Review: Malled: My Unintentional Career in Retail by Caitlin Kelly

Let's face it...in most areas of the United States, the economy has tanked. Everyone is scrambling for a job, and it's really difficult if you're "over-educated."
Kelly, a journalist for several publications, but on the staff of The New York Daily News, had relied not only on the steady employment she had at that newspaper, but also freelanced. However, as many who write know, freelancing, unless you've already got superb credentials, doesn't pay that well.
So, to help meet expenses, Kelly decided to try working at a department store which was opening in a local shopping mall. The wages were near minimum wage, and that didn't cover much when part of your earnings were required for parking. (Yes, employees had to pay to park at the shopping mall.)
      There were parts of her book to which I can relate. She mentioned working at a pharmacy as a teen, as did I. Low wages despite education, or being overly educated, check, same here. While I only paid for parking at some jobs briefly, it still was something I consider unfair.
     While I have never worked in a clothing store as Kelly has, I know how rude and demanding some customers can be, how children who aren't supervised by parents (something I've noticed is increasingly the case) can wander off, cause messes, possible injuries to customers by running wildly through stores. So those were parts of Kelly's book I could nod my head in agreement. As I could also agree with having worked with immature co-workers, and that's not just related to age.
   One thing Kelly admits about herself is that she has a great deal of confidence and ability to confront in most situations. Alas, that rarely is my modus operandi.
   My current job often requires confrontation, but it's more of a therapeutic tool in the situation, not one meant to be tied with etiquette.
   I enjoyed the book, and recommend it to those who really need to find out what it is like to walk in someone else's shoes, particularly those who are trying to work in retail without becoming indifferent or rude, a difficult task that Kelly admits in her book, especially when customers are indifferent to treating the salesperson like another human being. It's a lesson in learning how to be respectful, no matter what your educational or economic status in life is at this time. It can always change, given the uncertainties of life.