Almost everyone has had a retail job before, right? The day I turned 16 years old - old enough to get a job - I've been working in retail. I started off at a grocery store and didn't think it was right for me. I decided to work at a clothing store, and things have been OK, as I'm still working at the same clothing store for over two years.
But have you ever worked at a retail store during the holidays?
I've worked the crazy shifts during the holidays. From Thanksgiving to Black Friday, and even on Christmas Eve (thank goodness not on Christmas). The holidays are a crazy time for retail companies all over the world. I've worked countless 10-hour shifts during the holidays - shifts I wouldn't ever get during other times of the year.
Working in retail during the holidays definitely starts with the cons of it all.
For a starter, the first con is dealing with the customers. I've experienced the rudest customers during the holidays. You get all sorts of people: people who never shop during the year and only come during the holidays, people who shop for their 200 family members, people from out of state visiting their family, etc.
You meet lots and lots of people. This ranges from all sorts of personalities, and when you meet so many different people working in retail, no doubt you will deal with lots and lots of rude customers: people who will yell in your face, people who will ignore you and ignore the fact you exist, people who will treat you like you are dirt, people who will give you a bad attitude, etc. I was 16 years old when I first started working in retail, and customers still treated a teenage girl awfully.
Another con of working in retail during the holidays is you're never going to stop working. Most retail companies hire extra people for the holidays, and even then you still get scheduled 10-12 hour shifts. You won't be able to spend any time with family or friends, and that's just the truth. I've missed Thanksgiving the last two years because I've worked 10-hour shifts on Thanksgiving. The only day during the holidays that you will actually relax and spend time with family is Christmas, and that's if the retail store is closed, which it most likely should be. You never stop working, trust me. Don't even try taking time off of work, you will most likely get fired.
My last con of working in retail during the holidays is the store will always be a mess, and you will have to clean it. I've stayed a long time past close at my retail store during the holidays, just to clean up the disaster customers left behind. Because it is always nonstop busy, the store will always be nonstop messy. I've folded so many clothes neatly and have it all organized, only to walk back to it five minutes later to find it completely destroyed by customers. The holidays are the worst time for a store to try and maintain it all clean and nice. It will never stay clean, no matter how many times you return back to it to make it look good.
With working in retail during the holidays, there definitely can be some pros. One pro is most obvious, making lots and lots of money. The holidays are when I get the biggest paychecks, which makes me extremely happy. I can actually afford to buy Christmas gifts and can have the extra money with it. I also get paid time and a half on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. What can get better than that? The money is definitely worth it.
Another pro I can consider during this rough patch of retail, is you get first dibs on a lot of the good sales. My retail store always had amazing deals during the holidays and employees were always the first to get what they want before anyone. Working there makes it a lot easier and you get to see what comes out before any of the customers. My store does employee pre-sales and I'm sure other retail stores do the same.
The last pro for working retail during the holidays, you get to be in holiday mode. I'm someone who loves the holidays and going to work and hearing holiday music playing throughout the store and being able to wear Santa hats or reindeer ear headbands makes me happy. I hope everyone else can say the same. Throughout the whole journey of working through the holidays, you can actually make it fun by being excited that the holidays are here. You also get to buy lots of Christmas gifts for your loved ones with your employee discount. Take advantage of it.
Working retail during the holidays is definitely a journey. It is a big rude awakening. It has its pros and cons, but it's up to you as a person if you think it is worth it. For me, it's worth it, considering I've done it the past two years, and now going onto the third. Wish me luck.
