SBT2269 Careermag for Parents Issue 5 v2 FINAL | Page 40

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT - RETAIL INDUSTRY
About the
Retail Industry
What can I do?
Think of retail and the obvious job
that springs to mind is shop assistant.
No retail outlet can function without
a sales assistant or executive, whether
they’re behind the counter or out on
the shop floor replenishing stock or
helping customers.
Less visible but no less important
are the background roles, which
might see them working in the
stockroom, or perhaps in the
office of the shop. This can involve
receiving deliveries, keeping track of
stock levels or taking care of admin
tasks like cashing up or paperwork
for the bank.
For an online retailer, there
are lots of other roles, some
demanding ICT knowledge and
customer service skills, and others
demanding fitness and focus to
work in vast warehouses picking
and packing orders.
Retail is often a good way to get
management experience too, as
the workforce tends to be young
and they can be given a lot of
responsibility early on.
Retail Skills
If they’re in a customer facing role,
then it’s essential to be a ‘people
person’ who is happy talking to
anyone and everyone. They’ll need
to be calm, friendly and helpful –
even when dealing with difficult
customers and situations. They
also need to balance this with
professionalism and knowing their
product inside out.
There’s great potential to progress quickly
in retail. For example, practical experience
can see someone promoted from a cashier
position to a team leader or supervisor and
then to assistant manager and, ultimately,
to a store manager role.
Product knowledge is especially
important if they’re expected to
actively sell to people, although
they’ll need to up their charm and
persuading skills too! Don’t be
too afraid if they’re not the most
outgoing person though, as they
will receive plenty of training to help
them on their way.
It’s worth remembering that while
it’s not physically demanding in
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