Getting out of retail, where to?

[swapcicles]

So I've worked either retail or hospitality for many many years, had a bit of bad luck in moving/roles changing/workplace closures so haven't been in one place for more than 5 years.

I have moved up to supervisor twice and know I'm very good at retail in general but I'm bored! especially as the place I'm in has gone so very quiet, bit worrying in these times.

I do want to earn more too, can get by but that's no fun, been struggling on my own for many years, have manageable debts but if something major goes wrong on my car for example I'm screwed!

So where do I go? Always having a nosy on Indeed and now have started looking at NHS roles (I do have experience in retail healthcare) hoping that maybe once I'm into the NHS I could maybe find something more well paid than an entry job such as portering (although that in itself could be interesting)

30 years in retail and I'm still here on not much more than min wage! anyone else jumped ship for the better?

I know someone who moved from supermarket retail to IT.

He applied for the job and at the interview the panel said they only invited him in as they were curious as to why he applied as he has no IT experience at all. He replied, ‘ yes but I have an awful lot of customer service experience that I am betting your IT people don’t have. You can teach me the IT side’. And they took him on.

I also know someone who moved from clothing retail to the third sector. The job was initially to develop a clothing business but she has expanded it in other ways ( the charity encourages people to develop their roles like this).

I guess it’s about looking for opportunities and being creative about how you can use your skills and not being shy about selling yourself.

I'm looking at leaving retail (also a management position) but for the opposite reason - we've become unmanageably busy with no increase in staff hours and it's too much stress for the pay! We should job swap for a while OP

I do regular recruitment for entry level jobs into my service area (local government-run libraries/museums/arts venues), and I see 100s of applications many of which are from hospitality and retail workers. So it’s a good route for you to consider: look at your local council vacancies, and study their application guides etc. The best thing about moving into this sort of work is the opportunity to then move sideways, upwards or onwards elsewhere. You have really useful transferable skills: customer service; dealing with difficult people and situations; cash handling; stock management; working in a team; used to shift work, etc etc. You should consider front of house jobs (library, customer service, museum staff for example) but also operations/facilities management type posts as well. If you have any H&S responsibilities at work, bang on about that in your applications! We’re always looking for people with awareness and experience of that. Best of luck - just start applying for stuff and don’t be put off by rejection. Every application is a bit more practice.

Haha, I used to be like that, miss the days of running round like a headless chicken!

Alas no health and safety really apart from food hygiene and I do have a very good grip on what not to do in the workplace just by experience and many bad safety courses and videos I've had to endure!
Kind of got an eye for it but I know someone with a degree would easily pip me to the post.
I may just visit an agency if they don't bombard me with warehouse jobs that is.
Thank you both, it gives me hope

I moved from retail to a receptionist post, I struggled to get an office job with no office experience but managed to get reception with my customer service skills. I did temp work to start with and every reception job then led to admin roles. My mum is also an office manager and her receptionists get poached by other departments all the time

I left retail to work in education. Fast forward 14 years and now need out of education. I miss my retail job. Money wasn't great, but neither is the wages in education.

I left retail and joined the prison service. After retail I'd say you are already half trained!

You will be good at managing prisoners, trust me!