The retail sector is one of the industries that employ millions of workers per year. Since most types of jobs don’t require formal education, many workers get the chance to work in this sector. In addition, college students have an opportunity to work in retail as they are some jobs that have flexible schedules. However, other jobs require some skills and even experience in the field.

Apart from all that, employees do get a chance to grow with a company and eventually move up the ladder. So, if you are looking at a job in retail, here are the 15 best jobs to consider.

1. Cashier

One of the most popular jobs in retail, it is no wonder that 3. 65 million people were employed in 2018 as cashiers. A position everyone thinks about when they hear of retail jobs, there are many places you can apply for this type of job. For example, there are grocery stores, department stores, gas stations, and other retail shops. Although most jobs are part-time some employees do offer benefits as well as on the job training.

2. Store Manager

Another type of retail job is a store manager. Ideal for someone with previous experience in retail, the job requires one to manage daily operations such as customer service, inventory, promotions, and productivity among other responsibilities. You may have other roles such as managing and training staff, hiring, scheduling meetings, and so on.

3. Security Guard

The position of a security guard is found in any industry and retail stores are no exception. Sometimes customers get a bit difficult and it requires a security guard to intervene. However, before you go applying for this kind of job you need to be able to stand your ground on any situation as well as remain calm while dealing with the customers.

4. Customer Service Representative

There are different customer service representative roles in retail. With competition becoming fierce in the retail industry, employers rely on their staff to provide a high level of customer care both in the physical location as well as online stores.  The job could be working at the customer service desk, handling returns and payments, and responding to inquiries about products and their prices as well as delivery service.

5. Human Resource Manager

A human resource manager has many responsibilities when it comes to overseeing a retail store. You can be in charge of recruitment and employment, training, compensation, benefits, employee relations, workforce planning among others. For a chance to get this job, you need to have strong interpersonal skills which means you need to be able to communicate with people effectively. Other skills should include leadership skills, decision-making, organizational, and even speaking skills.

6. Social Media Manager

Being a Social Media Manager is an interesting job especially for anyone who loves marketing. Apart from showing your marketing skills, you will learn a lot from this job since there is never a dull day. There are many roles and responsibilities that come with this type of job. These usually are managing and monitoring the store’s media sites by posting videos, images, written, and podcasts.  Also, you get to create a budget for social media activities and planning for social media campaigns. All of this is meant to increase sales.

7. Cleaning and Maintenance

Cleaning and maintenance is an essential job in retails as far as customer experience is concerned. That means a clean and well-maintained store is a must to keep customers coming back. No one wants to walk in a store that is dirty as well as disorganized and that is why as a cleaner you will be required to dust, clean the store aisle, offices, and restrooms as well as collect the rubbish. For any maintenance jobs you might be required to do minor repairs, or just inform the management of any major repairs needed to be done.

8. Online Merchandiser

Do you know that about 14% of sales transactions happen online? That said retail stores are one of the industries that have an online merchandise position.  Responsible for digital merchandising of products on the store’s website, there are other job tasks an online merchandiser is required to do. These include:

·         Decide on product promotion

·         Analyze data

·         Determine sales strategy

·         Conduct daily follow up on targeted customers

·         Work on search words, consumer ratings,  and bundles

·         Analyze competition information, pricing, and campaigns

All in all, the merchandiser is responsible for maximizing sales thus increasing the store’s profit.

9. Loss Prevention Specialist

The main purpose of loss prevention specialists is to prevent shoplifting as well as keep an eye on dishonest employees. With some placed on the doorways, they get to greet customers while checking bags and tags. Inspecting store alarms and locks is also another part of their jobs. Meanwhile, there is another set of specialists who monitor surveillance cameras as well as walking around the store watching shoppers while remaining inconspicuous as possible.

10. Retail District Manager

A retail district manager’s job is to supervising all operation of retail stores within a district as well as hire individual store managers. To qualify for this kind of job you need to have some managerial training as well as have excellent people skills. Don’t forget, great communication skills are also vital as you will be dealing with employees from various stores.

11. Beauty Consultant

Are you into beauty and love anything to do with makeups and care products? Then becoming a beauty consultant is the job for you. Aside from demonstrating makeup techniques, you also get to suggest skincare products, cosmetics, and beauty products to clients. Additionally, you also explain in detail the product ingredients and price for each product. Note that, apart from receiving your hourly pay, you might receive a commission for promoting a certain product or brand.

