To think those who take low paid job are looked down on _or thought to be thick !

[Blossum123]

Said on another thread how I was thinking of taking a supermarket Job rather than use my qualification . Reason being stress and the supermarket job fits round my family .
Have taken the job .saw sister as Father's Day . She said she was shocked i was waisting my education and that I should want more status !
Surely finding something that fits well with our young children is reason enough ?! Since saying I'm taking a supermarket job people are presuming I'm stupid ! Is this just my family or have others in simular jobs had this - ?

[Blossum123]

Best bit is I will work out better off in this job as the hours will mean no childcare !

[DearGirl]

I am a early years practitioner - have a degree etc yet when I tell people I am a nursery nurse people imagine I am thick and just want to play with kids instead of getting a real job.

[whynowblowwind]

I've got a low paid job, I'm pleased to be working though, I don't care what other people think.

[WallyBantersJunkBox]

There are some days where I yearn for my Saturday job on the checkout in Tesco - chatting to customers, and then leaving all my work woes at the checkout when I sign out. I am the breadwinner though so I couldn't afford to do it because I'd have to work unreasonable numbers of hours....

I don't blame you at all, and I especially wouldn't judge you as thick.

[PrincessOfChina]

Do you have student loans to repay? If so, I think you have an obligation to get the best paid job feasible for your situation in order to repay that debt.

[Fram]

Are you happy? Does it work for you?
If 'yes', why care what others think?

[JamJimJam]

If I am honest, I think that working in a supermarket must be pretty awful and it's really poorly paid. But I would never look down on or make assumptions about someone's intelligence because they did a 'menial' job.

If it's the only thing that fits in with your life at this stage and you're happy to do it - then it's no-one else's business.

[Fideliney]

YANBU. Many many people seem to be obsessed with status.

Ignore them

[OddBoots]

I'm another early years practitioner, people seem astonished that I'm studying (and doing well on) a biomedical science degree and that I'm hoping to go on to do a masters and a PhD.

I work in early years mainly because it fits around my own family life but also because I love watching young minds develop. I work with a bunch of very bright and capable women who work hard with skill at what they do but it is a job that is so often looked down on.

[mswibble]

If you're working then you shouldnt give a toss what other people think. You're providing for yourself and your family and therefore have the right to be proud. I have more respect for people who do ball breaking 'menial'work who are actually doing something than those paper pushers who do eff all.

I cannot bear those fresh out of Uni know it alls who think that working in retail or similar is beneath them. Welcome to the real world.

[TheScottishPlay]

I was made redundant from a reasonably well paid, high status job 5 years ago. I applied for anything and everything. The first job I was offered was as a Support Worker which to begin with was low paid but I loved it. I'm still in that line but 'up the tree' a bit so better paid.
If it suits you go for it. You still have your degree and experience to apply to your new role. It could lead to anything.

[Blossum123]

Do you have student loans to repay? If so, I think you have an obligation to get the best paid job feasible for your situation in order to repay that debt.

Yes I do - I have paid a fair amount back - but a high pressured job affected my mental health almost causing a break down . This job allows me to be thier for my family - I thought starting out I wanted that job I didn't know how hard I would find it all

[Blossum123]

If I am honest, I think that working in a supermarket must be pretty awful and it's really poorly paid. But I would never look down on or make assumptions about someone's intelligence because they did a 'menial' job.

If it's the only thing that fits in with your life at this stage and you're happy to do it - then it's no-one else's business.
Could I ask why u think it's awful ?
As for the pay it works out me been better off than in my old job as I don't have childcare

[saresywaresy2]

When I had half my hours cut in a restructure a couple of years ago I decided to take a second job in a supermarket as it fitted in with the kids. I found it very hard at first, I was embarrassed when I saw people I knew, as I think people do look down on you. Having said that I soon realised that the job did require brain power and it felt good to be valued and be doing it well. I also found that just as I didn't want people to judge me, I was wrong to judge others in the same work - there were all sorts of folk working there for all sorts of reasons.
Hope it goes OK for you. In the end for me it wasn't really an easy option. The hours were demanding and they always wanted more. I've gone back to an easy office life. But I'm glad I did it, and proud that I could knuckle down and do anything when it came to the crunch. That's an empowering feeling. Good luck!

[Fideliney]

Do you have student loans to repay? If so, I think you have an obligation to get the best paid job feasible for your situation in order to repay that debt.

Huh? The interest rolls up quite nicely on outstanding balances and family considerations are quite valid.

[Fideliney]

I think that working in a supermarket must be pretty awful

TBF I don't think it is as relaxed as when I did it through college. The through-put rates of the till operators are apparently measured by the central computer now and targets are set. But at least when you go home, you leave work behind.

[vestandknickers]

I have a PHD but worked as a cleaner for three years because I could drop off my children and pick them up every day at school. Don't regret a minute of it.

[TheBogQueen]

I have 2 degrees and a professional career - I worked in a call centre fur nearly three years because it fitted around the children. - it was evenings/weekends.

I worked alongside qualified teachers, an SLT, a friend applying fur phd funding, trainee nurses, trainee lawyers.

I live in a nice area and many acquaintances either had v good professional careers or didn't need to earn much. I really felt done if them viewed me differently when I took that job.

Luckily now I am back in a ft job which has status - but have never forgotten that people in low status jobs are not some fucking alien species. which is why I smile and chat to checkout workers and thank call centre staff for helping me.

[WeddedBliss]

DH has a history of upper management in retail. He left his last job 6 months ago (not of his choosing...sued for constructive dismissal and won )

Obviously it was no-notice, so he put his CV around and managed to find a job within a month, and is now the manager of a well-known fast food outlet. It's been a huge step back career wise for him and a massive salary cut, but needs must.

When people ask where he works and he says 'Burger King' (for instance), people glaze over and go 'Oh well, puts food on the table eh?' or similar. He's even been told 'Oh love! Bless you! Never mind' from our scrounging scumbag neighbour no less

People hear 'Burger King' and automatically think you're a loser. Fact. The one bright spot he had was his wanker cousin outright taking the piss and assuming shit job=shit salary and asking dh if he needed a sub for a pint etc etc. Then started going on about how he'd just had promotion in his office job and is now on £25k...and dh being able to tell him his still much higher salary, even though he 'only' works in burger king. Cousins face went through the floor...that kept me smiling for a week

[TheBogQueen]

The pay in these 'menial' jobs can be surprisingly good. I know fellow call handlers working 37.5 hrs a week earning almost £30,000 pa!

Although there was no way I could have stuck it full time.

[17leftfeet]

I worked in retail for nearly 20 years

People do assume you are there because you can't do anything else and it's not a difficult job

They also assume it's poorly paid

Well as a store manager I was earning over 30k which is more than respectable

Working on the shop floor is difficult but yes people do look down their noses

Take comfort in the fact that you are doing the right thing for your family in the here and now and in the long term you are developing many transferable skills -communication, teamwork, managing work load etc that will be valuable to you in the future

[Figster]

I don't think anything other than how do they afford to live on a retail wage

[Xcountry]

Meh, I doubt most people in RL would be brave enough to say it to me even if they thought it, I maintain an IQ of 130, I am qualified higher than my job and I had a good full time job with a fantastic salary.... then I had kids.

I went back to agriculture, part time, paid peanuts, no childcare needed as kids come with, never been happier. The pace is much slower and theres none of the pressure of the work environment I had before. Sure theres also no more abroad holidays, no smartphones, tablets or tv and computers in every room but those things aren't important.

[Fideliney]

Who is that for Bog?

Or at least, what sector?

[TheBogQueen]

whispers
Public sector - but you have to work nights to bring in the decent money