can you help me work out why i can't get a supermarket job?

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Tale as old as time, i'm mid 40s, husband and i are discussing terms of theoretical separation and divorce and i need to work.

Please be decent if you reply, don't leave inflammatory responses, i'm going through a very difficult time and every day is a struggle.

I am looking for helpful insight.

i have worked in a traditional/classic "status" profession (eg chartered accounting, clergy, medicine) for 5 years but have suffered very poor MH , GAD with the presence of panic attacks which continue to this very day and significantly impact me daily. I only have a couple of friends i'm in touch with and they agree that I am not suited to returning to the profession and don't think i could perform to the level required. On paper, I'm highly skilled but in reality, i really struggled to perform and work things out on the job.

I have been out of work for 5 years and i want a job that isn't too demanding and that i can just go in to do without yet more training. I've been rejected from admin roles even though I've got admin experience.

i feel that i've adapted my CV to the roles I've applied for. Specifically for the supermarket and retail jobs, I have taken off post-graduate qualifications and the professional roles.

I currently do volunteer work at a school and go in one morning a week to read with children. It's a very basic function and i don't organise anything as the school don't want that nor do i use any skills. I literally listen and prompt so i don't think this voluntary work could progress into paid employment.

On another thread, I read about a woman in her 50s who hadn't worked for a while and was in a similar situation in terms of marriage status and she was told to get a job at a supermarket to get her back into working. Separate to that, I had already been applying for low paid roles in retail and supermarkets. I've been rejected from Morrisons,Tesco, Cinton Cards Seasalt and Boots.

I have my own suspicions as to why I'm getting rejected but would like to hear of success stories and how people actually do get jobs in places such as these.

What do I need to do in the tests - Tesco one was very different from the Morrisons!

What would a successful candidate CV look like and contain or avoid?

Can anyone help me with suggestions on how to return to work or any resources?

I've been trying off and on for 3 years to return to work, so i'm not sitting passively hoping to just submit a CV and get an interview. I've been filling applications, doing virtual/ automated preliminary interviews etc but don't seem to progress.

Thank you.

I worked at Asda a few years ago. I had no employment gaps however it was my first shop based job but I evidenced my customer service experience from running a business and hospitality jobs. The problem is people with previous experience are always going to be desirable. You need to make sure your application identifies every bullet point on the person spec and gives clear examples of how you meet each criteria.

If it's the online applications, there is a bit of a formula to them. The answer isn't always the keep customer happy at all costs one, e.g. health and safety issues like spillages would be the priority (the liability is greater than 1 unhappy customer).

I am 45 and started at a supermarket just before Christmas, no retail experience. I do nights as that's what works for my situation, so mostly stock replenishing. It is quite physically demanding. I prefer it to picking for online shopping as that comes with targets which I find impossible to achieve.

have worked in a traditional/classic "status" profession (eg chartered accounting, clergy, medicine) for 5 years

It's this. They see you as someone who is only taking the job as a stop gap and you'll be off as soon as something better comes up.

If you really want a supermarket job you'll need to dumb down your CV. Wipe off all your qualifications except a few GCSEs. Wipe off your work history, get a self employed friend to say you've been working there as a cleaner or on the till or something for a reference. If you've got DC you can write off a big chunk of time as being a SAHM. If you worked in McDonald's or something whilst at university, put the job down but don't mention the degree. MH shouldn't be a barrier as long as you're fit to work.

I think not being able to do cleaning would be a barrier to supermarket work, it might not be often but it it's an expected part of a supermarket assistant job. Well it is where I work.

It sounds like you’re not quite well enough for retail work if you can’t clean either. Your bookkeeping skills could be useful to small businesses or chaities.
The hospitals need admin staff - you’d need the right role for you - maybe not patient facing. Clinical coding is interesting - you would need to be able to attend for work without too much sick leave.

I tried to get a supermarket job when I was at Uni as i needed to pay my mortgage.
I'm highly qualified in nursing etc. It was a no from everyone I tried.
I can only guess they don't want to hire highly qualified people.
I'd downgrade your CV.