12. Retail Warehouse Worker

Not all retail jobs are inside the store; some are behind the curtains but are also important as any other job. A retail warehouse worker is one of them. Mostly including packing and shipping stock to be sold in stores, you may also be required to check merchandise for defects that may have been previously overlooked.

Have you been looking for a job in retail but seem to get nowhere in your search?  Unfortunately, as the retail industry continues to grow, job applicants tend to rise too leading to more candidates than positions. But wait, that should not keep you away from getting hired at the best retail companies. All you have to do is be ahead of other applicants by applying these 9 creative steps on how to get a retail job.

1. Conduct a Job Search

One of the first steps to get a retail job is to conduct a job search. If you have several retail companies in mind, you can start by visiting their websites and find out if they are hiring. In case you don’t find any information on their career section then put specific keywords such as cashier, retail, or sales in the search box and wait for the results. Another way for in-depth search is keying in your location by city or state for specific retails stores that are hiring.

2. Know Your Target

I know you are desperate for a job but don’t try to get a job with a retail shop without knowing what it sells. It is best you are genuinely interested in the products they are selling. However, if you are not familiar with the products you should learn as much as you can about the store on the internet or just visit the store in person. Remember, retail managers want to hire staff that are actually interested in working there.

3. Upgrade Your Resume

Another step to take to ensure you get that retail job is updating your resume. Keep it brief but make sure the necessary information is included in it. Let the summary at the beginning of the resume to be well written, easy to follow, and have no grammatical errors. Also, include keywords and skills from the job description to enable you to stand out from the rest of the candidates. Note that, if you are unable to edit as per the job requirement, you can hire someone who knows about professional resumes to work on it.

4. Physically Visit Local Retail Stores

Conducting job searches on the internet or flipping classified section of the local newspaper are not enough, you need to go the extra mile and visit local stores. Check out if they have any position openings but don’t forget to dress professionally as well as carry several copies of your resume. Don’t limit yourself to one venue, ensure you visit several stores in a day, and don’t give up if there is no opening. When you are done with your area, broaden your search to nearby cities by planning ahead on which store to visit first.

5. Keenly Check the Job Description

To avoid sending unnecessary applications, it is wise to keenly check the job description sent by the retail companies. By knowing what kind of person they are looking for, you will be in a better position to decide either to apply or not. Start by checking the qualification sector and find out if you meet the required qualifications. Note that, the first three listed ones are usually the most important.

If you qualify in the three descriptions, then check out the others and don’t shy in mentioning any experiences you might have had if it will benefit you in getting the job. For example, if the job description is looking for someone who is a team player, mention any experience you have had working with other colleagues on a group project or being a part of a sports team.

6. Invest in Networking

Do you want to be the first person to know who’s hiring? Then invest in networking. Start by meeting people professionally in company events or just connect with them on online platforms. When you feel you are ready to interact with them start asking around to see who is hiring. On top of that, you can get friendly with some staff at your favorite store and request them to inform you when they hear of any job opening at the store or any nearby stores.

7. Search by the Hour

Although you are interested in a salaried job, it is realist to find a way to pay your bills. Therefore, don’t limit yourself by just looking for salaried jobs, there are many retail shops ready to pay by the hour. Just look for websites that advertise jobs paid by the hour and start applying. Keep this in mind, you might start in an hourly job but eventually, find yourself in a salaried position. So, again don’t limit your search to just your town or city.

8. Prepare for the Interview

It is unfortunate that most candidates miss the small details asked by interviewers because they don’t prepare for the interview. Apart from your skills, retail employers will ask some questions about the company and you need to be prepared to answer them. You might be asked on a scale of 10, how well do you relate to people? Or how would you handle a rude customer?  Or even your means of transport to the store. These questions may seem simple but you need to answer correctly and confidently.  If you have handled a similar situation asked in the questions do give examples to every answer to show the interviewer you are ready for the job.

9. Dress Appropriately

Just like other job interviews, your appearance will be the first thing the interviewer notices about you. This will likely make them form an opinion about you based on how you look as well as present yourself.  Make sure you dress professionally to show the interviewer you are serious about the job. If you are a man, collared dress shirts, tie, dress slacks, and polished dress shoes are appropriate. For women, a nice blouse, skirt, or slacks with dress shoes will do the trick.

Note that, the kind of shoes you wear will reflect greatly on the job you are applying. Mostly meant for women, if you are being interviewed for a department or hardware store nice pair of flat shoes are appropriate. However, if you are going for a high-end fashion store, high heels will surely stand out.