I've worked in retail but found I hated it

Joe90 · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 6:45 pm Post subject:

Around where I live, retail work is really the most common type of work we have around, that has suitable working hours for someone of my age. But I found I would rather catch a bus and look elsewhere, because I don't think I will get on in retail. People often criticise and go, ''but how do you know if you haven't tried it?'' or, ''but if you had more practice you will grow better at it'', but that's where they are wrong because I HAVE had plenty of experience dealing with the public whilst I've been unemployed, I've been doing till work at charity shops that I've volunteered at for 4 years, and also I've had different work experiences in other shops like supermarkets, where I've had to deal with the public, and I've found that the more I've done it the more I've found it doesn't suit me and the more anxious I have become. Just because you had experience with something doesn't mean you will suddenly love it. I used to think dealing with the public would suit me because I don't like the thought of being shut away somewhere like a factory, I thought working somewhere with more going on will appeal to me more, but now I've got a little older and have tried different things, I am finding out more about what suits me and what doesn't.

Experience may help you get an idea of something, and maybe gain skills about something, but it doesn't make you grow to love something and really want to do it. I'm glad I've done experience in shops and got a taste of what it's like, rather than jumping straight into paid employment then realising I hate it. So now it's time to try something else. I've had one work placement in a kitchen before, (just washing up and tidying away and maybe doing easy food tasks like preparing salads or making sandwiches), and I found I thoroughly enjoyed that more than dealing with the stupid public, so I think I'm going to try to get back into kitchen assistant work (but paid work).

Anyone else agree that just because you had experience doesn't mean you're going to love something and be brilliant at it? Or is that the case these days?
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Real gender: Female
From: East UK
Age: 23