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Original poster

To think this is utterly humiliating

194 replies

merricat · 07/08/2015 00:29

So, I live in a reasonably quiet Scottish village. We moved here two years ago after my husband got a job at [neighbouring city's university].

I know I'm overqualified for normal jobs - I have a PhD - but I want and need a job. Such jobs keep becoming available at our local Co-op shop. I would be fine and good at it, reliable etc. I have no commitments and could work any hours they wanted (which they said was a plus the first time I applied). I have now applied three times for a part time job on the tills. It is getting embarrassing. I will not apply again, but this evening I went in and noticed signs up saying they were recruiting. Every time I go in, the manager makes a point of ignoring me - he has my application on file and I've spoken to him about it previously, but can't keep doing so. I'm here, local, willing, and able. I cannot seem to get this shop job, despite the fact that they've been advertising consistently since I moved here, and despite having my application on file.

What is wrong with me? Why won't they even interview me? What can I do? How can I manage to get a job in a shop?

It's really started to depress me. Whenever I go in there, the manage very concertedly avoids eye contact. It's humiliating!

OP posts:
Coffeemarkone · 07/08/2015 13:04

because you left a gap between the word and the star...

LoisWilkersonsLastNerve · 07/08/2015 13:09

Thanks coffee No PHD here...Grin

Gabilan · 07/08/2015 13:13

"Those who are asking why the OP doesn't 'just get a university job in her field' clearly have no idea about the state of the academic job market."

God yes, it's hard enough if you're in south-east England, or if you can move anywhere you like in Britain/ Europe/ the entire bloody world. If you have family commitments and are stuck within a commutable radius of AnyTown realistically you're looking at doing non-academic jobs. For most academic specialisms it's an incredibly tough job market.

OP, I get the humiliation. You work very hard for a PhD, it proves you have a certain kind of academic intelligence. It also shows hard work, dedication and the ability to work independently to deadlines. Being knocked back three times for a vacancy the company are then not filling is humiliating anyway, but I think particularly so if you're going through a process of perhaps having to give up on a career that you spent a lot of time training for. I'm not knocking people who work in retail, and you could have a PhD and be really bad at working in a shop. However, I do get that it's humiliating for you.

Just ask the manager for feedback on your interviews. Suck up to them and say it's such a shame they're having problems filling the position. Then look for something else. I have a PhD and have done plenty of non-PhD jobs. You just have to tailor your experience to suit the job. I also agree that it's difficult to drop something like a PhD off your CV, especially if it's recent, as it looks like you've done nothing for 3-4 years. But you will have to emphasise whatever skills it's given you that are good for the job (frankly if you can deal with the average PhD supervisor, you can deal with World's Most Awkward Customer without breaking into a sweat).

LoisWilkersonsLastNerve · 07/08/2015 13:17

Also, you shouldn't have to drop an achievement off your CV. Why work for something and then have to hide it? What about a call centre op?

MokunMokun · 07/08/2015 13:23

That's rough OP. I know how tough it can be to find a job and I'd be frustrated too. Not sure what to suggest but hold your head high and hop there all you want.

bbcessex · 07/08/2015 13:23

I second what MaxPepsi said.

Sounds like the manager has an ulterior motive; if they were desperate for staff, he wouldn't care about lack of retail experience; I'm sure it wouldn't take long to train someone for a cashier / assistant role.

Sounds like he/her is either insecure or doesn't like new people... try something else, who wants to work in that environment if they don't have to?

LazyLohan · 07/08/2015 13:26

Having worked in retail, if a candidate wasn't selected for interview and started coming into the shop during working hours to ask why or bring up the application I know for most managers that would be an instant black mark and they would never stand any chance of being employed after that. A polite email asking for feedback would be acceptable, although I know many companies don't offer feedback unless you've been interviewed. But actually going in on spec and interrupting their work would get you labelled inconsiderate, pushy and a bit odd. They get loads and loads of applications for these sort of jobs, and if everybody just walked in and demanded feedback if would be chaos. You wouldn't walk into an office and demand to speak to someone you'd applied to, so why would you expect to do it in a shop? It's a bit disrespectful and shows a bit of a bad attitude towards shop workers that just because they're there to help customers you expect them to stop and drop everything to discuss your application.

It would also give a very bad impression of you to the manager, for whatever reason he's decided you're not suitable. Your reaction to this is to insist that you are and challenge him. The manager is probably thinking you'd be a nightmare to work with if he doesn't feel like justifying himself every time he asks you to get some change or stack a shelf.

I think you need to give this up as you've probably sabotaged any kind of chance of getting a job there.

LazyLohan · 07/08/2015 13:28

The OP hasn't even been interviewed though has she?

And we don't know how desperate they are for staff anyway. Probably not desperate enough to take on someone who they think would be rubbish.

WorraLiberty · 07/08/2015 13:33

As to why I haven't asked for feedback - okay, I suppose I will. It's just that whenever I enter the shop, the manager either scurries through the staff only door, or if he has to be out on the shop floor, makes such a show of avoiding eye contact that to actually approach him and ask him about it would seem kind of aggressive. Part of me thinks that if he is okay with being that rude to me, I'm not going to get a helpful answer out of him anyway, and I'm just going to embarrass myself further.

