I’ve been thinking about some extra courses that unfortunately cost a lot and I can’t afford them right now. I would love to retrain, fast, cheap and get out of retail completely. I believe there are more of us who would like that. I'm pretty sure I speak for everyone when I say working there is worse than ever.
Does anyone have any good advice on how to best get out of this industry?
6 replies (most recent on top)
If you already have skills that can be improved, ie, Microsoft Office, you can easily refresh or build on it by watching YouTube videos. There are loads to choose from. Also, courses on Udemy are inexpensive. Many of their offerings cost from 9.99 and they’re always having sales for new students and for people who’ve taken courses already. Once you take a course, you have lifetime access to it, and most instructors will update courses to keep up with changes in the subject being studied.
Lastly, if you have any kind of experience that you can offer online, that seems to be a great way to go at this time. For example, do you practice meditation, or are you an experienced jogger/runner or an artist? People can use help from a meditation coach, since these are such stressful times. Others could use help learning how to get healthy by running or jogging & easing into it without injury. If you make art that you think people would like, you could start an Instagram account and post your art with a link to Etsy, RedBubble, or Big Cartel. Additionally, you could be a Creativity Coach for those who are doubting themselves and their ability to move through creative blocks.
There are possibilities. Take the time to assess your current abilities and hone in on your interests. Then, have a look on Indeed or Zip Recruiter & look for what skills are in demand for the things that interest you and go from there. If you already possess skills to start something on your own, then go online and see what others are doing and use them as models for a business.
As one who was laid off in Sept 2020, after many years at BN, I’m speaking from experience. Good luck to you & be well.
To: What world are you living in?
Laying off 2000 employees is a huge wake up call that your business is failing badly and you should GET OUT immediately.
Also management (supposedly) has a better resume to find decent paying jobs. But my biggest point is, you know where this is all leading, so why wait until the company has shut and locked its doors for good and every manager is fighting it out for the same jobs?
It's called common sense. Granted, the 90% of the B&N managers don't have that. And if I saw B&N on their resume, I certainly wouldn't hire them.
"The store managers are the most pathetic though, they've had every opportunity to get out and yet, they're still here. Anyone know why that is? Some of them are pretty smart and could be working for a decent place, making much more money for dealing with less aggravation and stupidity from their superiors."
What world are you living in? Don't get me wrong, I totally agree with most of what you're saying but in case you hadn't noticed - jobs are going away. Have you heard of globalism? And regarding the money business, wages have been stagnant for over 4o years. My point ifs that finding decent work is no longer as easy as it used to be. And with this pandemic, yeah, it's gonna get harder. Bad news but true.
Get a real job. Flip a burger. Dig sewer lines. Do something ESSENTIAL.
Retraining: How long have you been working for our failing company?
You can't be one of the newbees because they learn the truth about B&N very quickly, none of them stay longer than a year and most are gone in less then 3-6 months. I can't tell you how many don't even show up for their next shift without calling. Cant say that I blame them though, when they're hired, they're all told lies.
Meanwhile, the older employees struggle to meet the insane management demands with the energy and audacity of terminally ill patients at the hospice. None of them are looking for new employment, they'll all be here for the final store closing announcement.
The store managers are the most pathetic though, they've had every opportunity to get out and yet, they're still here. Anyone know why that is? Some of them are pretty smart and could be working for a decent place, making much more money for dealing with less aggravation and stupidity from their superiors.
Get on YouTube. You can learn anything from there. Also try reading books, it's amazing how much you can learn.