Leaving teaching to work in a shop

[crochetmonkey74]

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 I don't find your post patronising at all.
I did have that feeling years ago and was also tempted to move into retail for a "simpler life". I am not a teacher but was working in an industry in a very tough role.
I am glad I didn't do that. I slightly moved direction looking at my skills. I doubled my salary. I didn't lose my career. I have great quality of life now and feel respected. Sorry not to be more specific but it's outing.

Think about your skills and where could you move next. Could be training or even teaching adults. You did study hard to aquire the skills you have. There is light at the end of the tunnel!

I'm in early years and it can be crazy hard work there too these days. Even from young the behavioural issues have increased and we have children throwing, hitting, biting etc. It is hard work on tight staffing and we don't get the pay and respect as professionals that teachers of older children get despite all the out of hours work and training we do too. I've been very tempted to look for different work too, although I'm tempted with office work - I'd love to spend my day on a grown up sized chair!

I would love this so much. I wake up thinking about work, go to sleep the same, and dream about it too.
I'd love to be able to walk away but can't find another job that pays enough.

I found mine on LinkedIn, when I say I did - my SIL sent it to me and I applied on a whim. There's a bit of a 'ghosting' culture in the general recruitment market at the moment so don't be dejected if you don't hear back. I applied for lots and lots on indeed and didn't have much luck. Eventually this came through. Where are you looking @WhatHaveIDone21?

Don't be ridiculous!!! Working in a shop can be hard and tiring, but at the end of the day you walk out the door and don't think about work until the next morning. Of course it is "a simpler life".

Go for it OP.

@crochetmonkey74 have you thought about FE teaching instead? Apprenticeships or college?

The absolute best retail jobs, imo, are where the shops are a nice extra to a different attraction- like a museum or castle gift shop. People are only there once, are usually happy and on holiday and there isn't the pressure of a small business staying afloat.

I know someone who left science teaching to work in the science museum, often in the shop, it sounded great and was considerably above minimum wage.

I used to work in an office, was an Accountant, & now work in a supermarket. I retrained as a mature student so had loads of job experience prior- factory work, fruit picking, farm work, retail - but had wanted job security & I suppose, a "good" qualification.

Supermarket work is very different to what I imagined though & even with my rather tame retail experience from years before the extent of lifting, standing, customer stuff etc. is very tiring some days. I used to work on the checkout too when I first started but ended up with severe carpal tunnel resulting in surgery. The kneeling (& standing up again from kneeling) is causing knee problems now - so those physical issues are a bit more limiting than when I was in an office.

But I totally like that I am not awake at night stressing over budget over-runs, crazy managers & a very corporate focus to processes managed well & within budget before. I had gotten so used to going into work after breakfast (working "off the clock") & bringing work home that I forgot who I was & everything got so overwhelming.

Yes, It's really disorganised and stressful. E.G recently I learned that I should have been doing something weekly, that I was never told about! So huge backlog for me and my students to sort that out now before the course ends in a couple of weeks. Lots of mistakes made. Lots of blame culture.

I appreciate people are different-the only thing I like about it is it is WFH! I love working from home, but I am definitely looking for something else, I am just stressed and on edge all the time!
The money is pretty good, but not enough to make up for all the stress. Good luck finding something new!

I know someone who gave up nursing to work in a shop. She was actually earning the same in the shop but had a much better work/life balance. She’s never looked back.

@sleeping@last I haven't seriously started looking yet. It has only really been this academic year that I've really thought about it. I usually dislike the start of the year but normally get over it after a few weeks. This time I haven't!

Amperoblue where did you write that article for please? Sounds interesting. And I've always wanted to write but never managed to find a job involving it

@Hubblebubble what sort of job would that be please? Sorry for thread hijack OP-I'm in a similar position. I just can't deal with all the extra work and the main thing for me is, the work's just NEVER done. I'll get through loads and loads and there's always more. My brain is never switched off. Always full of noise.

Same position over here, too!

^ This
I worked in retail whilst studying, just weekends. It’s actually worse at Christmas. If you think it’ll be all smiles and ‘merry Christmas!’ - think again. There’s pressure to work extra shifts, problems if stock or cash go walkies (maybe this doesn’t happen so much now, I’m going back decades).
Christmas Eve we had to work until 7pm to put out sale stock for Boxing Day.

I left teaching after 12 years, not for retail, but for agency office work. I felt ten years younger - someone I knew well walked past me in Sainsbury's and then said she hadn't recognised me! -...I settled very happily into an office job soon after.

I’m a Teacher and would give up tomorrow morning if I could. I’ve felt like this for years now.

I worked in a few retail jobs while at Uni, and would gladly return to any of them, especially one which was a more specialised type of shop which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was honestly the best job I’ve had - much more enjoyable than teaching, and when I went home, the job did not follow me. The trouble is the pay though, it’s not nearly enough for what my family and I need sadly.

I was reading work emails while eating my breakfast at 6am, writing in my planner and was incredibly anxious (as always when going to school) while travelling to work.
The whole day at work was relentless, as is every day. I almost started crying when teaching an awful class this afternoon - the rudeness and disrespect is intolerable.

When I arrive home to my children, when I’m cooking the dinner etc, I’ve not switched off at all from work - it’s just not possible. I try desperately to just enjoy my beautiful children, but I’m constantly thinking an out the shit parts of the day (most of the day), of all the work I have to do that evening, and thinking anxiously about what time I’ll go to bed. I regularly only get around 3-4 hours of sleep as I’m up working so late.

I’ve looked at so many other careers, and have applied, but I just don’t get anywhere - never even an interview. I feel so trapped.

I think this sounds eminently sensible. I like the idea of part time maybe.

Thanks to everyone who understands that I wasn't intending to be patronising

I would suggest you become a nanny /governess instead you can change a lot with your qualifications

Oh god no , I couldn't do that . I'm a secondary teacher so little ones are not my thing

Being in education currently and having worked in retail and other jobs, I would (sadly because we are so short of teachers) say do it.

I've had 5 teachers across the schools I work with, resign this term. The majority - “I just don't want to teach any longer”.

Dealing with the public…plenty of practice at that as a teacher, the fabulous, supportive public/parents and the very worst, screaming at you across the hall or over the office desk.

My current post means I don't get school holidays either. It really is ok. I was,more often than not, either in school or ill during holidays anyway.
Less holidays now, makes up for the 14 hour days I no longer do when I worked in a school role.
No time to even plan what to do with a holiday, never mind make the most of one!