Hate a job I loved

sidcon

OK so been a retail manager for over 17 years, have been in my current role for 10 years now but hate it with a passion.
The problem is not the store it's the company that owns it.
The company I work for bought out the company I have worked for a loved for 10 years.
The new owners just treat you as a number and don't care about you or your work life balance.

At 34 I've decided to get out as I can't stand their attitude to everything that happens plus they can't stand myself as I'm a high earner on their low cost system.

So my question is with nothing but a leaving cert and 17years retail management experience were do I go from here, what jobs should I go for I think I want out of retail management I've been overlooked twice now for the am role?

Icaras

Not a massive amount of options. My advice would be to look for another retail job for the short term (as you hate the company you my fall back in love with the role) and look at doing evening courses. A generic management course may open a lot of roles as I think (and could be very wrong) retail is a lot of people management and not massively process management.

CPTM

Have you any interests that you'd wished you'd gotten into before? This could be the push for a fresh start on a different ladder. Does your current set of responsibilities leave room for any part time study to gain a skill set in a different area? Just throwing out the idea. Sometimes a light at the end of the tunnel is as good as a change, and studying part time for a different occupation can be an exciting way to do that.

Glass fused light

You post does not make it clear if you have an official title eg for your cv\interview "I started as a department junior assistant manager and am now a location mange etc." in the short term it may be worth while approaching your boss and looking for a better title. I am always a little naive and amazed at how some people value a lable and will ask what was your 'title' in the interview.

If you want to change careers, I would suggest going to see a career advisor. If you can't get a recomendation from family or friends try contacting Intreo they will run courses through companies who specialise in this. They may also be able point you in the right direction for a course.

Best of luck

sidcon

Unfortunately due to my current work commitments and then my wife's commitments taking on something else is not an option as I couldn't afford more childminding fees. So doing college/evening courses are not an option.
As regards titles, I was a field support manager - ran a store but also went out and help other struggling sites and done some projects. When the company was bought out the new company said role does not exist for them and put me just as a store manager.

Stealthfins

I often read these posts on boards.is and wonder are some of us way too sensitive when it comes to work situations.

I myself was in similar positions where I felt my employers owed me more that a weekly wage and should treat me like a human being.

I had to toughen up and one day I started to be a bit more assertive and cock of the walk lol
Without being aggressive or awkward, I slowly got my power back.
I stopped caring,not because I didn't care but because I wasn't cared for.

Now my employers leave me alone most of the time and actually sometimes approach me for advice on how to run the show.

They fck up sometimes and I can see where they're going wrong and how it's going to effect them down the line.
But I mind my own business,because when I interfered before to help them out they took my advice but never gave me recognition or thanks for my professional contribution.
It used to upset me,now I couldn't care less.

By helping people and giving my advice I was making less work for them and more work and anxiety for me.

It took a while to change my approach but I'm more happier and content now.

And I have a life,I no longer spend the weekend or evening's worried about work.

Glass fused light

Stealthfins wrote: »

I often read these posts on boards.is and wonder are some of us way too sensitive when it comes to work situations.

I myself was in similar positions where I felt my employers owed me more that a weekly wage and should treat me like a human being.

I had to toughen up and one day I started to be a bit more assertive and cock of the walk lol
Without being aggressive or awkward, I slowly got my power back.
I stopped caring,not because I didn't care but because I wasn't cared for.

Now my employers leave me alone most of the time and actually sometimes approach me for advice on how to run the show.

They fck up sometimes and I can see where they're going wrong and how it's going to effect them down the line.
But I mind my own business,because when I interfered before to help them out they took my advice but never gave me recognition or thanks for my professional contribution.
It used to upset me,now I couldn't care less.

By helping people and giving my advice I was making less work for them and more work and anxiety for me.

It took a while to change my approach but I'm more happier and content now.

And I have a life,I no longer spend the weekend or evening's worried about work.

It's understanding the difference between responsibility and accountability, my old bosses philosophical definition was sh*t only rolls down hill.

It's a life skill which we are not taugh about in school or as we grow. The focus is to step up and take responsibility, you can't do this if you can't control the outcome. Each time we step up and "fail" without realising that we never had control over the outcome is a little chip out of our resilience.

I think that if the philosophy behind the serenity prayer (below) was taught as a part of personal development in schools we would have better coping skills as we move through life

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

Kings Inns or bust

A very small world. Apart from the age (a few years in it) that was how my career ended in retail and thank God it did!

I personally decided dealing with criminals all day was much more preferable (and polite) than dealing with customers and although I'm far from finishing my training a long running internship has confirmed same.

Get out and do something else - you'll not regret it!

As for what to do - a business degree (or law degree if you're feeling lazy), you MAY even find an MBA that will take you on, on the basis of professional experience. In the meantime tread water in a call centre or something similar.

Glass fused light

sidcon wrote: »

Unfortunately due to my current work commitments and then my wife's commitments taking on something else is not an option as I couldn't afford more childminding fees. So doing college/evening courses are not an option.
As regards titles, I was a field support manager - ran a store but also went out and help other struggling sites and done some projects. When the company was bought out the new company said role does not exist for them and put me just as a store manager.

My suggestion will echo Stealthfins and take a critical look at what you are doing: because it's your role and what your doing, because you want to help, and what additional bits are being added by managent because it can make their lives easier, and hand back the bits where you can. It's starting to think a I am... You are...rather than we are, I have been through a redundancy so I know how hard it is to adapt your think and after 10 years it's so hard think about the jump ( i was pushed but in the kindest way:D,) and suddenly you realise that the day to day are marketing points for your skills.

If you want to move go get some career/life coaching a second pair of eyes will be able to see your selling points. And it's easier to sales pitch your move that you loved the challenges of the field support manager but stayed to help the management transition and are now looking to bring your skills to a new organisation. You have skills and selling points you just need to recognise how to market them.

Coil Kilcrea

sidcon wrote: »

OK so been a retail manager for over 17 years, have been in my current role for 10 years now but hate it with a passion.
The problem is not the store it's the company that owns it.
The company I work for bought out the company I have worked for a loved for 10 years.
The new owners just treat you as a number and don't care about you or your work life balance.

At 34 I've decided to get out as I can't stand their attitude to everything that happens plus they can't stand myself as I'm a high earner on their low cost system.

So my question is with nothing but a leaving cert and 17years retail management experience were do I go from here, what jobs should I go for I think I want out of retail management I've been overlooked twice now for the am role?

Sidcon, did you get this sorted? I'm hoping you did.

sidcon

Coil Kilcrea wrote: »

Sidcon, did you get this sorted? I'm hoping you did.

Unfortunately not I'm still there, have been to numerous interviews getting to second rounds and then been told sorry we've decided to hire someone else.