to not want to work in a supermarket ..

[Lola528]

Yes, it is very snobby of me I know, and especially right now it’s a “needs must” situation when so
many are being made redundant and don’t have much choice. The only jobs where I am right now seem to be in a supermarket or cleaning houses or offices (I’m a rubbish cleaner).

It may be petty, but I don’t want it on my CV amongst the other jobs I’ve had (aviation/travel working with major players of the industry) to then have “Asda” or equivalent as my most recent job. I just feel I have so much more to offer but nobody in my industry of choice is hiring right now (understandably).

AIBU to think this will go against me for future job opportunities? Or will future potential employees understand this is a blip of “COVID times” and not see it as a negative? Am I just being stupid?

So when you see a senior professional with 20+ years of experience and then a Covid gap on their CV, applying to work for you, your immediate thought is "lazy shirker, would rather sit on their arse"?

I'm just not buying this from people, sorry.

I would absolutely love the chance of a supermarket job. I've been made redundant and know now that I don't want to go back to the stress levels I was at previously, let alone the 13 hr days inc. commute time. A supermarket job would be wonderful. I'm Colchester based if anyone out there would like to give me a chance!

but if I were hiring a senior member of my finance team I’d find a stint working for Asda less appealing than someone who had up to date skills. So I’d still advise leaving it out

TBH, I find your views very disappointing and snobby @Iamthewombat and @Aridane. Why can’t the OP update her skills online and work in a supermarket?

In many parts of the UK the lack of jobs is serious and I would imagine most employers worth working for would view candidates who show initiative in getting a job – any job, more favourably than those who don’t. Also, there are probably some skills that can’t be kept up to date just by reading about it than actually doing the job – airline pilot for example.

If I were made redundant and did an in-between job at Sainsbury’s, I wouldn’t put that on my CV either. Not because I look down on supermarket work or similar nonsense, but for this reason: what would it add to a CV tailored for senior finance roles?

Because it shows initiative and a can-do attitude. Given that the pandemic has affected so many areas of employment I am surprised that there are still some employers that have such a narrow-minded attitude like yours.

Good luck with the job @Lola528

@PrincessNutNut It won't for everyone but it depends on the sector. If, say, they're from a sales led sector and they're expected to be motivated and hungry and wanting to earn bonuses then, yes, it could. And it has. "He can't be that money motivated if he's sat on his arse for 12 months."
If you're in a different sector, it might not have that impact.
I'm not saying it's right but it's life and it happens.

The MN cardboard box workplace of departments and line managers and HR perfection isn't always reality. "No" won't be seen as a full sentence and hiring managers (often owners of the business) will have opinions. Employing people is still emotional for a lot of businesses.

TBH, I find your views very disappointing and snobby Iamthewombat and Aridane. Why can’t the OP update her skills online and work in a supermarket?

Neither I nor Ariadne said that the OP should not work in the supermarket (although other posters have...the type queuing up to insult her, telling her to stop being a snob and that her new colleagues will hate her and, memorably, ‘crucify’ her).

No, we observed that her stint at the supermarket will not enhance her CV when her industry revives and she is applying for senior roles in her own profession. That’s because it’s not relevant to those roles.

I wouldn’t choose a candidate over others because she had worked in an unrelated temp role at Asda or Wilko, thus ‘showing that she can roll her sleeves up’. I’d choose based on her relevant experience. Anyone claiming that this doesn’t happen in the real world is deluding themselves.

Rant all you like about ‘snobbiness’ or ‘narrow mindedness’: that is the real world for senior roles. It doesn’t matter what someone’s mate who has recruited eg bar staff and likes a grafter says.

For the tenth time, demonstrating a ‘can do’ attitude, or ‘showing that you are a grafter’ is irrelevant for senior roles at the OP’s level. She won’t be in a role of that type to ‘turn her hand to anything’. Like what? Photocopying? Unblocking the loos? Carrying boxes around? She’ll be there to bring her industry-specific skills and knowledge.

It won't for everyone but it depends on the sector. If, say, they're from a sales led sector and they're expected to be motivated and hungry and wanting to earn bonuses then, yes, it could. And it has. "He can't be that money motivated if he's sat on his arse for 12 months."

But that's a specific context in which the work is relevant. That's the difference.

I'm just not buying all these people claiming that in a pile of senior aviation professionals who lost their jobs due to Covid, the one who stands out as the Hard Worker and Best For The Job is the one who's put Asda shop floor on their CV. I can believe some people might view it sympathetically, but I'm just not buying that it makes everyone else look like a useless loafer, or that it's necessarily a sign that they can do this job better than everyone else.

Here’s another corker from dear old Ginfordinner’s post.

In many parts of the UK the lack of jobs is serious

Translation: you spoilt cow in your ivory tower!

and I would imagine most employers worth working for would view candidates who show initiative in getting a job – any job, more favourably than those who don’t.

Translation: Yeah, thinking you’re better than me! I’ll put you in your place. You should take ANY job or nobody will ever employ you again.

Also, there are probably some skills that can’t be kept up to date just by reading about it than actually doing the job – airline pilot for example.