Sorry it's been such a difficult time OP. I can relate to this a great deal on a personal level and it is very difficult.

What feedback has there been from the job interviews you've had? Or is the issue that applications aren't progressing to interview? Are you looking for full time contracted work only?

Have you tried looking for a role in convenience food retail? My understanding based on close proximity to someone that manages in the sector is that they are crying out for staff. I've never known age or experience to factor much in retail. In all honesty and in my own experience of retail more mature applicants are often desirable for various reasons and it isn't uncommon to see people who struggled to manage in their career for whatever (very valid) reason take on less stressful roles for a time or indefinitely or as a part time job to supplement early retirement.

I thought a supermarket would suit as I like being given instructions and having defined parameters. Id enjoy the limited interaction with customers. I don't want responsibility and I am happy to do physical work as I'm a fit person.

I'm very sorry to read this OP, sounds very difficult.

Two things:

I wonder if you're barking up the wrong tree. Do you actually want to work in a supermarket? If not, what kind of environment do you think would actually suit you, your attributes and skills?

Volunteering - I run a food bank and we have a good "throughput" of middle-aged women who'd been out of the workforce for a while, spending time with us and then getting good references and going off to paid roles. So perhaps the volunteering you are doing also needs attention.

I've recruited extensively for retail and the application / hours availability and online questions are what gets you an interview, not your Cv. What hours are you saying you can work? Also, in nearly all supermarkets you will be required to work anywhere in the shop (open food, manual handling / lifting, cleaning, checkouts, etc) have you ticked all those boxes OP?

I recruit for retail as part of my job.

You are in competition with hundreds and hundreds of other applications. Sometimes thousands. Retail requires no qualifications so is very popular. It's actually a lot harder to get a job in retail than people think - they assume because it requires no qualifications you should be able to just waltz in and get the job immediately. Not that simple.

Most retail is age banded pay. As such, unfortunately yes hiring younger people in the lower band to keep costs down is a thing. It's not a thing I like, or do personally, but I know it happens a lot behind the scenes.

I would also argue that if you suffer with severe anxiety retail might not be for you. I sign off at least one a month in our region with stress and anxiety - the general public are awful, and usually at their worst with "low level" employees like shop workers. It's more stressful than people realise.

Feel free to PM me though if you want me to have a look at your CV or if you have any questions, happy to help if you do think it's for you and want some advice.

I would maybe focus on the online picking roles, I think you'd be likely able to avoid cleaning. The traditional till jobs are dying out a bit and you'd be expected to clean etc when the store was quiet. They do tend to have an early start (5am where I am) so depends on the arrangements with your ex for any DC. They usually expect some weekend availability too (not necessarily every one).

I second the suggestion of signing up with an agency or two - this improves your CV so much even if you only do the odd bit of work through them initially. I also second the queries about if a supermarket is right for you, they’ve always seemed like very stressful places to work to me! And with your previous qualifications maybe somewhere with possibilities for future advancement would be good, doesn’t mean you have to take them… Someone mentioned a library, I had a lovely job as a reshelver for a while. Data entry is also an easy and fairly low stress job. Or shop assistant in a quietish independent shop would probably be less interaction and stress than a supermarket job, and something you can skew to your interests to a certain extent (tech, clothes, books?).

I have a friend who recruits for supermarket, she tells me that they are overwhelmed with applicants, and normally when they advertise a job, they already have waiting list. A very small percentage get proper consideration

IME ASDA are more likely to hire career changers than other supermarkets. When I worked there, there was an ex-MH nurse, at least 2 ex-teachers, an ex-police officer and someone who used to work in the civil service. So if there's an ASDA near you they might be a good bet. Morrissons and Tesco dance to their own bizarre tune about hiring. I've never even managed to get an interview with them, even with solid supermarket experience from ASDA and other retail experience.

McDonalds are also a good open-minded employer, while I was there, I worked with two teachers, a Poland-qualified lawyer, two medical students and a former theatrical performer. It really depends on the culture in the HR department both nationally and locally.

