With a stimulating and fast-paced environment, working in retail can be as rewarding as it is challenging. It provides a great chance to learn valuable life skills, like focus and communication, and will help you grow in an ever-changing and expanding industry.
If you’re ready to experience some major personal and interpersonal growth, consider these 17 retail jobs:
Before considering which retail position to apply for, you’ll need to think about what type of retail store suits your interests and needs.
Are you the type that religiously posts your #OOTD on Instagram? Maybe you love to help your friends pick the perfect outfit for any occasion? Fashion retail may be the perfect fit for you!
Either your friends are always praising you for your talent at picking a perfectly ripe avocado, or telling you to get out of the kitchen more often — well, what better way to spend time out of your happy place than in another happy place?
Have a knack for interior design? Help customers improve their homes or fashion their dream rooms by working in home goods and furniture.
If you are the type who always knows exactly what to get for your friends and family, whether it be for Christmas, an anniversary, or a birthday, then your skills will be tested through and through here.
If taking care of your dog, two cats, a parakeet, and betta fish is the thing that brings you true happiness, then pet care is the right retail store for you!
Retail stores are like an intricate machine with lots of moving parts. After you’ve decided the type of store you’ll want to work at, you’ll have to decide what position you’d like to apply for. Here are the types of retail jobs that you can try:
This is the position everyone thinks of when they hear “retail jobs.” It is hands-on, and you get a chance to communicate with customers of all types — yes, even the difficult ones.
The job of a sales associate is, of course, to sell the store’s products! A great sales associate will go the extra mile to maintain excellent customer service and build trust between the store and the customer.
If you’re the responsible type who likes to handle everything at once, becoming a store manager may right for you! You’ll need prior experience in retail and the more you know about every position that helps run a store, the better.
A buyer is the representative for the store — you’re responsible for selecting and negotiating the goods that are to be sold in the store. Your amazing interpersonal skills will be handy when working with wholesalers to pick what you want to stock up on.
If you have an eye for great design, then try your hand at becoming a visual merchandiser. Arrange eye-catching displays to advertise your great products and design with the window-shoppers in mind.
This job is essential for bringing traffic into the stores. You’ll assist with advertising strategies to drive potential customers to the store’s physical location and website.
A clean, well-maintained store is a must to keep customers coming back. Seek out a position in cleaning to help the store deliver an optimal customer experience.
There may be times when customers get a little too difficult — that’s where the security guard comes in! This position is essential for any store, and if you’re strong and willing to stand your ground, a security guard job may be right for you.
If you’re highly detail-oriented, taking up a position as inventory manager may be your calling! Whip out those organizational skills and keep track of the items sold and unsold at your store.
Another position perfect for a detail-oriented person, a stocker must unpack, label, and shelf items from the inventory. You might also help customers place orders and requests for items that are out of stock.
Similar to a stocker position, a retail warehouse worker is responsible for packing and shipping stock that is to be sold in stores. You might need to do some heavy lifting and quick checks on merchandise for defects that may have been previously overlooked.
This position is a millennial’s dream come true! Show off your marketing skills through effective branding and advertising and help spread the word about the store through the latest social media sites.
Ever had a bad experience with customer service, but didn’t know how to fix it? Become a customer service representative yourself and make other customers happy! This job will help you develop a talent for dealing with even the most difficult customers.
Make sure no one is slacking on the job and everyone is getting paid the benefits and salary or wage they deserve.
Loss prevention deals with theft and stolen items. It’s a position best for those with a keen eye and an analytic mind, and involves keeping track of items that aren’t selling well to make sure that the store cuts its losses and stays on track.
Even within a store, it may be difficult to stay in touch with every employee. That’s where a team leader or floor manager comes in! You’ll be the middle man who communicates with other team leaders and keeps everyone else in the loop.
This is an “everything” type of job for those with multiple skill sets. Some responsibilities include making sure the store is meeting all regulations and requirements, keeping track of order cycles and stock shipments, and guiding the store to meet target sales.
If you’re the type who can handle a little bit of everything, then this is the job for you!
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