CV for Second Job

Malory

I work as a freelance writer and help with a family web design business.

Currently, I am trying to supplement my income by taking a second, part-time job.

I have over 25 years of work experience. I started out as a supermarket checker, worked in the criminal justice system for a while, then moved into admin work for private companies and finally worked my way up into management (although I still do admin work now with the family business.)

I have been looking for a part-time admin job, but so far have been unsuccessful. I have tweaked my CV to focus on my admin skills, leaving out my managerial responsibilities and I have gotten one job interview, which I failed. I recently registered with an agency to help me find part-time admin work.

I am now looking into getting a part-time job in a supermarket – something that would allow me to spend time interacting with people (I work by myself all day which is very unhealthy, mentally for me), give me a steady (albeit small) income and allow me to concentrate on my writing when I get home.

I do not want a management job because I cannot deal with the additional stress or the extra hours of work that it would entail. I do not want to take work home with me.

When I worked in supermarkets in the past, I would apply by walking into the shop and asking. I would immediately be hired. (I may have been asked to do some simple arithmetic problems to see if I could make change correctly.)

Nowadays, however, it seems that to get a supermarket job, you have to submit a CV.

What would I put on this CV? I do not want it to be binned immediately because I am deemed overqualified.

Do I include my retail experience from over 20 years ago because it shows I have experience in the field, or do I leave it out because it makes me look old? (I am actually in better physical shape than many people I see who are 20+ years younger than me.) The CVs that I currently use go back less than 15 years.

What do I include as my objective or my resume title? (Do I have to include one?) I’m not looking to move up into management. I just want to spend some time around people, being friendly, helping them get their shopping done, and making some money.

Will I have to explain, at some point, why I can only work part-time? What should I say?

Should I leave out my university degree and replace it with my high school education? (I went to school in the US, and it is a nightmare translating a US secondary school education to a UK one).

I see people who are clearly over 50 working on supermarket tills. They must have many years of prior work experience. How do they get their jobs?