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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Leaving teaching to work in a shop

146 replies

crochetmonkey74 · 07/11/2023 13:56

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?

OP posts:
StasisMom · 07/11/2023 18:21

I was a teacher and I wouldn't recommend it. I'm in industry now but to echo what some PPs have said, look at the charity sector - guardian jobs and charityjob.co.uk are worth a look.

Twillow · 07/11/2023 18:24

rwalker · 07/11/2023 17:56

No idea why the piss take emoji just pointing out it’s not an easy life in retail and there’s some downsides

if your looking at leaving a job and want a simpler life there better options than retail

Show quote history

Didn't intend for you to think I was taking the piss but genuinely, have you worked in education?
I have described the ups and the downs, as I've found them, in my earlier post. I think the geographical area you work in must be quite a factor - it's very average where I work, neither rough nor posh.

Original poster
crochetmonkey74 · 07/11/2023 18:24

LuluBlakey1 · 07/11/2023 18:20

Many schools are high pressure places at the minute for all staff. Today in a small Reception area of a large secondary school, whilst waiting to meet a Deputy Head, I witnessed: A very angry parent swearing and making verbal threats to the reception staff and behaving aggressively because the Head was not immediately available and they had turned up without an appointment upset; A teenager shouting down her mobile phone to her mum because she was being put in isolation for the day because of an assault on another child yesterday. She knew it was going to happen but thought she could just refuse; A group of 3 teenage boys banging on the glass of the inner door demanding to be 'buzzed through' by Reception staff because they wanted to see what was going on. There was a younger girl (Y7 I'd say) crying, sitting with her mum who was muttering at staff and the phones were ringing continually. Two Heads of Year were taking the brunt of it. I wouldn't have blamed any of the staff for leaving.

I'm sure people on this thread won't believe this but this is most days.

OP posts:
Original poster
crochetmonkey74 · 07/11/2023 18:25

StasisMom · 07/11/2023 18:21

I was a teacher and I wouldn't recommend it. I'm in industry now but to echo what some PPs have said, look at the charity sector - guardian jobs and charityjob.co.uk are worth a look.

This is helpful as I didn't actually know where to look

OP posts:
Amperoblue · 07/11/2023 18:34

I did this Op!

I was teaching for 16 years and just burnt out. Left in the summer term and started job hunting in the September. Got a Xmas job in Tesco to tide me over and still there. It’s physically hard work but my word it’s so nice after micro managed teaching. I also made £200 from an article I wrote on what Teaching could learn from Tesco.
I do the minimum which is 18hrs Friday - Sunday and work 3 days with SEN children during the week. The job in the week is mostly training from home during the school holidays.
It’s not a forever move but it’s fine until I can think of a plan B.

FrodisCapering · 07/11/2023 18:35

Look at Teach First or similar. Highly recommend.

Callipygion · 07/11/2023 18:36

Left a senior finance/admin role in a school, a few years back, which was very stressful and I hated it. Got a temp Christmas job at Asda and loved it. Do your hours, go home, forget about it. No lying awake with tasks rolling round your head keeping you awake. I have a permanent part time job in another supermarket now and I love it. Been here 3 years approx now.

jay55 · 07/11/2023 18:37

A relative of mine did, they were a primary head, and have now worked in a supermarket for almost as long as they were a teacher.

DysonSphere · 07/11/2023 18:38

sleeping@last · 07/11/2023 14:48

I'm in the process of leaving education and and going to work in the charity sector. The relief I currently feel is worth the loss of money. Working in education at the moment is soul destroying - the DfE, OFSTED, the trust, safeguarding, working 2 hours unpaid in the morning plus countless hours from home, literally wolfing my lunch down in 7 mins before the bell goes and lunchtime duty starts - I think I was on the brink of burnout. Do it OP. 💐

Not RTFT, but what is the 2 hours unpaid work in the mornings? Sounds terrible!

Aramist · 07/11/2023 18:43

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.

I've done shop work. I've also done teaching.
Everything you have said about shop work, you get in teaching.
Retail is hard.
Teaching is harder.

Iamamountain · 07/11/2023 18:44

I work in a shop and have a simpler life.

Whichwhatnow · 07/11/2023 18:46

I needed a bit of a break from law and took a temp job packing in a warehouse. I can't speak for retail because I don't think I'd do well with the public but warehouse work (while it has its own issues) is absolutely a simpler life and tbh I miss it. And before anyone says I'm being patronising I did warehouse work for over 5 years before going to uni as a mature student, as well as every summer through uni. Still some of the best jobs I've had! Can be physically tough but the ability to switch off and to just walk out the door at the finishing time and forget about your job is amazing. Cleaning offices was much the same.