He's not being rude, he's just getting on with his job.

The correct procedure for asking for feedback, is generally to use email.

Spellcheck · 07/08/2015 13:36

Just because you have a PhD, it doesn't mean you are qualified to do any job you fancy. You obviously don't fit their selection criteria.
I wouldn't take too much offence to it - next time maybe try highlighting your transferrable skills when submitting a CV.
When I worked in Clinical Research recruitment I was inundated with CVs from graduates with first class honours degrees in biomedical science, but the ones that got the jobs were the ones who had relevant experience. Every time.

thatstoast · 07/08/2015 13:36

Good to know that the co-op pay more than min wage for all ages. This wasn't the case when I worked there.

Sazzle41 · 07/08/2015 13:38

You'd be better off going for admin jobs at the Uni where they will see your PHd as a plus. You have no retail experience and they wont want some degree qualified person who a) may see it as a stop gap and move on b) make them worry you will come up with 'clever' criticisims/challenge decisions etc (my feedback when i went for jobs like that). Are you sure
you would like retail anyway. Now I am older I dont know why I thought I would! I would be awful at it!

PeterParkerSays · 07/08/2015 13:53

Please do not invent GCSEs. There are loads of employers out there who ask to see certificates before you can get the job.

It's bad enough struggling to get an interview without getting a job and then having the offer withdrawn because you've invented qualifications you can't show.

temperato · 07/08/2015 14:12

Just wanted to pick up on what Fairylea said about nobody ever checking qualifications

In my current job (started 15 years after graduating uni) I had to show certificates including for GCSEs at interview stage.

This is in retail. I'd be careful about making up qualifications

RandomFriend · 07/08/2015 14:21

There is nothing wrong with you, OP. Is it possible that the Manager view you as a potential threat rather than a potential colleague?

I suspect the Manager doesn't want to interview you because the Manager is reluctant to be in a situation of having to manage someone who is more qualified than they are.

Coffeemarkone · 07/08/2015 14:32

I still wonder where the OP is from.....

RandomFriend · 07/08/2015 14:38

It doesn't matter where OP is from. She lives in the village and if she wants to take up a local vacancy that has been advertised on many occasions, why shouldn't she at least be interviewed?

scarlets · 07/08/2015 14:55

I think he fears that you'll want his job. People can be terribly insecure when it comes to highly qualified staff.

Coffeemarkone · 07/08/2015 14:57

" It doesn't matter where OP is from. She lives in the village and if she wants to take up a local vacancy that has been advertised on many occasions, why shouldn't she at least be interviewed? "

I appreciate your sentiment, but honestly I think it would be a bit naive to think that you can move into a small village in Scotland (quite possibly from England) and that it 'wont matter where you are from'.

RandomFriend · 07/08/2015 15:02

Coffeemarkone Are Scottish people so unwelcoming that even after two years an income cannot be considered by a national company for a local job? Even one that is obviously hard to fill as it is advertised regularly?

If that is the case, OP, and you really want a job, perhaps either move to the university city or look for jobs outside the village.

Coffeemarkone · 07/08/2015 15:06

I dont know really randomfriend - but I just think it would be a bit naive to think that anti Englishness does not exist in Scotland and Wales. I live in Wales. I have been told why I would not get a job in our local garage, and it was essentially 'youre not from round here are you'.
Yes OP should try for a job at the uni or in the town.

asmallandnoisymonkey · 07/08/2015 15:10

OP do you live in Aboyne?! Grin

DeeWe · 07/08/2015 15:20

A couple of years living somewhere can be nothing in some places. There's a village up north near my dp where anyone who isn't second generation there is regarded as suspicious.
And I've certainly heard the villagers refer to someone who's lived there for nearly 20 years as "the new people from Chester".

They certainly wouldn't employ anyone in the centre of village gossip, known as "The Shop" who wasn't a long term resident.
It's a bit like the Archers with fewer accents. Grin

Vatersay · 07/08/2015 15:27

Coffee with respect you are talking nonsense.

There are plenty of English people happily living in wee Scottish villages, often 'escaping the rat race' particularly in the highlands.

I'm not sure why posters are trying to make this an anti-English thing when it is far more likely to be something much, much simpler.

asmallandnoisymonkey · 07/08/2015 15:43

Actually Vatersay, Coffee isn't strictly talking nonsense.

Myself and my husband get lots of 'you're not from here are you?' in an accusatory tone, (my husband actually gets people telling him he doesn't know how to do his job because he's not from around here even though that has no bearing and he's professionally qualified).

We were stood chatting next to someone on the train once who said quite loudly to the person next to him 'full train isn't it? Well, could be worse, could be full of English people' and then stared full at me and my husband.

Anti-English sentiment is alive and well in Scotland, just as many, many Scottish people are subjected to horrific comments elsewhere. Denying that it exists helps nobody whatsoever.

We do however get loads and loads of lovely comments and chat with all sorts of random people about where we're from, because they're genuinely curious. It's swings and roundabouts.