Translation: Yeah, and I’ll stick the knife into pilots as well! Overpaid bitches. Once you’ve left the flight deck there’s nothing down for you and you’ll forget how to fly so you might as well work in Aldi forever. Serves you right.

My shop floor experience in the last recession doesn't make me a grafter. It just made me someone who didn't want to get evicted!

RosesinGranGransgarden - my opinion was that I found the med sec job boring. It doesn’t mean that you are boring or your job is unskilled. Since when did we take people not wanting to do our jobs so personally?

Me not wanting to work in an admin job isn’t a slight on the millions of people working in admin jobs. I wouldn’t be offended or defensive if someone said my job was boring or I’m not as skilled as a solicitor or doctor or whatever.

@Justmuddlingalong

I had hoped that retail staff had gained some respect after they worked tirelessly through lockdown. Hopes dashed.

I’d hoped so also - apparently not.

Tbh OP, I think a stint in retail would do you some good. From your post you strike me as the sort of customer who’d scream for the manager because the avocado isn’t quite right... - this country would have fallen flat on its face without key workers, seemingly, we can manage without high fliers.

My entire career came from having to take a job in retail 12 years ago in a “needs must” situation - it introduced me to an industry I would never have encountered otherwise. I’m now a leading expert in my industry.

From your post you strike me as the sort of customer who’d scream for the manager because the avocado isn’t quite right...

Why? What has she said that gives you that impression?

Maybe we should all quit our jobs and work in supermarkets to prove we aren’t snobs

It’ll probably be the only job left in the next decade or so. Well, until they automate supermarkets which is coming.

I'm not reading 18 pages but OP, my friend is in a similar position (accountant in quite a niche area who's been contracting all year since redundancy and now is looking at jobs in other areas such as delivery driving to make ends meet).

He was recently advised by a CV writer/ careers coach to include his short term contracts on his CV and to draw out a couple of key skills from each so that there were as few employment gaps as possible.

However, she advised a separate section on his CV for such positions, keeping the last job in his field at his usual level of seniority at the top so that is read first.

This isn't about being snobbish or seeing supermarket work as being beneath anyone. Yes, there are a lot of transferable skills involved and it shows initiative and resilience to accept something different to keep the wolves from the door and to develop new skills at a time like this. But it's not everyone's chosen career and I don't agree with the posters shouting the OP down for saying as much when her later posts make clear she didn't mean to belittle this line of work.

Some interesting articles on the automation of retail: www.morningfuture.com/en/article/2018/04/16/supermarkets-automation-robot-future-work/286/

www.oliverwyman.com/our-expertise/insights/2019/jan/boardroom-volume-4/new-marketplace--changes-in-store/the-future-supermarket.html

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/sainsburys-self-service-supermarket-retail-jobs-automation-impact-a8893491.html%3famp

Maybe we will all be on universal basic income in the next thirty years and still people will be arguing on Mumsnet.

Maybe we will all be on universal basic income in the next thirty years and still people will be arguing on Mumsnet.

I'm working on a bot to do mine for me.

@Funkypolar this won't happen in the near future. There isn't a self serve checkout that isn't temperamental at the moment, they need constant human supervision. They are more trouble than they are worth most of the time.

You are being snobby im afraid....
I am a "professional" in a big tech company now making 6 figures earlier in my career I worked in retail.
I quite enjoyed working in a supermarket earlier in my life and would def go back to it if it suited my lifestyle/I needed the money.
(I may be biased as it was waitrose so they treated us very nicely and there some food based were perks)

You strike me as the sort of customer who....

Why do some people feel the need to make up weird stuff a propos of nothing in the OP?

frosted232 - we will have to wait and see won’t we? The experts think otherwise. At the same time, office based jobs will also be automated / outsourced abroad. The U.K. jobs market will be very interesting over the next few years as unemployment reaches new highs.

I worked high up in finance and am now slogging to work nights in asda to keep our family in the green... My partner has told me she has never been prouder of me for doing it for the family....

Same thing happened to my DB. There must be quite a few people in that position, so I'd also imagine the grafters, willing to turn out and do what it takes, will be preferred, when jobs open up again, over those who think it's below them and stay home.

@Funkypolar we'll also need to train customers on how to use them. There's more chance of getting a self serve checkout that works 😂 hopefully I'll be retired by the time automated supermarkets kick in.

You are being snobby im afraid....
I am a "professional" in a big tech company now making 6 figures earlier in my career I worked in retail.
I quite enjoyed working in a supermarket earlier in my life and would def go back to it if it suited my lifestyle/I needed the money.
(I may be biased as it was waitrose so they treated us very nicely and there some food based were perks)

The OP has taken the supermarket job and is not snobby.

Tell me, if you lost your six figure job (great stealth brag, BTW!) and had to trade down to work in a supermarket, as the OP has gamely done, for much less money,would you be rejoicing about it? No, thought not. Neither is she, but that doesn’t make her ‘snobby’.

It seems like a lot of inverted snobbery to me. Anybody not working in a supermarket is a snob in their “fancy office job.”

wombat that post was hilarious! It was the braggiest, most boastful 'don't be a snob' rebuke I've ever seen. Even shoehorning in that the supermarket in question was Waitrose, no less.

I also noticed the poster worked in retail "earlier in their career". How much earlier, I wonder...