Those Who Have Left the Industry …

[dante116]

UPDATE
Thank you everyone who commented on this post. I went with my gut and applied in a completely different industry (finance) and start my new job tomorrow with a top 5 bank (I’m in Canada). I promise to always tip my groomer and be on time for appointments - and I’ll never get a doodle. Good luck to all of you still in the trenches .

… do you regret it? I’ve been grooming for over 5 years and find myself struggling to come to work the last few months. I thought it was burnout originally, but I’ve had multiple vacations and only work 3 or 4 days a week.

I’m so tired of my body being physically “abused” (dog bites, rough dogs, overweight dogs, etc), disrespectful clients, and the fact that I literally have NO benefits (pension in Canada, paid time off, health care, etc). What the heck is the point of it all? I love animals but ever since Covid …customers are jerks. And don’t get me started on doodles - I wish people would stop letting poodles f*** everything.

Anyways, for those that left - do you regret it? What do you do now?

Feeling discouraged.

 

[natasreficul]

@dante116 I've been grooming for close to 30 years, and I can't count the times I've been burned out. I've worked in vets offices, corporate and many private salons. I've done mobile and currently have my own mobile business. 60, and my body is just about busted down. Both knees hurt, and my back goes out about every 6 months. It's a hard demanding career. I don't know at my age about starting over, so I just plug away. Not to say I don't enjoy it at times, and of course, I love my clients and their pets. But it does get tiring

 

[dante116]

@natasreficul Wow! That is an incredibly long career . If you don’t mind me asking, are you able to comfortably retire soon? I hope this doesn’t sound rude at all, but I don’t know many groomers past 40 and my biggest concern is retirement.

 

[natasreficul]

@dante116 Unfortunately, I'm still paying off loans for the van, plus I have a mortgage. I'll probably be working in some capacity until I depart the earth. I was not wise and don't have much for retirement. If you haven't started doing so, it's a good idea to start.

 

[bubblesxx]

@dante116 I know a bunch of groomers in the 60’s

 

[jessica468]

@bubblesxx Time traveler confirmed

 

[ulrichgood]

@dante116 I haven’t left because I don’t hate it yet. I think I am experiencing burn out though. However, I have been trying really hard to learn to let go of things if I feel like they aren’t working out. I’ll give it my best shot, but I’m not gonna kill myself to make something work.

 

[marino13]

@dante116 I'm about to leave the industry after 12 years in. The place I work at is amazing except the one other girl I work with has become very toxic and when I stood up for myself , it's become her life's mission to make me miserable. So instead of going somewhere else, I decided to go back to school and leave the moment I graduate. I will absolutely miss the dogs and my amazing clients, but I cannot stand the abuse anymore. I'm about to be 30 and my hands hurt so bad, my knees are starting to feel it, and I'm beyond burnt out. Add the stress of the coworker, I'm ready to be done. I did the same thing you did, took the vacations, I just recently dropped my hours to only working 3-4 days a week, but I still feel the same. Time for a change.

 

[dante116]

@marino13 Preach! I’ve got a Business Diploma in my
back pocket (for once I don’t regret that period in my life haha), so I think I’m going to quietly start applying outside of the industry and see how it goes. As other people have pointed out - dog grooming will always be here.

 

[helloitsme]

@dante116 I left in January after realizing all the shops around here were run by toxic people after nearly 10 years in the industry. I loved dog grooming so much but I got tired of the expectations that are put on dog groomers and didn't want to open my own shop. I will admit I'm very newly out of the industry so I'm still very jaded about it (and it hasn't had much time to fade).

My new job...we played kahoots in my training class for my job. I got paid for an hour of playing games with other people in my group. This place has set the expectation that after training that we should plan on using our saved up vacation time from work because we are unable to take the time off for 6 months (Do whatever is needed to fight burnout. It's weird). I also get paid holidays where I don't have to go in, I just get paid to sit at home. Now, I will admit, the place I'm working at is known for great benefits and has a lot of competition to work there. If I was working at a worse place? I might not feel the same way I do now but I feel incredibly lucky and happy in my job for the first time in a very long time and I'm finding I like dogs again.

I do suggest looking around and seeing if you're able to find anything else that might interest you. Dog grooming will always be there, I promise.

 

[mariahcarey]

@helloitsme Is your job hiring lol

 

[dante116]

@helloitsme Thank you

 

[jwf]

@dante116 I'm 46 and started in 1997. I've gone through periods of near burn out. But also, I honestly don't know what else to do. I have zero skills outside of grooming. My mental health is shit. The idea of going into something new is worse than sticking with it. Not that I hate it. I'm just tired and sore all the time. And unless both mind and body get healthier, I don't see me doing this into my late 50s and beyond. Probably end up going into retail and continue to let my soul die there.

 

[atroopadvocate]

@dante116 i’ve been a pet groomer for 12 years. Been best of the year four years in a row from 2017 and 2020 I ran two shops. I start one corporate pet supplies plus I also helped with a handful of startups with owners who didn’t know they were doing or refused to listen to their groomers and they failed because of it, I’m running my own business again and I would say for any length time you wanna stay in industry working for yourself is the best way don’t give me wrong complications better than the day I make all decisions. I don’t worry about firing me over BS, but if I had to work for somebody else, I probably wouldn’t stay in the industry.

 

[beta2]

@dante116 I think maybe if you work for yourself and are more selective of clients (no overweight dogs, MUST follow a strict schedule etc) it would probably be better…

 

[dante116]

@beta2 I did try working for myself during Covid, and while it was okay, I found that clients definitely didn’t respect my property (it was home based), time, or my neighbour’s yards.

 

[sid12wol]

@dante116 I was always feeling burned out till i opened my own salon and stopped taking so many clients like that. I only have 2 or 3 clients that bite and a couple doodles that hate their feet. My husband works for me and washes all my dogs unless its a dye dog or cat. Being the only groomer and only having my husband has been a game changer on my actually liking work again. I still get burnt out every once in a while but as long as i take days off to get lashes, nails, hair done and take vacations i feel better. I also go to the ciro every 2-3 months

 

[mutambo]

@dante116 I left the industry recently. I start my new job on Thursday, and I'm pretty stoked. I'm moving to Alaska to work with sled dogs

 

[fallingupwards]

@mutambo Wait you're moving to Alaska to actually work with sled dogs, like soon? Or is that the goal for the future? My boyfriend is from Alaska, and we are considering moving there and I'm just worried cuz idk what I'm gonna do. I love grooming but I'm 8 years in and have already left twice and am feeling like I'm at that point again.... But I'm scared, again. But if we move to Alaska I'd love to get into sled dogs. I have a husky and am obsessed with these kinds of dogs. Dogs that are inherently pack dogs, they live and breathe to be a part of a pack and be outside. I would love nothing more than to be able to confidently leave grooming, leave Washington State, and go be a part of something that brings me and my dog so much happiness

 

[mutambo]

@fallingupwards I got the job a few months ago, but I leave Thursday for it! I literally start this week. I'm super excited.

A lot of these jobs start off as temporary positions as handlers. If you're doing a good job and they have time, a musher may teach you to drive the sled, which would lead to a promotion. Check out the website Coolworks for remote jobs like that. They have a ton of jobs in Alaska, and most places are open to training you in something new.