Jobs and Careers - Hilary Devey 2012 - (Page 163)

industries RETAIL 10 Review your perception of the industry. Many people only view retail as a source of part-time or stop-gap jobs, but this vibrant industry oﬀers a variety of career-building platforms. MAKE YOURSELF INDISPENSABLE TO POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS WITH THESE TOP TIPS ways to get into retail Get to know the brand. As with any job interview, understanding what the company does is important, but with retail, knowing what the company’s products and services are proves even more so. Contact shops directly. It can be easy to perceive the internet as the only portal to job vacancies, but heading into a shop and handing a manager your CV shows initiative. 1 3 Remember, customer service is premier. As the old adage goes, “the customer is always right”, so demonstrating to an interviewer that nothing is too much trouble is a must. 2 4 WORDS: Jessie Bland | PICTURE: Getty Images Think outside the shop. Remember, the retail industry isn’t only comprised of shops. There’s a host of other functions that contribute – IT, marketing, ﬁnance – not to mention the growing online retail market. 5 6 Highlight customer service experience. No matter which activity within retail you’re interested in, drawing attention to your experience of working with customers will highlight a passion for retail. 8 Practise role play. Running through diﬃcult customer scenarios with a friend will help prepare you for an interviewer’s probing questions. 7 Demonstrate staying power. With retention levels high in retail, you’ll need to be able to prove to an employer that you’re there for the long haul. Get the right qualiﬁcations for the job. While not all roles require you to have taken formal exams, some head-oﬃce positions need a relevant degree, so make sure your experience matches the job speciﬁcation. 9 Present yourself well. You may be forgiven for thinking casual clothing is suitable for an interview for an in-store position, but this is not the case: you should always dress in smart attire, no matter what the position.the position. 10 www.jobsandcareersmag.com 163 http://www.jobsandcareersmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Jobs and Careers - Hilary Devey 2012

Hilary's hello
News
The home office
Dress to impress
The woman at the top
Your guide to education
Intern success
What do you mean?
CV don’ts
The thrill of the search
Money matters
Moving on.
Let’s get medical
Medical know-how
Caring and sharing
A senior moment?
Keeping it clean
Going global
Funeral services
Home sweet home
Constructing a career
As good as new
Power on
Engineering heroes
Changing gear
A bright spark!
Water work
Bank on it
Insure your career
Nice supplies
Get creative!
Don’t sell yourself short
Food for thought
Hilary Devey Q&A
Get connected
Online round-up

Jobs and Careers - Hilary Devey 2012