Spirro · 07/11/2023 18:46

Retail isn’t the most pleasant job and working on Saturdays and holidays doesn’t suit most people. You could get an office job of some sort that pays the same. Teaching salaries are so crap, it’s not difficult to get another job with the same salary. I don’t know why teachers bother teaching when they have other options 🤷‍♀️

ZellyFitzgerald · 07/11/2023 18:48

I left nursing to do just this.

I'm so much happier. I earn a bit less but I work in a nice environment with quite a few people who have done similar, including teachers.

I used to lie awake at night worrying about my job, I don't anymore and it feels very liberating.

Definitely a work to live, rather than live to work situation for me.

Financiallyopposite · 07/11/2023 18:49

I'm leaving education (college level) for a role in hospitality. My notice ends in 3 weeks. It's not going to be an 'easier' job but I can't wait to be able to spend my time at home not worrying about my job. I can't wait to be able to switch off.

IdealisticCynic · 07/11/2023 18:52

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.

Exactly this. No one is suggesting retail work isn’t hard work, but having a job where you never really switch off is incredibly hard too.

MadeOfAllWork · 07/11/2023 18:58

I’ve done both. I’m desperate to leave teaching but I wouldn’t go back to retail.

Do be aware though op that you have missed the cut off to hand in your notice. You can’t leave now until Easter.

Onelifeonly · 07/11/2023 19:00

I've been a teacher for longer than 20 years, most of it in management, though still have contact with children every day. I love it but I can relate to your situation.

I often think that retail would be a nice job - no worries, busy and the chance to make idle small talk with customers etc, would suit me fine. Prior to teaching, but after training as a teacher, I did an office job for 6 months where I never thought about work between clocking off and clocking on again. That was definitely a positive.

You know, it isn't a one and done decision. Why not try it for a while and see how you get on? You can always go back to teaching if you change your mind.

WhatHaveIDone21 · 07/11/2023 19:02

@sleeping@last can I ask where you looked for your job? I have been teaching for 15 years and don't know how much longer I can last! I love education so don't want to leave it completely but don't think I can carry on in teaching.

Isometimeswonder · 07/11/2023 19:03

Coffeerum · 07/11/2023 13:59

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

You've obviously never been a teacher.

FarmGirl78 · 07/11/2023 19:03

@crochetmonkey74 ignore everyone ranting about you being patronising, I totally understand what you were trying to say.

25 years in NHS here and drained and cheesed off with it. A few years ago I dropped down to 4 days a week. It was hard financially for the first year but I got used to it. The work life balance is great and I have a wonderful week with Wednesdays off. Tue eve is like the start of a mini weekend for me! Pizza and film night ahoy!

I'm now chewing over the idea of dropping down to 3 days a week but again the financial hit will be a big one. I'd much rather live simply (less holidays and nice meals out) but have more time to myself now. Retirement is still a long way off and I don't want to just collapse over the finish line at 67 when I could have been enjoying myself more in the lead up to it. Life is about the journey not just the destination. I don't need more money, as the saying goes "enough is a feast". Own brand products, second hand clothes and no new shoes are a small price to pay for more 'me time.'

Going to a complete extreme in recent years my daydream had been to work in a little gift shop on the corner in town. Walk to work rather than commute 20+miles. Lunch in a little sandwich shop. Getting to know customers in my community. Walk home again at the end of the day. Simpler life in that respect would be bliss to me.

Hubblebubble · 07/11/2023 19:04

I've worked in a shop and I've been a teacher. It is a simpler life. Much less stressful, and once you've finished work for the day you don't have to think about it again until you start work again the next day. That isn't saying that people who work in shops aren't doing a vital role or that they're simple themselves.

Onelifeonly · 07/11/2023 19:04

MadeOfAllWork · 07/11/2023 18:58

I’ve done both. I’m desperate to leave teaching but I wouldn’t go back to retail.

Do be aware though op that you have missed the cut off to hand in your notice. You can’t leave now until Easter.

As a teacher I know several people who have not worked out their notice. Would the school really sue for breach of contract? Mine didn't.

Hubblebubble · 07/11/2023 19:06

If you don't mind being paid peanuts, you could always do a simple WFH job creating resources for an educational publisher instead. Transferable skills.

MadeOfAllWork · 07/11/2023 19:08

Onelifeonly · 07/11/2023 19:04

As a teacher I know several people who have not worked out their notice. Would the school really sue for breach of contract? Mine didn't.

Show quote history

There is that, but the OP has made it sound that the school is problematic.

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