Please help

twinkey

Hi,

I'm in my late twenties, earning minimum wage in a retail role. There are no benefits. My annual salary is less than 7k. I wouldn't mind if there was a way I could work my way UP. For example: From sales assistant to assistant manager to manager to a role in the company Head Office. But the sad truth is there is no room for any progression. It just feels like a dead end job.

I attended uni a few years ago for a degree in computing but I hated it (the course, not uni). I got depressed and dropped out. I decided to work for a bit and now I just don't know what to do.

I have A-Level qualifications but no degree. My mathematical skills may be a little weak however, I'm not exactly dense. I'm articulate, a fast learner and my reading and writing skills are good.

I've improved my CV, tried to apply for as many jobs as I can but I'm having little luck. I don't want a retail role with no hope of progression. I don't mind starting at the bottom and working my way up. I just want a chance.

I would love to get a degree however I won't be entitled to any more funding since I've already attended university for two years. I just want a job that means something and makes me feel better about myself. A pay increase would be nice but more importantly, I want to feel like I'm doing something that matters and not just some menial job that a teen can get paid for.

I just feel so fed up and worthless. I feel like a complete failure. I hate myself for being in this position. I'd be open to any suggestions and advice.

Please help.

AP007

I started in retail at aged 17 and by 18 I was the asst dept manager. Then left retail and started in accounts to go back into retail working for the same company I started with but this time in the buying office as a Buyers Clerk.

You do not have to work your way up in the company you are in now, just look for different jobs even in head offices.

Try here

http://www.inretail.co.uk/

http://www.retailchoice.com/

~Beanie~

What do you want to do? What are you interested in?

National_Careers_Service

Hi there twinkey

I’m really sorry to hear how fed-up you’re feeling at the moment. It sounds like you’re feeling pretty stuck and I can appreciate your current situation has had an impact on your confidence. The positive thing is being proactive in trying to find another job and you’ve also given some thought to what you want from your career going forward. I wonder if it might be easier to plan for the future, if you had a clearer picture of what path you want to take. Maybe you could take some time to explore some different career options and see what stands out to you. You might find the planning your career section on the National Careers Service website helpful with getting the ball rolling.

I agree with AP007 that you don’t have to stay in your current job long term. You’ll have developed skills and experience that employers in retail and in other sectors would value. You said you’re not having much luck with your job search and I wonder if you’re getting stuck at the application or interview stage. It could definitely be worth talking to a careers adviser about this and see if you can work out what’s tripping you up.

I know you’d really like the chance to go to university again but you’re worried about funding your studies. If you decide doing a degree is going to be the best way to progress you career, it’d be worth checking what funding you’d be eligible for with Student Finance England. Even if you’re not eligible for enough funding to make this a realistic option, you could looking at doing a degree part time or even from home and then you could carry on working.

It seems like you’ve been giving yourself a hard time about decisions and choices you’ve made in the past. Maybe with the new year you can focus on exploring your options and planning for the future.

Best of luck!


Penny