Comments on: The new post-college prestige job is retail http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/04/15/the-new-post-college-prestige-job-is-retail/ Advice at the intersection of work and life Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:30:27 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Joe http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/04/15/the-new-post-college-prestige-job-is-retail/comment-page-2/#comment-220354 Joe Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:34:23 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2384#comment-220354 Working retail part time while in college is a great idea for the reasons mentioned. However, after college it will do nothing more than trap someone. First off, the hours are so horrid that someone will have little opportunity to search for work outside of retail. Secondly, especially if you go into retail management, you'll be so mentally (payroll, sales data, staffing, marketing, margins, inventory control, CRM) and physically exhausted that when you get home the only thing you'll want to do is sleep. Your resume will quickly read "This person couldn't get work anywhere else and why is that." The best career advice I could give to someone out of college is network, network, network and avoid retail at all cost. Get a real career job even if it's out of your field. You can always change jobs later, but Administrative Assistant looks far better on a resume than Dept. Manager at Old Navy. The negative stigma that follows retail will haunt you. Entire websites are dedicated to how much retail sucks and retail hell. Working retail part time while in college is a great idea for the reasons mentioned. However, after college it will do nothing more than trap someone. First off, the hours are so horrid that someone will have little opportunity to search for work outside of retail. Secondly, especially if you go into retail management, you'll be so mentally (payroll, sales data, staffing, marketing, margins, inventory control, CRM) and physically exhausted that when you get home the only thing you'll want to do is sleep. Your resume will quickly read "This person couldn't get work anywhere else and why is that." The best career advice I could give to someone out of college is network, network, network and avoid retail at all cost. Get a real career job even if it's out of your field. You can always change jobs later, but Administrative Assistant looks far better on a resume than Dept. Manager at Old Navy. The negative stigma that follows retail will haunt you. Entire websites are dedicated to how much retail sucks and retail hell.

]]> By: BBAmp http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/04/15/the-new-post-college-prestige-job-is-retail/comment-page-2/#comment-217483 BBAmp Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:21:20 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2384#comment-217483 I agree with the first comment. I worked retail for two years before college; 1 year part time, 1 year full time because I was forced to stay back a year due to immigration issues. Whoever wrote this article has clearly never worked retail. It blows. When you are young (I'm 21) I'm not going to waste my time helping rude people day after day. I'm not going to work meaningless tasks just to keep the hours passing. When I was full time and a department head in retail I was getting paid $7.50 an hour. I'm now in college and I am a web developer for the University Hospitals of Cleveland Dermatology department and I get paid $10 an hour just to sit on my ass and write some easy code. If you have depression issues when your friends go their own paths after college you are one pathetic sheltered baby. And you call grad school a way to extend your childhood? Are you kidding me? RETAIL is a dead end job. What do you get after 10 years? A pay raise or two? What do you get after 10 more years of education? Well depending on what you learn, I'd say more education is more important than retail. This is not to say education is the best path, but retail? Really? There is no comparison. If you don't believe me try working full time at a shit retail job for a year. I agree with the first comment. I worked retail for two years before college; 1 year part time, 1 year full time because I was forced to stay back a year due to immigration issues.

Whoever wrote this article has clearly never worked retail. It blows. When you are young (I'm 21) I'm not going to waste my time helping rude people day after day. I'm not going to work meaningless tasks just to keep the hours passing.

When I was full time and a department head in retail I was getting paid $7.50 an hour. I'm now in college and I am a web developer for the University Hospitals of Cleveland Dermatology department and I get paid $10 an hour just to sit on my ass and write some easy code.

If you have depression issues when your friends go their own paths after college you are one pathetic sheltered baby. And you call grad school a way to extend your childhood? Are you kidding me? RETAIL is a dead end job. What do you get after 10 years? A pay raise or two? What do you get after 10 more years of education? Well depending on what you learn, I'd say more education is more important than retail.

This is not to say education is the best path, but retail? Really? There is no comparison. If you don't believe me try working full time at a shit retail job for a year.

