Leaving teaching to work in a shop

crochetmonkey74 · 2023-11-07T13:56:45+00:00

Anyone done this? I'm very tempted. I have a 20 plus year career behind me, but it's becoming more and more unsustainable. I've been looking at all the staff in waitrose and other christmassy places and feeling a real pang of jealousy for a simpler life. Anyone left teaching and done similar?

rose69 · 07/11/2023 13:57

No but done other low skill jobs. What time do you want to be working on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day?

SecretsOfSunshine · 07/11/2023 13:58

Not a shop but a part time role (I had more than enough of retail in my teens and twenties, don’t imagine it’s an escape from yobs, insults and shit managers)

Coffeerum · 07/11/2023 13:59

It’s incredibly patronising to assume anyone who works in a shop has “a simpler life”.

willmypuppystoppooing · 07/11/2023 14:02

I left 25 years of social work in order to work in a small clothes shop. Loved it. No regrets. Yes I had to work Xmas eve etc but I did that in sw anyway.
I loved being able to leave work, go home and forget about it.

Ladiesssss · 07/11/2023 14:03

I don't wish to be flamed to death, but firstly, your post is incredibly patronising and secondly, if you're used to teaching and the lovely long holidays, how the hell do you think you'll cope in retail?? It's not the easy life you know.

Allmarbleslost · 07/11/2023 14:05

working in a shop for a simpler life? Have you met the general public?!

fearfuloffluff · 07/11/2023 14:06

Have you ever done shop work? Get some Saturday shifts over Xmas and see what it's like.

Standing in a shop as a customer doesn't really tell you what it's like, that Christmas music plays on a 30 minute loop all day from November, people are awful, you're on your feet all day, some jobs are gross, you get coughed on etc and the money is shit. You're also often treated like shit by management, not unionised, at risk of redundancies etc.

The monotony of it is actually hard work after a while. It might seem tempting if you're fed up with teaching but retail is hard.

skelter83 · 07/11/2023 14:08

I’ve done both. Retail is bloody hard but I never spent nights up worrying about work whilst working in retail.

Fifireee · 07/11/2023 14:12

Coffeerum · 07/11/2023 13:59

It’s incredibly patronising to assume anyone who works in a shop has “a simpler life”.

They probably don’t have to take home marking, lesson plan, make resources and have endless meetings before and after school. So you know try and have a little understanding. When you finish your shift you go home you don’t need to take the till with you or the aisles.

Conkersinautumn · 07/11/2023 14:17

I left teaching, wnet into office jobs but they were tedious after the constant 'on' nature of teaching. Then I had to take various breaks because of children and redundancy. Care has been my favourite role though I am now cover TA/ midday supervisor, not the pressure but the community and the kids keep it fun. The trick is to not end up taking it home again.

Original poster

crochetmonkey74 · 07/11/2023 14:25

To clarify a few things- maybe I should have put all this in my first post.
I have had lots of retail jobs before- before teaching and for the first 10 years of my career I had to have a second job at night to supplement and support my family. These 2nd jobs were cleaning, bar work and working at a shop on a Saturday so I am well used to all of these.
Not intending to patronise at all, but all of these jobs are simpler in terms of the day to day of teaching at the moment. I am struggling with the stress and emotional pressure.
I don't mind working at Christmas or nights and I am not romanticising shop work - I am genuinely asking if anyone has done it and what was your experience. An ex colleague left last year and set herself up as a cleaner and is enjoying it.

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Original poster

crochetmonkey74 · 07/11/2023 14:32

Coffeerum · 07/11/2023 13:59

It’s incredibly patronising to assume anyone who works in a shop has “a simpler life”.

not my intention at all- hopefully I have now clarified

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Original poster

crochetmonkey74 · 07/11/2023 14:34

willmypuppystoppooing · 07/11/2023 14:02

I left 25 years of social work in order to work in a small clothes shop. Loved it. No regrets. Yes I had to work Xmas eve etc but I did that in sw anyway.
I loved being able to leave work, go home and forget about it.

I think this is my biggest feeling- Im working in the evenings and even when not working I find it hard to switch off and not think over big decisions.
I can't put too much on here, but I am involved in a lot of safeguarding and it's hard not to take it home

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Bovrilla · 07/11/2023 14:34

I got a job for as an education officer for a charity post teaching

It's brilliant. I still do days and sessions with schools and kids but it's very good to wave them off at the end knowing I am finished. I do loads more too which is less education focused and I have to say, the difference in me and my life is hard to express. Definitely simpler and more satisfying, closing the laptop and not worrying at end of the day etc. Evenings are mine, I have rediscovered my love of reading and started some crafting too.

