Should I apply for a job at a major jewelry chain?

[paperunicorn]

Today I was haunting one of my favorite pawn shops and got to talking with 2 other people in there. They were both managers of different stores of a major fine jewelry retailer. As they left, one handed me his card and told me I should call the store, since I liked jewelry so much, and even if I just wanted something part time, they'd like to have me. Very flattering, I must admit, as I'm just an enthusiast.

Here's where I waffle: I worked in retail for many years and it was very bad for my mental and physical health. Please don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that I suffered emotional abuse, sexual harassment, injuries, gaslighting, and trauma from various managers and experiences in the decade I worked in fashion retail management. I quit in 2015 without a clear path forward and have been dealing with the repercussions while trying to make a career in the creative arts and as a small business owner ever since. I also suffer from chronic migraine that can be exacerbated by a variety of often unpredictable stimuli, and the medication I take to keep them at bay drains my stamina pretty badly. So I'm very hesitant to even dip my toe back into that world.

On the other hand, I could definitely use the money. And it would definitely be a part-time thing, I have a lot of other plates spinning. My partner pays for just about everything right now and for the sake of my own pride, if nothing else, I'd like to at least pay for my own half of things!

Looking for advice, words of wisdom, experience, etc...

 

[Bron357]

Go for it.
Just remember not to take your pay home in bling!
Jewellery much nicer than the fashion world.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

congratulations on having someone express an interest in employing you in an area that you love

i can certainly relate to your experiences about working in retail.
its brutal and its underappreciated
alot of people don't understand the mental effort it requires and how hard it can be to unwind after dealing with Joe public all day

im currently on a year off getting all that BS out of system after being completly drained from shop work

i would love to work in a jewlery store but there are things to reconsider

i would not enjoy being on commission with a small retainer
not for financial reasons, just because i would not thrive in that kind of very competitive enviroment and all my working life how i make friends is from work and commision can be so b***hy

another thing id consider is would having jewlery as a job take away some of the sparkle of your personal love for jewlery
in between hardwear jobs i once got a job in a fabric shop, who sold not just fashion fabric but curtains and wool and other hobby supplies
from that moment on i pretty much never picked up a crochet hook ever again, a hobby i enjoyed to pass the time when commuting. it just became work

also it took me many years to get back in the garden after working in garden centres for my first 15 years of employment i was just completly gardened out

on the plus side i beleave the staff discount at the jewlers is excellent!

part time might be really enjoyable and a gentle way to ease back in to retail

you have nothing to loose giving his a call and arranging an apointment to chat
He might just be that one in a million boss and happy employees make for a happy workplace

good luck and best wishes

 

[Rfisher]

Ask if they can somehow utilize you off of the sales floor?
Win : Win

 

[MsShnooks]

I’d definitely give it a go. Different people are different people so bad experience a few years ago with somebody else isn’t relevant to this job. Sounds like you’ve got nothing to lose and a lot to gain.

 

[OdetteOdile]

That is exciting! I think that if it is something that you might enjoy, you should go for it. You can leave if you do not like it. You will not know unless you try.

 

[Starfacet]

You could try it and see how it goes. I've been working in the costume jewelry department of a major department store, and while it is very fun, I still have to put up with the BS that comes along with working in a department store, namely the insane "sales goals" (universally unattainable even in the pre-internet shopping world) and the push for us to get people to open a store credit card, which no one wants because a) either they already have one or b) there are better cards out there. Then there's also the physically demanding part, but I wear compression socks and Skechers. Like others have said, give it a go and see where it takes you!

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

You know what? I say do it.
The difference of being around something you love and being able to impart that information is a key component of whether this will make you happy. You will put many people at ease, teach them something and just maybe, entertain them a little. There will always be sh*t days- it's inevitable. It may feed you in ways you didn't anticipate.
You have all the ingredients.

 

[marymm]

Have you been to the jewelry store that you'd be working in? Have you done any online research to see what kind of reputation it has (glassdoor.com, BBB, whatever)? Does the store website and/or your local Craigslist have a listing for part-time sales associates?

If your research turns up positive results and you're inclined to go for it, call the number on the card and set up an appointment with the guy - he may or may not still be interested in hiring at this time (i.e., corona virus fall-out), but if you get a solid job offer, perhaps start with fewer hours for the first month or two and then ramp up if you're feeling good about it physically and mentally?

 

[Begonia]

Do it. Find out the terms, and if they’re ok, do part time. You can always leave as you have options, and options are empowering. The universe is giving you an opportunity to use what you’ve learned and set those boundaries. You got this.

 

[Sibsgirl]

Absolutely! I worked in a couple of big jewelry stores back in the '90s and really enjoyed it. The pay was terrible, but I learned quite a bit and got to play with jewels every day. It's quite easy to sell pretty things.

 

[MRBXXXFVVS1]

Definitely prioritize yourself and your health first! Might not hurt to give it a shot, if you don't like it and it's impacting your life negatively, you can always quit!

 

[GliderPoss]

Yeah I say give it a go! If it doesn't work out don't stress - at least you tried. I'd be upfront about your migraines though, bright store lighting could be a potential trigger.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

You had a job offer from a person you didn't know--but just randomly struck up a convo with--who thought you'd be a good fit! Employers look for skills, but also enthusiasm. Not bad, not bad at all.

I worked in jewellery retail throughout HS and first year of University, and it was fun. Lots of doing the jobs the senior staff didn't want to do (dusting, changing watch batteries, organizing store rooms, etc) but I didn't mind. There was a lot of standing and the bright lights might trigger your migraines. But I got to dress up and that was great.

