I honestly thought (naively I now realize) that ten years with Wesley Owen would have made me more employable than I am... I guess they were just too small (in the big world of retail) to give me any 'real' experience... (according to every single employer that I've applied to for jobs anyway). Apparently managing a £250,000 annual turnover shop is worth absolute zero to employers... Which means I wasted ten years of my life!! (in terms of job experience anyway).
Today I was told that I wasn't 'suitable' for the role I was applying for (A DEPUTY Manager), but that they would keep my name on their books in case any Senior Sales/Supervisor roles came up 'in the future'.
I realise Wesley Owen (as was) and even STL was a small fish in the big pond of retailers, but I honestly thought my experience with them would have counted for something. Literally every single management role I've applied for has turned me down because the shop I was in and the staff team I managed was too small.
I understand the reasoning, that I was in a 'niche' market, but what happened to the 'speculate to accumulate' method of recruitment? Surely there must be some Employers out there who can see past mere numbers and look at breadth of experience??
I'm very, very frustrated by employers seeming lack of vision at the moment in terms of recruitment. I know it's a hard economic climate, I know sales are hard to come by, but surely this obsession with quantifiable numbers won't get them the staff they ultimately need? Staff who are loyal and hardworking, and committed?
I find it funny the number of companies who have in their profile things like 'work/life balance' and 'our staff matter', etc, but who prove by their decisions that all they're concerned about ultimately is the bottom line. I understand in retail that that's very, very important, crucial even, but surely you want good staff, not just people who can make a buck?
I'm a bit dissalusioned at the moment, after over 600 jobs that I've applied for since July with no success. I just don't understand why no-one will even consider me. I never thought that I would be at Wesley Owen until I was an old man, but I never realised in terms of employability how much time I was wasting when I should have been applying for other posts during all that time that would have given me the 'right' experience, in terms of other employers anyway.
It's very frustrating and soul destroying.
