Thinking about getting a second job, even though I don't need to. Retail PB , CB2, West Elm , etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, you think you'll be appreciated, you will not.

And it sounds like OP is doing this thinking it will be fun. I know someone who worked seasonal retail at a big department store for Christmas because she was bored, and then was surprised at the drudgery. I don't know what she thought it would be - singing carols with coworkers while wrapping customer purchases?
I've done retail and it wasn't great. Competition over sales was fierce (worked on commission).

[Anonymous]

OP here. Love how this has spun out of control and how obviously, I plan on singing christmas carols with coworkers. No, I just hate the cold weather/ the whole dark early thing and sticking myself at home after work. To me it makes sense to get an extra job and force myself outside the house during fall/winter. I don't mind idiot customers and wouldn't mind a nice discount on furniture.

[Anonymous]

I worked part-time at Crate & Barrel the first two Christmases after I graduated from college. IIRC holiday workers were not on commission but full-time employees were. Discount was good. It wasn't horrible, but I still hate all the Christmas songs that were on that never-ending loop. Your feet get really tired and your skin gets really dry. As far as retail goes, it was much more pleasant than what I had done before - Peoples/CVS part-time through high school and college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Retail is soul-sucking hell. Customers are annoying, the job can be mind-numbing, and your feet will hurt and you will be exhausted when you leave. I did it all through college. It sucked.

Agree, you will hate people and have no faith left in humanity.

[Anonymous]

One year I moonlighted as a seasonal/weekend employee and weirdly enjoyed it! It was something different to do, A bit of extra money, and I got a lot of cute purses (Wilsons Leather). Check out seasonal stores. They'll be more open to working with your quirky schedule.

[Anonymous]

PS. I was moonlighting from a professional job, and it was a totally different experience from working full time retail — which was kind of soul sucking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Retail is soul-sucking hell. Customers are annoying, the job can be mind-numbing, and your feet will hurt and you will be exhausted when you leave. I did it all through college. It sucked.

Agree, you will hate people and have no faith left in humanity.

I worked in retail for ten years. Now I'm a lawyer. I don't find what you said to be true at all. What I did find was that after working retail, I have zero patience for poor customer service.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't start until after the holidays. Holiday hours suck. Have you ever worked retail before? Don't expect to be appreciated as an employee.

[Anonymous]

I did four holiday seasons at Williams-Sonoma and I loved it. Some people actually like retail work. I'd do it again if I didn't have kids.

Holidays are a good time to get into retail work. If you're good, they may keep you in afterwards, but there are a lot fewer hours available, and honestly I found the slow times to be a lot harder than the busy holiday season.

Now is a good time to apply - I say go for it (and enjoy the discount!)

[Anonymous]

How about joining a gym or volunteer somewhere in the evenings if money isn't the end goal to find the second job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did four holiday seasons at Williams-Sonoma and I loved it. Some people actually like retail work. I'd do it again if I didn't have kids.

Holidays are a good time to get into retail work. If you're good, they may keep you in afterwards, but there are a lot fewer hours available, and honestly I found the slow times to be a lot harder than the busy holiday season.

Now is a good time to apply - I say go for it (and enjoy the discount!)

OP here.

Thanks for the encouragement!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I did four holiday seasons at Williams-Sonoma and I loved it. Some people actually like retail work. I'd do it again if I didn't have kids.

Holidays are a good time to get into retail work. If you're good, they may keep you in afterwards, but there are a lot fewer hours available, and honestly I found the slow times to be a lot harder than the busy holiday season.

Now is a good time to apply - I say go for it (and enjoy the discount!)

OP here.

Thanks for the encouragement!

I worked at a gym while I was in school. Loved it! Free membership, nice people. Worked at a retail bath and body store, that was ok, didn't love the products. Also, worked at a salon as a receptionist, liked that a lot and huge discount on services. Work at a place where you like the product or service offered, have fun!

[Anonymous]

Bumping up this old thread. Anyone have new info? I need to furnish a three bedroom house. Is it worth it to get a job at Reatoration Hardware or similar?

[Anonymous]

My friend did this at Pottery Barn for 3 years after graduating from Law School. She was working full time and making decent money during the day, but just wanted a discount because her and her husband were building a new house. She worked maybe 2 nights a week and 1 weekend day. She basically spent all the money she made on purchases. Her house looks like a Pottery Barn catalog. As soon as she had everything she wanted, she quit.

I think it was a smart way to justify spending money on more expensive items. She didn't have kids, didn't mind taking on the extra hours, and thought the benefit outweighed the annoyance.

[Anonymous]

You'd probably need to work weekends, so keep that in mind. When I worked in retail (high school, college, early 20's), weekends were non-negotiable.

I worked in several department and clothing stores and a Barnes & Noble. B&N was probably the best, but I rarely brought home a paycheck because I spent so much on books.