However, if you're not up for working in cleaning, supermarket work could be problematic, my hands were always getting covered in people's leaky food (e.g. meat) and so did my checkout so I had to constantly clean it all.

It's also a bad time of year to try to get a retail job - September is best as they're always hiring extra staff for the Christmas period and so it's easier as there are many more vacancies. Argos, Smyths Toys, Next etc always hire in September/October and those Christmas jobs become permanent if they like your work. I know that doesn't help much right now though.

Another one saying that retail is AWFUL for mental health. The public can be so rude and condescending and depending where you are (ie big city centre) you end up being a therapist to all the people with mental health difficulties. Vulnerable customers used to spend all day in there following me around moaning about their problems! Not worth the minimum wage in my opinion. It's not an easy job at all, especially if you don't have a decent manager to have your back. I didn't I got verbally and sexually harassed more times than I can count in my young 20s working in a small supermarket. This is why I'm extra extra nice to retail/hospitality/medical staff now.

I would recommend someone with anxiety a quiet office job with a small team. Least the public can't come in and cause you a headache with their demands! Try recruitment agencies, they're are much easier to get in the door than through a HR department who usually have someone internal already lined up.

If you are set on a supermarket try and have a specific job like the bakery where you're sheltered from too many people - it does come with very early mornings though. If you're not a morning person don't think you can get used to it because from bitter experience you can't!

You certainly can get UC if you work 15 hours (subject to partners income if any). That’s what it’s for, to top up low income

I don't know where you are but Aldi are recruiting - www.aldirecruitment.co.uk/job-search?tag=Store-Assistant

Retail work, particularly the supermarkets can be relentless, no time for a sip of drink or a wee frequently and you have to be available all the time for any customer queries ect.

Smaller shops are better and more relaxed so may be a better fit or even factory work, generally a lot less stressful but can be boring.
What are you putting down for availability? A lot of employers like full flexibility so even if you want say Mondays off say that in interviews rather than straight away as it quite often gets rejected automatically, same as if you want evenings off.

Apply to John Lewis / Waitrose, there staff seem to be of much higher calibre. An old colleague of mine who was very high up, had a bit of an epiphany and jacked in the corporate world for Waitrose.

I used to work for Sainsbury’s and they are not fussed about age. There were lots of staff who were already retired, but wanted a few hours, mainly to socialise and top up their pension. It leaves a good atmosphere as they’re happy to work.

We took on a lady in her 60’s when I worked in a building society. I trained her up and as she had life experience on her side, it counted much more than some flighty young person who’s leave at a drop of a hat. We took on some young people, two were sacked as they were useless.

I don’t know if it would be something you could consider stressful, but have you tried tutoring agencies ? With your qualifications parents would probably like you. If you don’t want it to be too intense don’t do any exam prep
I did it a lot as a student job (I was in a ‘good’ uni so parents like that.
I find primary age easier, but depends on your wishes. It’s because they don’t have the pressure of huge exams looming, it’s not huge requirements, just help with reading, maths,… and you mentioned volunteering in a primary school for reading so that’s good.
If you feel up to it later, you can move on to intense exams preps

Thank you all so much for the replies. There is a lot of anecdotal information which all goes towards building a picture of how recruitment works at a supermarket - thanks for this.

I think more voluntary work might be a good idea. Foodbank sounds great.

From what I have gathered from friends/DSs who work in supermarkets they are up against the clock for a lot of tasks.

'Shelf stacking'-you don't have all day to casually put stock out and make the shelves look pretty, it has to be done quickly and efficiently before given the next task which may also have time restraints.

WRT cleaning if there's a spillage anywhere in the shop any staff member can be called on to clear it up.

'Just get a job in a supermarket' isn't the magical answer to people's problems and I'm not sure why people would think it is.

ASDA and Waitrose are good for the over 40s near me -my local Sainsbury's is majority teens and 20s.
My workplace is struggling to recruit but that is for nightshifts.