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?

@Funkypolar thank you :)

Lola528 best wishes for your new job. I am up at this time as both DS and DH are supermarket workers. DH because his electrician business failed (some years ago now) and DS because armed forces recruitment is currently suspended (he was part way through the process).

Many of their colleagues have similar tales to tell. This isnt where they planned to be but at a difficult time it is work and a decent staff discount after a short while.

Having a job is better than no job. It shows you are happy to muck in and do whatever it takes - it shows good character.

@lola528 congrats on taking the job. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

YANBU to want to keep your CV polished, but you might want to realise there are transferable skills you can use from that type of role. You need to have great time management, customer service, interpersonal skills, merchandising skills etc. Don't sell supermarket skills short. And remember, potential employers will see that during the uncertainty you still got your boots on and did a shift! That speaks volumes about integrity, hard work and flexibility. You might find that management roles are easier to come by if you work hard and those can be well paid. Maybe a whole new career beckons! And you know what? If it doesn't work out, or you don't want to mention it, leave it off your CV. Good luck!

Yes, they should realise people don't have the luxury of waiting for the right job while everything is shut

I've worked in Asda for 29 years and am not ashamed of my job. The attitudes on here about working in a supermarket is shopping, you'll be the ones that come through my checkout and look down your noses at me for doing such a menial job!!

*shocking

Shopping

I like the pun

I've just taken on someone who's been doing a factory job since losing a job in our industry in August. The fact that he knuckled down and took what work he could get worked for him not against him.

@Lola528 - I think being in employment trumps recording a period of unemployment every time. You know there are no jobs in your chosen industry at the moment, so no point losing all skills by being unemployed until there are (provided you keep your eye out for any change in the employment prospects in the aviation sector). You need to credit future employers with a bit of intelligence - it’s not as if any future employer in the aviation industry is going to forget what happened in 2020! And if you never get back into the aviation sector, your customer facing experience and management experience are not a bad fit for promotion in the retail sector. The only alternatives, as unemployment is CV suicide, are retraining or setting up your own business, both of which will initially cost you money rather than making you money, and neither of which are guaranteed ever to make you money.

Good luck in your new job, and don’t worry, it is 100% normal to feel sad that you’ve lost a career that you love, albeit hopefully not forever.

As an employer I would prefer to see you rolled your sleeves up and cracked on with a frontline job (yes it is a front line job serving people all day while the rest of us are told to stay home) on your cv this year than thinking you say at home during 2020. Grab the job. You never know it may lead to a new career.

you’ve made it into the sun

Not surprising really.

The thing is, whether or not a recruiter would favour "a grafter" over someone who took "a career break" is entirely down to the personal preference of the recruiter, and you simply have no way of knowing who is looking at your application!

I personally (as both a recruiter and someone who has had a career break) don't necessarily agree that recruiters will ALWAYS take the grafter - it depends entirely on the circumstances, which I would ask about at interview.

I'd ask questions like "What did you do during your gap?" "Why did you choose a career break over doing a job outside your field"

If you said "I did nothing because I didn't want a menial job to look bad on my CV and it was tough, we had to tighten our belts and my husband did overtime to make ends meet" then yeah, I'd think you were a bit of a dickhead to be honest!

But if you said something like "I was in a fortunate position that I didn't need to work so I used the time to do more things with DC that I've not had the opportunity to do like school drop offs and pick ups, going for walks/doing activities with them and a bit of volunteering" then you know what? I'd think "fair do's" and it wouldn't affect my opinion of you!

On the flip side, if you said you'd done a job in a supermarket even though you didn't need to I might also think you were a bit grabby and actually that job could have been done by someone who perhaps desperately needed the money to survive.

My point being - it's not that black and white so do what you are comfortable with and hat you know you can deal with the outcome of in the future!!

@Soubriquet

you’ve made it into the sun

Wow - if I read those screen grabs correctly, The Sun blurs out the user names of posters 🌞

The Sun. Lol. How downmarket.

Yes I think it is a bit snobby of you, but it also indicates the perceived snobbery of others if you don't want to put this on your CV to reflect a period in time where no one should be questioning any work that anyone is lucky enough to have.

Can you try to get into a customer service role there. Then later you can put on your CV that you took a job in a supermarket while your industry was on lockdown. They will see that you can diversify.

