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I'm 17. I got this job at a popular retail high street store and I hate it. I dread going to work without feeling sick. I feel guilty if I can't stay late for overtime (due to travel reasons). I feel like I am doing everything wrong, and I find some of the staff just rude. I even got shouted at on my first day because I didn't know where to place a shirt.

I already have a job at my mom's workplace, where I know the managers and get better pay. (I guess I wanted to feel more independent?)

I'm anxious (and scared) on how I go about quitting my job (it's weekend shifts). What should I say? Is it bad and unprofessional that I am quitting so soon? I just don't want to do a "No-show."

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    Welcome to The Workplace. Your question will likely be closed as off-topic since you're asking for advice on what to do. In general the response to this subject (quitting soon after starting) is: tell your manager you're leaving, work out with him/her what your final tasks will be during your notice period (typical in the US is 2 weeks, but your situation may be different). You've already got another job lined up, so leaving this one won't leave you in a bad spot. You'll be burning a bridge, though, so don't expect to have a happy reception if you want to come back. – Kent A. Sep 10 '15 at 23:08
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    You're 17. This job at a retail establishment is so minor in the grand scheme of things it absolutely doesn't matter. Be cool about it. Walk in, tell the manager it's just not the job for you and head out. It's not even the kind of job that requires notice. (S)he's probably got 20 people just like you lined up waiting for it. – Joel Etherton Sep 11 '15 at 15:58
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Is it unprofessional to quit so soon? Yes-- but if the job is causing you serious problems, it may be worth doing anyway. I would advise you to simply tell them that the time you've spent on the job hasn't lived up to your expectations and you don't believe you can continue working there-- but think hard about this, since you can't take it back.

If you do in fact have another job lined up, then yes, absolutely, go for it. Retail jobs have high turnover, largely for the reasons you've described. They expect to lose employees frequently and quickly, in most cases. If you would rather work somewhere that's not your mother, you may be able to speak to your manager about some of these issues.

Start off with your unpleasant experiences with your coworkers-- they shouldn't be expecting you to know everything already, and I'd give good odds that your manager is unaware of their behavior. If your manager IS aware of their behavior, get out now! Someone who allows that isn't someone you want to be working for; whether or not the same applies to a manager who forces overtime is up to you.

But the short answer is: Yes, it's unprofessional, but there are much worse things and unless you need this manager for external connections (which I doubt, unless you want to go into retail or management yourself) you probably won't be hurt very much by just telling the truth.

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  • Thanks! It was a supervisor that shouted at me (well quite a few of them). It has made me more confident about leaving. I don't mind working with my mum, its just that I didn't want to rely on her to get me a job, if that makes sence? – Jane Sep 10 '15 at 23:32
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Having a job that you do not hate should be your top priority. Everything else is entirely irrelevant. So you must quit this job.

If you are too scared to tell your current employers in person that you are quitting, you can do that over the phone or at least text them. I would suggest that you work up some courage and tell them you are quitting in person. It will be a useful experience that will help you in the future as many corporations and managers are quite nasty in the way they treat employees. Everyone faces such situations and so having had the courage to face it once will help you in the future too.

Remember, a job is just a place of exchange; you provide your employer work and they give you money and benefits in return. There is nothing so sacred about it. You should stop exchanging when you feel you are not getting what you want in return (that includes money and a good working atmosphere).

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