Is there life after retail?

Elfbert

My partner was in retail for many years, and realised the part he enjoyed most was training his staff. He's now been an Apprenticeship Assessor for 5 yrs, working in companies all over London to help train their staff. He loves it. He likes getting out and meeting people, and has Apprentices from 17yrs old to 70 yrs old! He's also got into some very niche businesses, stuff he'd never imagined he'd ever get to see.

Coming from retail you'd have experience in loads of areas for assessing if you fancied it - and there seems to be a shortage of assessors - he's headhunted all the time.

Leo2020

I used to work in a call centre and found that I could only get other call centre jobs. Which I really didn't want to do. This was after graduating with a HND. I'm going to top my HND up to a degree and then eventually do a PGCE.

My husband used to work in Retail and then transferred to the company's call centre. Eventually he end up in the call centre's IT department. After an issue at work he left and got another IT role at a much better company.

Would there be any side ways moves in your company? Any training opportunities within it?

Or think about training outside of your work place.

DigForVictory

Start with sorting a cv. Loads of support & advice at the local library.
Worth trying to borrow "What Colour is My Parachute" that so-obviously named careers guidance manual - but do get the 2017 version, not the 1970s one! They may also have a careers advice quiz/database (often aimed at the teenager, but) which might nudge some ideas for you. (Any aptitude test is worth it for the online practice alone, but may also trigger ideas.)
Also have a look at your friends & ask a couple who tend to switch jobs a bit for advice, then be very cheerfully open that you're looking for a change of work with all your friends & could they help you? This is where the social networking bit works for you - they can help you get a couple of days shadowing all sorts of jobs in areas you might never have thought of.
Finally, page the young, Anyone between 18 & 30 will have a very up to date view of the job market & what's working for them & what doesn't & what's normal - and if you've not paddled in these shark infested waters recently, they may be worth their weight in rubies.

Very best of luck!

katiepoppycat

I got out of retail . . . . by going to work for a supplier! They quite often value skills gained at the coal face as it were, especially in sales and marketing. I did have a degree already which may have made a difference. My last job in retailer was a deli counter supervisor for a supermarket and i went to work for a cooked meat manufacturer in their marketing team.

poly1

I would just like to thank you all for all your replies, it is nice to hear that some of you have escaped! I will re-read all the great advice given and come up with some sort of plan.

Moonpixie

I don't really have any advice as such, but it's interesting how many people feel the same no matter what sector they work in. I have been in education for 16yrs and feel I just can't move out of it. Like it's something quite easy to get into but very hard to get out of.

All the best in your search.