There are plenty of skills to be learned from working in the busy retail sector.
No, we’re not talking about how to refold that long-sleeved T-shirt a customer has just tossed back onto the shelf.
Jobs in retail can provide you with real, transferable and much sought after talents that you can bring to just about any sector.
Even better, you can pick them up them without even realising.
Confidence
You can’t escape from interacting with people while working in retail – something that terrifies many youngsters who spend their life glued to their phone.
Greeting customers on a daily basis and approaching them first forces you out of your comfort zone but eventually becomes as natural as brushing your teeth (something you’ll discover a lot of people don’t do).
The confidence you gain from working in retail can help you make great first impressions with future bosses and colleagues.
Teamwork
In retail it can be obvious to customers when the team isn’t working together – tasks don’t get finished, the store ends up a mess and tensions are high.
However hectic it can get on the shop floor, sharing the support of co-workers makes the job worthwhile and even fun sometimes.
Every type of career involves working in a team, so it’s a great skill to have.
Patience
Watching a customer knock over everything on your perfectly arranged shelf can be soul-destroying. But no matter how frustrating it is, you have to remain calm.
Patience doesn’t come easy to a lot of people but this is a skill that can be learned simply by taking the time to give customers your full attention.
Communication
Communication is a skill demanded by all kinds of employers and you can pick it up easily in retail because the job will require you to be able to communicate effectively with colleagues, managers and customers.
In retail you’re often asked to promote products to meet sales targets and over time you’ll find the right style and language that suits you.
Time Management
In retail you must be in at least five places at once, and since we haven’t yet successfully cloned sales assistants, it’s up to you to get all of your tasks finished.
This means it’s vital you divide your time efficiently and complete work to a high standard.
You can gain great multi-tasking skills as well, while you mop up a spillage, deal with a customer query and restock those mysteriously vanishing carrots all at the same time.
Learn while you earn with a Retail role from s1jobs.