What do you think about working in a store or behind a counter?  Do you assume those types of jobs are for kids or those with little education and experience?  It’s easy to dismiss retail jobs but in reality these can be great stepping stones to other careers and positions you may enjoy.  Sometimes people also give retail jobs a chance and find that they really enjoy the work that they do and wind up keeping the position because they like it, not because they feel stuck with it.  Let’s take a closer look at how these positions can be a great choice for anyone looking for a career today.

For one thing, retail jobs can give you a behind the scenes look at how the retail industry works overall.  People that work the counter or cash register are not the only employees in these types of companies; you need buyers, store managers, personnel managers, regional directors, and even franchise directors as well.  Sometimes those who start working the cash register can learn the business so well that they move up to selling and training franchise interests, and this usually pays a lot of commission.  Starting with retail jobs in the stores themselves gives you a great advantage over the competition as you know the “ins and outs” of the business and the company overall.

Purchasing and management are two great career paths for those who start with retail jobs.  Someone that works in purchasing needs to decide what inventory to keep on the floor and how much.  This can be very exciting as you get to see new lines of merchandise before anyone else and have a real hands-on approach to how stores are run.  As for management, there are endless opportunities from actually running a store or franchise to managing personnel, tracking inventory, and areas such as these.  The opportunities to move up with retail jobs is virtually endless!

Some too have found that they really enjoy the fast pace of most retail jobs and wind up staying right where they are.  There are of course problems dealing with customers and keeping a store running, but usually keeping everything stocked and organized can be very enjoyable.  There is usually an entirely different atmosphere with retail jobs than there is with most offices.  Everyone works as a team to keep the store running and yet no one is stuck in a cubicle or office.  And times seems to pass much quicker during their shift for those who work retail jobs than for those who work in an office where they may have some downtime or may need to constantly wait on responses and feedback from coworkers before they can move forward with projects.

There are many opportunities with retail jobs that most people don’t even realize, so don’t turn your nose up at them.  They’re not just for students and kids, and they can offer some great career paths and choices for anyone!