You'll prolly be on a three month probation (standard stuff) and if you don't like it after, then leave. Do you have a counsellor you meet with--what is their advice?

cheers--Sharon

 

[MollyMalone]

+1 to @marymm 's suggestions to be a "secret shopper" of sorts & check out employee reviews on Glassdoor -- and also Indeed -- to see if they have employee reviews for that particular store or at least the chain that provide a clue as to the "corporate culture," e.g.,interview process/questions, training (or lack thereof),

Absolutely! I worked in a couple of big jewelry stores back in the '90s and really enjoyed it. The pay was terrible, but I learned quite a bit and got to play with jewels every day. It's quite easy to sell pretty things.

Retail sales is different nowadays, even at high end shops, than it was for you --- and me "back when." E.g., my niece worked at Tiffany's flagship NYC store over the holidays for the past couple of years. It didn't matter much to her since she wasn't looking to become a permanent employee & she did very well within the constraints imposed on seasonal employees BUT it was her observation that Tiffany purposefully set unreasonable sales quotas to avoid paying the higher commissions due those who met or exceeded the monthly sales quotas. If you don't meet the quota, your commission is just 1% (in addition to the hourly wage); the highest commission possible, for exceeding your department's sales quotas by X% (I don't now remember the figure) is 3%. If an item is returned, the commission you earned at the time of sale is then deducted from your paycheck -- which was unheard-of when I worked part-time for a high end clothing store while in college. Also, I never had anyone elbow me aside to steal a sale, but my niece said that was not a rare gripe of permanent sales assistants at Tiffany.(she'd expected that sales poaching would happen to her, a seasonal employee, but was surprised to learn that there were higher-ups at Tiffany who would do that to permanent employees.)

So I'm hoping you can nail down ahead of time ,@paperunicorn what their expectations are re sales quotas for part-time sales assistants, if that's the position under consideration. Or perhaps you could propose a new position for yourself there, e.g., do they have any (or much of) a presence on social media that you could launch or amplify; are they already holding special events as part of their marketing efforts?

Wishing you all the best

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

@MollyMalone Were I worked I was not eligible for commission. For FT staff only. It wasn't Tiffany but another major chain.

cheers--Sharon

 

[wordie89]

Its nice to be wanted! I had fun working in a jewery store a looong time ago. Not as much pressure as it was not on sales floor. My only caution is if fluorescents trigger migraines.

 

[arkieb1]

You won't know how they are unless you try it. And what's the worst that can happen you don't like it and you leave.

 

[MollyMalone]

HI:

@MollyMalone Were I worked I was not eligible for commission. For FT staff only. It wasn't Tiffany but another major chain.

cheers--Sharon

Yes, I imagine your experience is the more common one. But even where sales employees aren't paid any kind of commission -- like at Shane Co. jewelry stores -- all sales reps, be they full-time or part-time, are typically expected to meet-exceed quotas & low performers are "let go" or don't get a raise/performance bonus.

 

[KristinTech]

I don’t think I’d want to give up my “non trade” status on PS.

 

[Smith3]

Today I was haunting one of my favorite pawn shops and got to talking with 2 other people in there. They were both managers of different stores of a major fine jewelry retailer. As they left, one handed me his card and told me I should call the store, since I liked jewelry so much, and even if I just wanted something part time, they'd like to have me. Very flattering, I must admit, as I'm just an enthusiast.

Here's where I waffle: I worked in retail for many years and it was very bad for my mental and physical health. Please don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that I suffered emotional abuse, sexual harassment, injuries, gaslighting, and trauma from various managers and experiences in the decade I worked in fashion retail management. I quit in 2015 without a clear path forward and have been dealing with the repercussions while trying to make a career in the creative arts and as a small business owner ever since. I also suffer from chronic migraine that can be exacerbated by a variety of often unpredictable stimuli, and the medication I take to keep them at bay drains my stamina pretty badly. So I'm very hesitant to even dip my toe back into that world.

On the other hand, I could definitely use the money. And it would definitely be a part-time thing, I have a lot of other plates spinning. My partner pays for just about everything right now and for the sake of my own pride, if nothing else, I'd like to at least pay for my own half of things!

Looking for advice, words of wisdom, experience, etc...

Same happened to me! It left me with trauma Issues And I have an autoimmune disorder so my immune system shot. But I miss working with jewelry and people but scared to dip my toe in too. Reading this is like if I had wrote it, what did you decide?

 

[seaurchin]

I'm late to the party but to the original poster (or someone else in a similar situation), I'd say no. It's flattering to be offered a job when you didn't even apply for one and would be nice to have a job that's attached to an interest of yours. However, it's still retail and you've already done that and did not like it at all, so why go back to it.

If you're still looking for a job, why not try something different. There's a book, What Color is My Parachute that might help you discover types of work that are a good fit for you. I hope you come back and give us an update.

 

[violet3]

I'm late to the party but to the original poster (or someone else in a similar situation), I'd say no. It's flattering to be offered a job when you didn't even apply for one and would be nice to have a job that's attached to an interest of yours. However, it's still retail and you've already done that and did not like it at all, so why go back to it.

If you're still looking for a job, why not try something different. There's a book, What Color is My Parachute that might help you discover types of work that are a good fit for you. I hope you come back and give us an update.

Ditto this. If you know retail has traumatized you, I honestly would NOT compromise my mental and physical health. I worked in restaurants for 20 years, and took a lot of abuse from customers and managers while doing it. Today, I don't even like to EAT in restaurants as a result of this, because I have some trauma from it (people who eat out can be really mean). There's not enough money in the world you could pay me to go back to that type of job.

I also really like the book mentioned above What Color is My Parachute

 

[KristinTech]

I don’t think I’d want to give up my “non trade” status on PS.

I had forgotten about this post, and I read through it again to get ready to post this... and I realized I had already said it. Hah!

And also, I posted this on the last day I worked. Not knowing it was my last day! (I’m back to work now).