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 had never worked in retail, but I wanted a part-time job at my local supermarket. I had heard a few people had applied on Indeed but hadn't heard back.
I went into the Supermarket in person, asked to speak to the Manager and took my CV. We had a brief chat, and the following morning he called and offered me the 24 hours I was after! I think sometimes, being proactive and face to face is helpful. A face and conversation is remembered more than a CV on an email.
Good luck 👍

I think it depends where you live, round here they're considered a bit 'sought after' jobs, whereas in some places they're screaming for workers.

In my case, I fail on the online suitability tests. When I applied to Asda a couple of years ago I made the sift but after being asked to undertake not just 1, but 3 tests I didn't hear from them for months to be told I'd failed.

This was for a p/t night-shift shelf-stacking job.

Obviously someone with over 40 years of work experience isn't what they're looking for.

I currently work in a supermarket and have done for the last 5 years.
Theres another supermarket opening up near me which I applied for and got rejected! ( I’m in my late 40’s if that’s relevant)

I used to be a TA, and I had no TA qualifications, I applied for a job in the school I volunteered in, and got it. If I were you, I would talk to the school, and see if they can offer you anything.

I think in 10 years of applying for jobs whist studying, I never successfully got a retail job.
Lots of restaurant/catering/admin support/healthcare support jobs but not retail. And I had months of charity shop volunteering experience by age 15. They're not easy to get!

OP, are you close to an IKEA that you could either get in touch with their local HR person or keep an eye on their job boards? My friends mum was in a similar position to you and found them to be very inclusive in the recruitment process and good employers to work for. If you looked at a role in the showroom or marketplace that could be just the trick with nice interactions with customers from time to time too.

Why are you set on supermarkets?
They can be full on and not very flexible or kind to employees, a friend was signed off work by her GP due to a bad back and sainsbury gave her a written warning!!
I would look at local authority jobs who offer flexi time and WFH and where its possible to get a cuppa if needed.
Getting a job in a supermarket isn't always easy, they expect you to jump through hoops, I had an all day interview for a Debenham Xmas job , I had to demonstrate upselling bath towels!! All day interview for a 3 month minimum wage job, overkill, and I didn't get it.
If you are set on it getting some volunteer charity shop experience may help, Google supermarket tests to get hints and ask for feedback after interviews.
Sadly I think it is harder to get a job in your 50s .
Is it possible to do.your previous profession as freelance? Bookkeeping, tutoring etc?
Good luck, and I'm sorry you are going through a tough time.

You mention retail and other low paid jobs however I think working in Tescos or Primark would be incredibly difficult for someone with poor mental health. It may be low paid but it demands a lot of social skills and everything has targets in terms of numbers/ speed
Have you considered warehouse work? You'll get fit if nothing else. You're given a pick list then drag a pallet truck or cage up and down the aisles selecting. You have targets but with time you speed up. Its pretty predictable so unlikely to be put on the spot. A lot of these jobs start off through agencies so you both get an opportunity to 'try before you buy'. Breaks are often staggered too so you can socialise as much or a little as you like with Co workers and won't be seen as stand offish.

It is (very) physically demanding but I really enjoyed working in a supermarket. I was on a zero hours contract so didn’t do tills (for some reason I have become anxious at the idea of working a till even though I happily used them when I was younger doing bar work). Filling shelves and interacting with customers was way less stressful than my previous nhs admin job and the customers were always lovely (ime).You can have a bottle of water at hand and I could go to the loo any time I wanted.

I often wonder how sone people get supermarket jobs. No smiling, no interaction, zero customer service skills.

If you have enjoyed volunteering in a school would you consider childminding? I worked in admin and accounts for 20 years an was treated poorly during covid so I needed a way out that would work around family. I now only work term time and am my own boss. It's fairly physically demanding but there are huge positives to being your on boss. We also spend most of our time outside especially during the warmer months which as been awesome for my own mental health. There is some training involved but it doesn't take long to complete. Just an idea to think about as you can work as little or as much as you like. There is such a demand for childcare at the moment x

Have you tried temping agency's for admin work. You may get a job you enjoy and they think you are good and would want to keep you. Worked for me after being a SAHP. Good luck.