subject: Career Change - How To Get Into The Retail Market [print this page] Most major holidays are usually the busiest for the retail industry. They will need people in all departments from stocking clerks to management. If you have ever thought about making a career change to the retail industry any major holiday season is the best time to get a job as they won't have enough people to handle all the customers that they anticipate for the sales promotions they've created.
If you have a particular hobby or item that you are crazy about is there a store that you could possibly see yourself working? For example if you are an electronics nut then you might enjoy working at your local electronics store. If fashion is more your thing then a retail job geared towards the up and coming fashion would be more appropriate. As you love the items that you are selling it will come across as a natural sales talent and will convey to the customers as well as the people you are trying to get a job with. If you already have an idea about the items you are selling it makes it that much easier to do your job.
Have you updated your resume' lately? If not pull it out and spruce it up. It needs to have the latest jobs and responsibilities as well as any additional items that might be relevant. Perhaps you can get it critiqued by a second pair of eyes, preferably a professional to give you some ways to improve it. You will also need to practice your interviewing skills. Try to anticipate any questions that they might ask and have prepared answers. Look up job descriptions for previous advertised jobs. How many qualifications do you meet? If you see some that you don't have what can you do to be able to honestly include it on your resume'?
What previous experience do you have? You will need to have some sales or customer experience. You will be dealing with the public. You will have to deal with people in all of their worst moods and yet still be pleasant. If this doesn't deter you then you would be perfect for retail. Before you can sell any products you will need to sell yourself. If you can do that then you've got a job.
Make sure that you target companies in the areas that you like. You can search for them online. There is a vast amount of information that you can find. You can also go to your local library. The library will be able to show you to the reference section where there are directories of companies in retail industries with company names, addresses, names of executives and upper level management. If you wanted to send a cover letter and resume' directly to these companies you will have names that you can address them to. You can also go to the local business association that should have a list of member names in their directory. As this is local you might have a better chance in snagging a job with less competition,
