This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCT chapter.
Working in retail – especially while managing studies – is an experience that can have a surprisingly profound effect on how we approach our money, our time, and our interactions with people.
I have worked a number of retail jobs since my high school days. These have ranged from a few months as a sales consultant in a local hardware store to several years of internship in a jewellery studio. Each job has taught me something unique, both about the work and myself.
Doing paid work enabled me to put a mental rand value on my time. My first few jobs paid minimum wage or even less, but I could still see that my time had real monetary value. I became far more conscious of my spending habits when I realised that a cup of coffee could cost me more than an hour’s work.
My time-management quickly improved too. If I found that my job was interfering with my studies, I had to do what I could to negotiate fewer or better-timed shifts. Learning to schedule and sticking to the commitments I made has served me so well in both university and my current work.
Retail is a customer-service field, which means that you work directly with people for most of the day – and people can be exhausting, no matter how extroverted you are. Many customers take advantage of retail workers because our job is service-based. They may look down on the work as menial, ignoring how important it is in our everyday lives. I have realised that these negative interactions are a reflection on them, are not to be taken personally, and often are no fault of the worker.
I wish that I had been brave enough to call out the bad behaviour and seek help from my managers. I was afraid that, because of my age and being new to the job, my complaints would be dismissed as entitled rather than legitimate. Looking back, however, my bosses would almost certainly have dealt with it in an appropriate and professional manner. If they hadn’t, I would rather have lost that job than be repeatedly subjected to such treatment. We may be told from a young age to just ignore inappropriate behaviour from men, but we have the right to feel safe and to be treated with dignity in the workplace – and that means we have the right to call them out.
Despite the challenges, I am very grateful to have already had the opportunity to work and gain the positives from these experiences. I am a more patient, disciplined, and fulfilled person because of it. There were days when I was bored and frustrated, but other days when I met awesome people and learnt fascinating aspects of retail industries that I had never before considered.
If I could give any advice to students currently doing or considering part-time retail or other work while studying, I would say appreciate the job, but value yourself more. While many of us need to have these jobs at this point in our lives, if a specific job is not working for you, do not be afraid to walk away. There are so many opportunities available once you start to look. While the work experience is important and will serve your future well, you should never sacrifice your academic opportunities or mental health for a job that does not serve your bigger dreams.