]]> By: Genevieve http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/04/15/the-new-post-college-prestige-job-is-retail/comment-page-2/#comment-217148 Genevieve Sat, 02 Jan 2010 01:44:47 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2384#comment-217148 How exactly does a recent graduate become self-employed? I'd like to know how that works. I have over 4 years of retail experience and wouldn't trade it for the world. Surprisingly, I finished my Master's degree in Ecology in May 2009 and have been unable to secure a decent job. So, I'm back to working in retail. In addition, I have a job blog called Jobless Genevieve that was created especially for unemployed young people and recent graduates---this might fit your comment, "Most college educated people could develop a blog similar to this one and monetize it while giving out their version of career advice..." See what you think. How exactly does a recent graduate become self-employed? I'd like to know how that works.

I have over 4 years of retail experience and wouldn't trade it for the world. Surprisingly, I finished my Master's degree in Ecology in May 2009 and have been unable to secure a decent job. So, I'm back to working in retail.

In addition, I have a job blog called Jobless Genevieve that was created especially for unemployed young people and recent graduates—this might fit your comment, "Most college educated people could develop a blog similar to this one and monetize it while giving out their version of career advice…"

See what you think.

]]> By: AC http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/04/15/the-new-post-college-prestige-job-is-retail/comment-page-2/#comment-217099 AC Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:54:46 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2384#comment-217099 This is the worst career advice I have ever seen in my life. I can't believe someone would take you seriously. Retail and waiting tables is NOT a ticket to finding one's adulthood; it is a ticket to a dead-end. As some have commented already, retail pays nothing...you get disrespected by customers; no benefits; you get horrible hours or none at all; and you get sore legs after standing all day. I worked as young person in a government office as a clerk (got better pay and benefits)and took part-time retail work at JC Penny's to earn extra income...After 2 weeks, I ditched that job and never return to retail again. It wasn't worth the effort. The best post-college job is self-employment. Most college educated people could develop a blog similar to this one and monetize it while giving out their version of career advice which would be much better than what you are doing. Your advice doesn't add value to the conversation; it just reiterates the tired stuff that is already on the web. This is the worst career advice I have ever seen in my life. I can't believe someone would take you seriously. Retail and waiting tables is NOT a ticket to finding one's adulthood; it is a ticket to a dead-end. As some have commented already, retail pays nothing…you get disrespected by customers; no benefits; you get horrible hours or none at all; and you get sore legs after standing all day. I worked as young person in a government office as a clerk (got better pay and benefits)and took part-time retail work at JC Penny's to earn extra income…After 2 weeks, I ditched that job and never return to retail again. It wasn't worth the effort.

The best post-college job is self-employment. Most college educated people could develop a blog similar to this one and monetize it while giving out their version of career advice which would be much better than what you are doing. Your advice doesn't add value to the conversation; it just reiterates the tired stuff that is already on the web.

]]> By: JunePearl http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/04/15/the-new-post-college-prestige-job-is-retail/comment-page-1/#comment-216034 JunePearl Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:01:29 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2384#comment-216034 Sorry, to reply so late, I am only now looking at the comments! The grants are for needed areas. So general counseling, I don't know if there are any funds. But Rehabilitation Counseling (the same thing, just working with the disability population. Some programs focus on vocational rehab. Long story, it's due to the history of rehab counseling though) is a field that has a lot of need. The money varies depending on the program and the university. Here's the link with the .pdf info: http://www.ed.gov/students/college/aid/rehab/rsa_training_catalog_of_projects.pdf Best of luck! Sorry, to reply so late, I am only now looking at the comments!

The grants are for needed areas. So general counseling, I don't know if there are any funds. But Rehabilitation Counseling (the same thing, just working with the disability population. Some programs focus on vocational rehab. Long story, it's due to the history of rehab counseling though) is a field that has a lot of need. The money varies depending on the program and the university.

Here's the link with the .pdf info: http://www.ed.gov/students/college/aid/rehab/rsa_training_catalog_of_projects.pdf

Best of luck!

