better Business Bureau or any chapters of local businesspeople.
posted by xingcat at 9:33 AM on September 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by xingcat at 9:33 AM on September 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you really need the money, just focus on that for now. You're probably getting depressed and stressing yourself out trying to imagine a way to a more fulfilling/purposeful career. That's something to worry about when your financial situation is improved. In the meantime, anything you do to improve your money situation is a step in the right direction. Don't be so hard on yourself.
posted by deathpanels at 7:03 PM on September 5, 2015
posted by deathpanels at 7:03 PM on September 5, 2015
A few years ago, I had a pretty spectacular career flameout and, after being unemployed for 8 months, wound up taking a job that was definitely a significant step back in my career. It was pretty demoralizing but, in retrospect, taking that job wound up being amazing for me because it directly led to me getting the job that has turned into a new - great! - career for me. I had no idea when I took this lower-rung job that this next career was what I wanted to do, but I kept my ears open for opportunities, this one came up and sounded good, and voila.
I think that if you are unemployed and depressed, even just getting back into the working world can help a lot. Also, there is no harder time to get a job than when you don't have one. Sucks, but it's true. So go into this job with the attitude that you never know what kinds of opportunities will come up. And definitely offer to do the social media if you're interested in that, but wait a bit until you know the boss better and he trusts you.
posted by lunasol at 5:58 PM on September 6, 2015
I think that if you are unemployed and depressed, even just getting back into the working world can help a lot. Also, there is no harder time to get a job than when you don't have one. Sucks, but it's true. So go into this job with the attitude that you never know what kinds of opportunities will come up. And definitely offer to do the social media if you're interested in that, but wait a bit until you know the boss better and he trusts you.
posted by lunasol at 5:58 PM on September 6, 2015
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posted by restless_nomad at 7:54 AM on September 5, 2015 [7 favorites]