Workplace change of career path at the age of 39....advices on being a SA/Personal Shopper

juneping

juneping

couch potato-ing
O.G.
Jun 11, 2007
17,767
959
#1
Mod, I am really not sure where to post about this...please move it accordingly. TIA!!

Well, recently I have been thinking really hard what to do with my life/career since I just don't have this fulfilling sense at my current job, especially I have invested so much time, energy and money in my education in architecture. I've been hating my job for a very very long time, due to the economy and other stuff, i have been at my current job for over 8 years. Few days ago, i was reading an article about career change, it asked me if i hated my job or my career. I thought about that for a while and I can be quite honest with myself I hate my job and I am okay with my career but I don't feel I love what I am doing...i think my heart is not in it...may be that's why i've been delaying my license exam for all these years.
I have always been interested in fashion, I like helping friends to shop...like telling them where to shop, what brand and what looks good on them. i had a couple of fans (my sister, my mom and a couple of friends who asked me to shop with them). i like to shop myself :P. I did some researches about being a personal shopper and I actually went to FIT to ask for some advice...the lady told me i could actually drop by Macy and ask for a job as SA to begin with and work my way up to become a PS which was pretty much the same advice i've read from online as well.
i would like to ask for advice of how to get a job at a high end dept store as a SA...is it bad to ask a SA that i've dealt with to ask for info and probably reference?
any tips to be a good SA?
any advice to be a personal shopper?
any advice in general in this matter.
I would love to hear your opinions...anything.
thanks for taking your time to read this long post.:smile:
 
#5
Tuesdays Child said:
Are you able to survive financially making a change from your current job to starting as an SA? While its wonderful to make that change can you afford it?
Click to expand...

i'll have to do drafting as freelance to help me to survive. luckily...the rent i am paying is pretty much the same as when i first started out. but i'll have to change my life style for sure.

~Fabulousity~ said:
sorry i've never been a SA maybe you can post this in the shopping forum and get more responses. Good Luck!
Click to expand...

i'll contact a mod....thanks!!
 
#6
I was an SA for years - gosh, it's really hard work! I had to work for years in stores I didn't like before I could get my dream job in Harrods - and I still think if I went back into retail that would be the only store for me!
I'm not too sure what advice to give you - if you can get into a store you love, it'll be worth any sacrifices you have to make - what about doing some temporary work in busier times to start with? High end stores are crying out for good people during sale times - and once you're in there,it's so much easier to get where you want to be.
I hope that helps - good luck!
 
#7
clevercat said:
I was an SA for years - gosh, it's really hard work! I had to work for years in stores I didn't like before I could get my dream job in Harrods - and I still think if I went back into retail that would be the only store for me!
I'm not too sure what advice to give you - if you can get into a store you love, it'll be worth any sacrifices you have to make - what about doing some temporary work in busier times to start with? High end stores are crying out for good people during sale times - and once you're in there,it's so much easier to get where you want to be.
I hope that helps - good luck!
Click to expand...

thanks for your input!!
i do have a few department stores i want to work for. just waiting to hear back from them...and hopefully i will hear something. i want the job that's going to help me to advance to become a personal shopper. so i know i have to wait for a right SA job.
i hope i won't wait till sale times to hear back.....ugh...i hate waiting....:faint:

btw....the mod said this is the right place to post about this topic.
 
#8
Wow, there are years and years of work that going into being an architect...are you prepared to throw that away? On some level, I agree with the thought that "it's the degree that counts", not necessarily what you do with it, but I know that's an extremely demanding program. Do you have 7 licensing exams to take? Would it be possible to complete the exams and perhaps find a career in architecture that is more to your liking? Once you have the license, it may open up some doors for you. I just think retail work is, quite often, hellish...and I would hate for you to make that move, then realize that it's not very glamorous or "fun" at all really. I'm sure some people do enjoy it, but dealing with customers is not my cup of tea.

Can you determine what it is about your current job that you dislike so much? Maybe there's a way you can move out of that particular area. It might be worth speaking with a supervisor about, I think many corporations on the whole like to see their employees happy, so maybe they can accommodate you in some way.

I know my response is a little off the topic, but just wanted to throw some things out there for consideration! Good luck!
 
#9
I was an SA for years. I would NEVER do it again. Some customers are hell, but most are simply indifferent to the SA's. It is not something that I would have spent my life doing.
 