Get out of teaching. I was in corporate jobs in The City before teaching and teaching is crazy these days. It's taken me a long time to realise I have/had huge burnout from teaching.

Atethehalloweenchocs · 07/11/2023 14:34

I have a friend who did just this many years ago - she never looked back, loves her job at a very classy supermarket and thinks it was the best thing she ever did.

Original poster

crochetmonkey74 · 07/11/2023 14:35

Ladiesssss · 07/11/2023 14:03

I don't wish to be flamed to death, but firstly, your post is incredibly patronising and secondly, if you're used to teaching and the lovely long holidays, how the hell do you think you'll cope in retail?? It's not the easy life you know.

hopefully have clarified this now.
I am used to teaching , but for a variety of personal reasons, I do not enjoy the long holidays anymore

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Original poster

crochetmonkey74 · 07/11/2023 14:36

skelter83 · 07/11/2023 14:08

I’ve done both. Retail is bloody hard but I never spent nights up worrying about work whilst working in retail.

This is where I am at too

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CrappyJob · 07/11/2023 14:36

Coffeerum · 07/11/2023 13:59

It’s incredibly patronising to assume anyone who works in a shop has “a simpler life”.

I work in a shop. I can absolutely guarantee you that I, and the vast majority of my colleagues have a simpler life than a teacher. I've seen the life that teachers have and I don't envy them, not one bit. I don't think it's patronising in the slightest!

Original poster

crochetmonkey74 · 07/11/2023 14:37

Bovrilla · 07/11/2023 14:34

I got a job for as an education officer for a charity post teaching

It's brilliant. I still do days and sessions with schools and kids but it's very good to wave them off at the end knowing I am finished. I do loads more too which is less education focused and I have to say, the difference in me and my life is hard to express. Definitely simpler and more satisfying, closing the laptop and not worrying at end of the day etc. Evenings are mine, I have rediscovered my love of reading and started some crafting too.

Get out of teaching. I was in corporate jobs in The City before teaching and teaching is crazy these days. It's taken me a long time to realise I have/had huge burnout from teaching.

Yes to burnout! my god it's mad

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Original poster

crochetmonkey74 · 07/11/2023 14:38

CrappyJob · 07/11/2023 14:36

I work in a shop. I can absolutely guarantee you that I, and the vast majority of my colleagues have a simpler life than a teacher. I've seen the life that teachers have and I don't envy them, not one bit. I don't think it's patronising in the slightest!

Show quote history

Thank you!

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Original poster

crochetmonkey74 · 07/11/2023 14:39

Atethehalloweenchocs · 07/11/2023 14:34

I have a friend who did just this many years ago - she never looked back, loves her job at a very classy supermarket and thinks it was the best thing she ever did.

Oh this sounds great. There's a couple of fancy Garden centres near me too that I have been eyeing up...

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Maddy70 · 07/11/2023 14:40

I left teaching with zero regrets. Your mental health is far more importantly

TheYearOfSmallThings · 07/11/2023 14:40

I think sometimes the only way to understand the positives and negatives of your job is to go and try something else, so I say give it a go. There are too many people who spend decades moaning about their jobs and muttering about how much better off they would be doing something else, and I always think "JUST DO IT THEN! If nobody is holding a gun to your head, why stay?"

If you don't like retail there are lots of other jobs you could do, and if you decide teaching wasn't that bad there are lots of teaching jobs available, so really why not do it.

HAF1119 · 07/11/2023 14:41

I have a relative who, when money allowed, moved from a management position which included contact outside of hours as well as short notice changes, and a lot of general stress, to assisting at the self checkouts in a supermarket. She is very happy with the decisions on the basis of being able start when the pay starts, finish when the pay ends, ask for OT when she wants it, and switch off when the work is done

Original poster

crochetmonkey74 · 07/11/2023 14:42

TheYearOfSmallThings · 07/11/2023 14:40

I think sometimes the only way to understand the positives and negatives of your job is to go and try something else, so I say give it a go. There are too many people who spend decades moaning about their jobs and muttering about how much better off they would be doing something else, and I always think "JUST DO IT THEN! If nobody is holding a gun to your head, why stay?"

If you don't like retail there are lots of other jobs you could do, and if you decide teaching wasn't that bad there are lots of teaching jobs available, so really why not do it.

I think it's fear honestly, or Stockholm Syndrome :)

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