]]> By: Molly Knight Raskin http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/04/15/the-new-post-college-prestige-job-is-retail/comment-page-1/#comment-216028 Molly Knight Raskin Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:13:42 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2384#comment-216028 Hello. I'm a producer in New York, and am contacting you after coming across your comments on this blog. I'm working on a great project - a series of short films for the Web and, maybe, TV - and thought you might be an ideal person to interview. The project - YOUR MONEY STORY - will explore the financial pressures on young people in America, and how Gen-Y thinks and feels about money. Created by an award-winning production company (with an Academy Award and Emmys to its name) the project will feature a dozen stories on topics including creative saving & spending, real estate regrets etc. We're looking for people who can share candidly - we want the good, the bad, even the humorous...We're particularly interested in stories of Boomerang kids, which is why I thought to contact you. For more detailed information about the project and its producer, check us out online at: http://www.yourmoneystory.net If you're interested and think you have a story to tell I'd love to hear more, and invite you to e-mail me at: mollyknightraskin@gmail.com Hope to hear from you (if not, please pass the link on to any friends your think might be interested) Cheers, Molly Raskin Hello. I'm a producer in New York, and am contacting you after coming across your comments on this blog.
I'm working on a great project – a series of short films for the Web and, maybe, TV – and thought you might be an ideal person to interview.
The project – YOUR MONEY STORY – will explore the financial pressures on young people in America, and how Gen-Y thinks and feels about money. Created by an award-winning production company (with an Academy Award and Emmys to its name) the project will feature a dozen stories on topics including creative saving & spending, real estate regrets etc. We're looking for people who can share candidly – we want the good, the bad, even the humorous…We're particularly interested in stories of Boomerang kids, which is why I thought to contact you.
For more detailed information about the project and its producer, check us out online at:
http://www.yourmoneystory.net
If you're interested and think you have a story to tell I'd love to hear more, and invite you to e-mail me at:
mollyknightraskin@gmail.com
Hope to hear from you (if not, please pass the link on to any friends your think might be interested)
Cheers,
Molly Raskin

]]> By: Lina http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/04/15/the-new-post-college-prestige-job-is-retail/comment-page-2/#comment-212799 Lina Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:53:51 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2384#comment-212799 Ha ha, my mum is an academic, and is none to happy about my decision to go back to retail. Too bad. Still waiting to hear whether I can get my old retail job back though.... Ha ha, my mum is an academic, and is none to happy about my decision to go back to retail. Too bad.

Still waiting to hear whether I can get my old retail job back though….

]]> By: Genevieve http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/04/15/the-new-post-college-prestige-job-is-retail/comment-page-2/#comment-212131 Genevieve Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:18:48 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2384#comment-212131 Finally! I totally agree. I finished my M.S. degree in Ecology in May and am currently working at a bakery. It's not exactly what I had in mind. But you know what? I now have over three years of retail experience and wouldn't trade it for anything. The academics can frown upon retail jobs all they want but those of us who work in the real-world know this is priceless experience. Finally! I totally agree. I finished my M.S. degree in Ecology in May and am currently working at a bakery. It's not exactly what I had in mind. But you know what? I now have over three years of retail experience and wouldn't trade it for anything. The academics can frown upon retail jobs all they want but those of us who work in the real-world know this is priceless experience.

]]> By: MegsB http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/04/15/the-new-post-college-prestige-job-is-retail/comment-page-2/#comment-211995 MegsB Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:14:57 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2384#comment-211995 Reading this post makes feel a little better. I was laid off from my first "real job" (that I got while I was still in college) spent months looking for work and just got hired at a chain clothing store. My unemployment pot is empty and I am just thrilled that I got even a part-time job. A big gaping hole in the timeline of my resume, now, will not happen. I am thanking my lucky stars for retail employment right now. Reading this post makes feel a little better.
I was laid off from my first "real job" (that I got while I was still in college) spent months looking for work and just got hired at a chain clothing store. My unemployment pot is empty and I am just thrilled that I got even a part-time job. A big gaping hole in the timeline of my resume, now, will not happen.

I am thanking my lucky stars for retail employment right now.

]]> By: Lina http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/04/15/the-new-post-college-prestige-job-is-retail/comment-page-2/#comment-207715 Lina Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:19:32 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/?p=2384#comment-207715 Funnily enough, I came across this blog when I googled "Is it ok to not live up to your potential" because I'm currently trying to decide whether to give up my "good job" at an accounting firm to go back to retail. Basically, it's a matter of weighing up happiness and practicality. Funnily enough, I came across this blog when I googled "Is it ok to not live up to your potential" because I'm currently trying to decide whether to give up my "good job" at an accounting firm to go back to retail.

Basically, it's a matter of weighing up happiness and practicality.

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