#10
Laurie8504 said:
Wow, there are years and years of work that going into being an architect...are you prepared to throw that away? On some level, I agree with the thought that "it's the degree that counts", not necessarily what you do with it, but I know that's an extremely demanding program. Do you have 7 licensing exams to take? Would it be possible to complete the exams and perhaps find a career in architecture that is more to your liking? Once you have the license, it may open up some doors for you. I just think retail work is, quite often, hellish...and I would hate for you to make that move, then realize that it's not very glamorous or "fun" at all really. I'm sure some people do enjoy it, but dealing with customers is not my cup of tea.

Can you determine what it is about your current job that you dislike so much? Maybe there's a way you can move out of that particular area. It might be worth speaking with a supervisor about, I think many corporations on the whole like to see their employees happy, so maybe they can accommodate you in some way.

I know my response is a little off the topic, but just wanted to throw some things out there for consideration! Good luck!
Click to expand...

you are making total sense....i really appreciate it.
okay..this is my chain of thoughts. architecture is also service orientated.... gear towards service clients is not that much of difference. i think clients in general can be very demanding (that's a given) and unreasonable (very few but they do exist). and i've dealt with them all.
the part i don't like about arch the most is the part to put all things together. it's rewarding and annoying at the same time. the fact that after 10 years working in the field....the drafting part is still the dominant part of my job. it's hard to find someone who know how to draw (all lines mean something instead of lines by themselves)...i am good at what i do but i get stuck at what i do. my bosses are not willing to nurture me to become a well-rounded architect. i hate my office....the whole industry is moving from autocad to BIM (drafting software) but our office is not doing that...that makes our marketability very unfavorable. i've been sending resume out for over 3-4 years. nothing happened. i thought about being clients' rep or even go into construction....but i don't think i have what it takes. i can be confident but only when i know what i am talking about...and in terms of arch...i always feel there's something i don't know which is common but that little doubts reveal my uncertainty about me.
i don't know....i am just imagining what life is gonna be how different. i think it's the part i don't find it rewarding as the biggest turn off of my job. most architect geeks would love to do a lot of research about what's the next "IT" thing in arch....but i never was interested enough to do the research...and when bf handles a project (he's also an architect)...he's very aware of how to approach the project and foresee the changes and all....on my end i just wanted to know what to draw and get it over with. it was interesting to me but that kind of fulfillment that i had in school...i just never had in life. a friend of mine has been working on the freedom tower...and she's very happy about it. i did ask myself would i be happy if i get that kind of opportunity....the answer is "i am not sure". i think i'll be happier than i am but not sure if i'll be happy. period. bf is the first person kept telling me i need to do what i love...even thou i've been doing a good job at work...he could tell i am not that happy about what i do besides all the BS happening in the office.
throwing all my hard work all away and do something very different is probably my biggest fear if things don't turn out the way i wish. but i guess i'll never know if i don't try.
 
#12
juneping, I've worked in retail and do not want to do it again. No matter how much I liked helping people be happy with their purchases, it was the bad apples that ruined it for me. I've found that one terrible customer can wreck the whole day. Honestly, I don't know why people can be so unreasonable and dishonest. It sort of made me lose faith in humanity. Coupled with the competitiveness among coworkers and managers who didn't care...never again. Also, scheduling was never consistent. I cannot image that a personal shopper would be any better.

I do understand your frustration with your current job, you must feel like a trapped animal. You want to do more and learn more, but they just let you draw. I've been at jobs where I wasn't allowed to transfer to a different department because they couldn't let me go (read: find someone with the same skill set).

I hope you can do something you love. The ugly reality is that the US is very ageist and the older a woman gets, the less likely she will find a good job. So I would be wary about quitting one. I've been out of work for 16 months, with 4 college degrees, some amazing experience, and unfortunately over 50.

Architects can do lots of other things. I did this Google search and found some other career paths that sound way more fulfilling than what you described: http://architecture.about.com/cs/careers/f/architectdo.htm
 
#13
^^i do know someone who went to website design....she loves it.
i met a couple of clients are very unreasonable....this guy, he even wants to out smart the contractor...i want to say happy landing.
 
#14
I changed my career path when I was 25. I know it's not exactly the same position as you. I worked as business development manager for an engineering company for a few years. I studied political science and american history in hopes of going into law school. I also am a certified paralegal.

I am now make-up artist working in the movie industry in Toronto.

It was hard/scary but don't look at it like you're throwing away your years or architecture work. I don't regret the path I took to get where I am. Please PM me if you want more details how career change made me a happier person!
 
#15
Have you thought about merging your career in architecture with something shopping or styling oriented, like staging? You may find work with local realtors selling homes or with builders setting up models.

Good luck!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Back