I am a nurse and on returning to the UK from abroad I couldn't find a nursing position. I took a job in Aldi which lasted 6 months. It was looked on favourably on my CV as I maintained my people skills, learnt new skills and brought money in for my family. I would do it again in a heartbeat and am still in touch with some of my Aldi colleagues.

I know this is late in the game...that you've already taken the supermarket position...

I hope your new job is going well, and yes, I can appreciate your mourning the loss of your job with the aviation industry. Thats ok! You have a right to feel your feelings, OP!
I worked at a DIY big box store when we were going through hard financial times after a downturn here in the US...( previously had been a Healthcare professional) I LOVED working at the DIY shop as it meant that anytime we needed something for a diy project at home I didn't have to make a special trip to a diy shop....I also looked at my job as a way of making someone 's day a little brighter...greeted customers with a smile, a kind word or asked about their families, and got to know repeat customers. It was a very rewarding job in that sense....Also, I met people who were able to help out our family in ways we never thought possible ( suggestions on how to qualify for military veteran's disability due to exposure to agent orange during the Vietnam War)
You have a big advantage
at being able to work at a supermarket right now...no waiting in long lines outside to enter the market, etc. And the supermarket corporation may have a savings plan in place for its workers or pay for education so you can climb their corporate ladder..where I worked there was a percentage of my wage(5%/pay period, I think) that was matched if I bought stock in the company...ha! Boy was I surprised awhile back when I got a statement saying that I now had an account with over $5000

Also, another plus of this kind of work is that every few minutes you are meeting new people from every walk of life.....who knows...you might just meet your next employer who offers you your dream job because they are impressed with your people skills, can-do attitude and the professional way you've handled yourself.....we never know who is watching us at any given moment... My husband owns his own business and I can't tell you how many times he has offered a job right on the spot to someone whose seen as working at a minimum wage job, i.e. a member of the waitstaff serving him at a restaurant or a cashier at a shop...he is excellent at reading people and their potential.
This job puts you out into the world of opportunity instead of being closed off at home and not interacting with people.

Thank you for the sacrifices you are making so people are able to get food...please take care of yourself and I pray you are safe from this virus!

Side note on exposure to agent orange for UK veterans of the Vietnam War.....I'm not sure if this is just for US veterans, but there is money from the makers of Agent Orange, Dupont, that is just sitting in an account that has been set aside for them...seems AO caused heart damage in veterans later in life which necessitated major heart surgery...please spread the word if you know of someone who was exposed. I'm sorry to have derailed this thread a bit...but actually it may have been meant for me to post it...it may be a lifesaver to a UK citizen to find out this news that I've passed along all due to me taking a minimum wage job instead of one in my chosen career...we NEVER know what the ripple effect will be from our choices

@Sweetpea1532 thank you for your lovely words and motivation. I start end of this week and looking forward to the new challenge.

Stay safe out there xx

Good luck OP. I was reminded of this thread this morning when a post popped up on my LinkedIn field with someone saying that they are starting a van driver job with Amazon Prime today. He usually works in sales and asked people to let him know if they hear of any sales roles but for the moment he'll earn money delivering Xmas presents.

He clearly doesn't think it's beneath him, or that recruiters will think less of him for wanting to eat.

@Sweetpea1532 great post! I've recently been working in a supermarket due to losing my job because of coronavirus. I agree with everything you say. I have met some fantastic people and it really helped me through a very tough time.

One thing to note; the majority of customers were kind, but there were a few who clearly felt I was beneath them. Their rudeness was breathtaking. I would never have told them where I had been working just months before - I'm not of the 'don't you know who I am brigade' - but it really made me think about how badly lots of extremely hard-working people are being treated. No job is 'beneath' anyone. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect.

I hope your job is going well OP.

YABU to be so concerned about what it looks like on your CV. Not everyone is snobbish about such things.

I've been made redundant (was a secretary) and am considering applying for an evening shelf stacking job. The only thing stopping me is the fact that many people doing this work are young adults, and I'm very conscious that many of them seem to have a relaxed approach to masks and SD, due to feeling somewhat invinceable. I'm nearly 60 so feel I might be foolish to put myself in the way of Covid when chances are I might receive the vaccine in the spring. I'm aware that's a bit cowardly of me, but anyway there are plenty of students wanting seasonal work now so perhaps it's good that I don't take one of these jobs away from someone who needs it more and is low risk for Covid.

I wouldn't fancy working on the tills, because I don't think I'd be quick enough or have patience with rude customers. I admire people who can do that job with a good grace though.