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I dont like retail work because they are McJobs for very low pay but I am always nice to the employees and I dont wanna work strange and long hours/weekends and holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.I used to work retail.
I love retail work because I crave being around the public every day, even when they are cranky. Yes, it's blue collar work, but it's an honest day's work. I feel I am successful because I am in a line of work that I really enjoy. I would rather make $10 an hour and be happy than make $50 an hour and be miserable.
That's great! Heaven knows retail workers like you are needed, who can deal with the public even when they're cranky! OP, you have a calling! That's very cool. It's not the job itself that confers worth and dignity; it's what you bring to the job. You go, girl!
BTW, there are different types of retail work. Some involves doing light bookkeeping or data entry. That pays more. If you can learn Microsoft Office programs like Excel (if you haven't already), you might eventually be able to find a job that combines your love of serving the public with some light office functions, and move up to $12-$15/hr. Your local community college will offer courses in Microsoft Office.
How many people want to keep working wierd hours for a really long time?
Lots of people, including me! My profession has "weird" hours as well, and I'm always the FIRST to volunteer for nights and weekends... no traffic on my commutes, get to sleep late, and easier to get stuff done on my weekdays off (since everyone else is doing their stuff on weekends). My only complaint is not getting 2 consecutive days off, since I alternate between Fri/Mon and Sat/Mon as my off days. Anyway, I understand I'm in the minority, but you asked.
As for retail work, I did it for a short time in college, and hated it. Why? Mostly because I have severe arthritis (since childhood), and couldn't handle being on my feet all day - plus the constant bending/kneeling, etc. I enjoyed the interaction with customers, though, so it was purely a physical thing in my case. And now it would be a matter of pay, since I earn $40/hr doing something I love.
Lots of people, including me! My profession has "weird" hours as well, and I'm always the FIRST to volunteer for nights and weekends... no traffic on my commutes, get to sleep late, and easier to get stuff done on my weekdays off (since everyone else is doing their stuff on weekends). My only complaint is not getting 2 consecutive days off, since I alternate between Fri/Mon and Sat/Mon as my off days. Anyway, I understand I'm in the minority, but you asked.
As for retail work, I did it for a short time in college, and hated it. Why? Mostly because I have severe arthritis (since childhood), and couldn't handle being on my feet all day - plus the constant bending/kneeling, etc. I enjoyed the interaction with customers, though, so it was purely a physical thing in my case. And now it would be a matter of pay, since I earn $40/hr doing something I love.
Yeah, I don't see why not having conventional weekends off would be a problem, except maybe occasionally missing a special event. The important thing is to get 2 days off in a row, whichever 2 days they are. I like having a mid-week "weekend", because there are no crowds, and things are quieter. I have stores to myself, when I run errands.
I don't think I'd like having to stand for hours at a time, day after day, though. In Europe cashiers have seats to sit on at the cash registers. I don't know why we don't have that in the US.
Lots of people, including me! My profession has "weird" hours as well, and I'm always the FIRST to volunteer for nights and weekends... no traffic on my commutes, get to sleep late, and easier to get stuff done on my weekdays off (since everyone else is doing their stuff on weekends). My only complaint is not getting 2 consecutive days off, since I alternate between Fri/Mon and Sat/Mon as my off days. Anyway, I understand I'm in the minority, but you asked.
As for retail work, I did it for a short time in college, and hated it. Why? Mostly because I have severe arthritis (since childhood), and couldn't handle being on my feet all day - plus the constant bending/kneeling, etc. I enjoyed the interaction with customers, though, so it was purely a physical thing in my case. And now it would be a matter of pay, since I earn $40/hr doing something I love.
Thats good as long as you like it and dont mind.
I personally dont mind working with the public and customers it never bugs me.
Working with Customers is very sastisfying but yea the problem with working in retail has always been the hours and work schedule. The pay was also a problem somewhat but more importantly the hoirs
I like to stick to the regular M-F 9 to 5 work schedule
At least working in a Regular IT Corporate/ School Help desk job its generally 9 to 5 and the customers are great and you get some mad ones but difussing them is also a great challenge
Yeah, I don't see why not having conventional weekends off would be a problem, except maybe occasionally missing a special event. The important thing is to get 2 days off in a row, whichever 2 days they are. I like having a mid-week "weekend", because there are no crowds, and things are quieter. I have stores to myself, when I run errands.
I don't think I'd like having to stand for hours at a time, day after day, though. In Europe cashiers have seats to sit on at the cash registers. I don't know why we don't have that in the US.
For a lot of people predictable weekends off is important( family time, dates, special events, parties, social life etc)
Makes planning a social life easy i suppose traffic does suck at 5pm as thats a given but there are always trade offs
My family and gf also have that schedule but yea if one of us didnt have a match schedule it be pretty difficult to spend time together.
Say i have saturday and sunday off and my gf then had wes and thru off.
The pay is horrible. Part time. No benefits. No paid time off. The hours are horrible and you always have to work weekends and holidays. And did I say the pay is horrible??? And it's hard work. A few years of that and your feet and legs are ruined.
I think there is nothing wrong with the work itself. It's just the lousy hours, and the $7.25 an hour wage in most states. It's extremely hard to survive on that salary.
Upside is it's generally very easy work, comfortable environment, not physically demanding.
I mean, it's just not going to get much respect from either side, really. As an office workers, I like that there's some intellectual challenge to my job and far more variety than there is in retail. I've worked retail and it's just boring to me. If it paid what my job pays I still wouldn't do it. Sure, there's less stress and my job, like any job, can be boring and repetitive but not nearly to the same extent that retail work is.
Coming at it from the other end I've worked some jobs that are more hands on and physically demanding. Working in a warehouse sucks as well. I'd do retail over warehouse work but if you want to talk about why most blue collar workers don't have that much respect it's because most blue collar jobs are harder than retail. Standing around ringing up customers, occasionally stocking shelves or sweeping aisles is easy work. If you think it's not, go work in a warehouse or painting houses. I've done all three. Retail is by far the easiest.
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