Leaving retail to work in a bar?

11

I hate, hate, HATE my current job
(i work in River Island)
I've been offered a job at a bar, and i'm still undecided if i want to take it
the lastttt thing i wanna do is leave River Island for a job thats even worse.

do you prefer working in retail or hospitality?

Reply 1

EskimoJo

18

I've never worked in a bar, but I think my personality suits retail more. More time to daydream and be on my own. :o:

Reply 2

angel_night

14

I LOVE working in my local pub :smile:

. I had previously worked in a pharmacy and absolutely hated it. I love interacting with people at the pub and I like developing friendships with the locals. it's much more fun and enjoyable. it can be dull if it's quiet, but a billion times better than at the pharmacy.

Reply 3

sarahlousie

13

I would say it depends on the type of bar job. I have worked in a local pub and I loved that as you get to know all your regulars and they get to know you so generally you don't get many horrible customers. It was a very nice atmosphere and the finishing times weren't too bad.
However I have also worked in a busy bar that was open til 3am and I really didn't like that job as much. The nice atmosphere wasn't there, you couldn't have a chat with the regulars because it was too loud and too busy and there were a lot more drunk and rude customers.
If you hate your river island job then I can't see the harm in giving it a go, I just think the experience of working in a bar differs a lot depending on the type of place it is.

Reply 4

MissyP

9

Rossical

I hate, hate, HATE my current job
(i work in River Island)
I've been offered a job at a bar, and i'm still undecided if i want to take it
the lastttt thing i wanna do is leave River Island for a job thats even worse.

do you prefer working in retail or hospitality?

I use to work in Tesco for 3 years. I ended up hating it, especially being treated like **** from management who never listened and where i had to fight with union for a simple holiday which was requested well in advance and they agreed too. Plus i have to go into work an hour after having my wisdom teeth out because they refused to let me have a day off/authorised sick when i informed the 6weeks in advance including hospital evidence of my surgery. Needless to say my blood pressure increased rapidly and i ended up bleeding continues from the wounds and they ended up blaming me.

anyway, i left about a month ago to work at a bar in a gym (DW Sports formerly known as JJB Fitness) and i love it completely. Its slower paces, far more relaxed and management treat me with respect because i have retail experience thus i am able to see areas where the company can make or improve on making money in areas that arnt doing so well. Also the staff here trust me more and respect my ideas. Also the customers are far more friendly and treat you as a person instead of a uniform to shout at.

I like you was worried about going from a job and company i knew well to a job and place i knew nothing about. Go for the interview and see what this other place has to offer, if its better and suits the lifestyle you want then go for it. Also ask yourself this, Will you continue to hate your work place in months to come or do you think its just a phase. Is it the job type, the people, the type of items you sell that makes you hate the place? If its not a phase then go for it, Sometimes a new job is what you need to realise how much your hard work is appreciated by others and how unvalued you are by one company while another is proud to have you on their team.

Reply 5

Origami Bullets

19

Rossical

I hate, hate, HATE my current job
(i work in River Island)
I've been offered a job at a bar, and i'm still undecided if i want to take it
the lastttt thing i wanna do is leave River Island for a job thats even worse.

do you prefer working in retail or hospitality?

A lot of people just can't hack bar work and quit after two shifts, so it's best to do a few shifts in a bar before you actually decide to quit your job at RI.

That said, working in a bar is nice in that during the quiet shifts you can often have a bit of a chat with staff / customers, and on busy nights you can pretty much tell customers to sod off (when there is some justification) and they never complain, and it's pretty standard practice to get drinks after work. On the downside, if you're female then you end up being perved on constantly, and it messes with your sleep patterns.

Leaving retail to work in a bar?

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