Should I have had experience in multiple jobs ?

Post Reply New Topic

I've been working for my retail job now for 7 years and I did at 21 until I went to uni, do voluntary work at a few charity shops but between ages 22 and 26, I was out of work and a number of job interviews which turned me down anyway.

I just seem to think that because I've been working and earning my own money it makes me feel good for working and be part of society but I also seem to feel as though being the ages I was when I was out of work was "abnormal" to not have been working and that's it's probably "okay" for a teenager to be out of work for some time. I never had a paid job as a teenager.

It has also made feel sometimes why I wasn't working for more than 7 years because my mindset changed when I was working. I nearly always hear of other people younger than saying they are working hard and so on at ages 18 to 25, at ages when I was doing unpaid work and was at times out of work. I see it all on social media.

Some people stay in the same job their whole lives. If it suits them and they're happy, then great. I know it's easier said than done, but you don't need to compare yourself to other people, especially with what they post on social media.

I've changed jobs a lot because I find them so difficult. I was employed by one company for almost a decade but switched roles regularly while I was at university. Some jobs I only managed a day - others were a couple of years. The only thing that's consistent is that I get bored and the more people I have to be around, the more difficult I find it.

I only worked for one job for nearly four decades, then retired with a paid up house and a lot of investments.

If you are at the lower end of the pay-scale, you have to work more than one job at a time just to pay rent. But other than that, some people are content or lucky enough to only need 1 or 2 over a lifetime.

I've had more jobs than I can even think of at once. Luckily that means I can tailor a resume to match the job I am seeking without appearing overqualified.

Whether anyone "should" have had multiple jobs depends on them.

I had a friend who spent his entire young life getting a master's degree and never had any employment until well after earning it. I think he was something past 35 before finding a well-paid job in his chosen field. Its going to be different for everyone.

A few years back, I was in a similar spot. I'd been working in retail for a while and felt like I was stuck in a rut. Then, I decided to shake things up and explored new opportunities. I stumbled into the world of human resources and it was a game-changer for me. I found a great program through human resources certification online. It was super helpful in understanding the basics and opened doors to new career possibilities.

Your experience in retail and volunteering has probably given you a lot of skills that are valuable in HR – like people management and customer service. So I think diving into HR might be a great move for you too.