My So-Called Retail Life

When Caitlin Kelly lost her job as a newspaper reporter and took a part-time retail position to help pay the bills, she didn't know she was a trendsetter.

Kelly started working at The North Face store in The Westchester, an upscale mall in the suburbs north of New York City in summer 2007, a year before the economy officially fell apart. By fall 2008, she saw other laid-off professionals -- the kind of people who once came into the high-end sporting goods store to buy expensive ski jackets and lightweight backpacks -- now asking about job applications.

What they might not have known, and by then Kelly did, was how grueling, monotonous and thankless retail work can be.

That's the story she relates in Malled: My Unintentional Career in Retail, published last month. Kelly, 53, writes about the occasional pleasures and numerous frustrations she got working for $11 an hour.

With the economy turning a corner and stores hiring again, retailers are being held out as a good place for baby boomers to look for part- or full-time work. But Kelly advises people over 40 to proceed with caution if they want to follow in her often-aching footsteps. Think about your transferable skills: patience, calm, ability to engage a wide range of customers and tolerate long periods of hard physical work, she says. "Make a one-sheet resume. Do not focus on previous jobs and titles as much as the emotional intelligence you can offer. It's what makes a great salesperson."

In a SecondAct interview, Kelly shares the best and worst of her two and a half years in retail and offers more tips for boomers seeking similar jobs.

Biggest surprises: How physically demanding it is to stand for hours without a break, carrying things to and from the cash register or stockroom. Also, how rude customers can be. "I really thought we'd get and deserved basic courtesy and respect from shoppers for doing our jobs well."

Favorite memory: "The Boy Scout, maybe 11 or 12, who talked with me with such enthusiasm about camping, something I had done as a child. It was such fun to share passions for the outdoors and sports and travel with customers."

Worst memory: The expensively dressed man and his teenage son who seemed to take delight in bullying her about working in a low-wage job. "What exactly is the point of being unkind to someone who can't retaliate?"

Retail as an encore career: Older associates are well-suited to retail. "We're patient, do not call in sick or come in late or blow off shifts. We don't text, IM or stare into our phones all day. I saw how much shoppers my age and younger valued having someone they could easily relate to."

Companies: Do your homework. Wegmans, Costco, Trader Joe's, the Container Store, Home Depot, Kohl's and others are often cited as paying well and grooming associates to advance. "Ask associates on the floor; they see what really goes on behind the scenes."

Her reasons for leaving: The physical wear and tear and the emotional wear of the job. She quit in December 2009. "I was not considered for a promotion or given the chance to interview for an open position, while a man half my age from outside the company was hired instead."

The book: After The New York Times published an essay about Kelly's experience, an agent suggested doing a longer memoir. "I started at The North Face in September 2007 and sold the book in September 2009. I took the job for income, not, as many have accused me unfairly, to write a book undercover."

Working retail again: "I'd work as a consultant or coach to help hire, manage and retain productive associates. On the floor? At a much higher wage, probably a full-time salary, and only on commission. It's hard work and deserves pay that reflects one's skills."

Last time in a mall: A month ago. "For the first time in my life, I splurged on new clothes at Neiman-Marcus for upcoming public events and corporate speeches addressing retail and other executives. The experience was fantastic and worth every penny: great service, surprisingly good prices and associates who combined kindness and candor to help me make my choices."

More advice from Kelly on getting a retail job:

1. Find a store or niche that excites you. It doesn't matter what it is -- hardware, gardening, fashion, makeup and beauty, or electronics. Make sure you're genuinely interested or knowledgeable about it. "It will make a big difference in your energy level for the job and your ability to quickly and authoritatively relate to customers seeking your knowledge. That translates into sales, which means you can quickly prove your value to your new employer."

2. Be brutally honest with yourself. Can you handle the stress of nasty customers or screaming kids, and co-workers with much less education or life experience? "If you're an easygoing and flexible person with a good sense of humor, retail can be really enjoyable."

3. Be open to working with different people. That goes for co-workers, managers and customers. "I was the only Caucasian woman on my shift and five to 30 years older than everyone. My team almost all had tattoos and piercings. not me."

4. Enjoy it. Helping customers is extremely gratifying.

5. Show hiring managers how cooperative and high-energy you are. "Retail demands it."