You will be responsible for looking after customers when they are shopping, as well as answering any questions they may have, or finding items for them. You will also be responsible for maintaining stock levels in the shop and handling customers’ purchases and payments.
Who can I work for?
You can work as a sales assistant for retail chains located all over the UK, whether it be clothing retailers, food retailers, or furniture retailers instead.
Where and when can I work?
Working as a sales assistant means you can work in a choice of many different stores, although hours can vary. Working in a high street store could see you work from 9am to 6pm most days, whilst working in petrol stations or supermarkets can mean you work slightly different hours.
What can I earn?
Sales assistants can earn a salary from around £9,000 to £13,000 depending on experience, with those who progress into sales manager roles earning more.
What are the benefits?
By working in a sales assistant position, benefits are normally in the form of receiving discount within the store in which you work. There is also the opportunity to be paid time and a half, or double time, for working on particular days like bank holidays, for example.
Are there chances of promotion?
There are many routes for career progression within retail, available each time you become more experienced. Typical career progression for a sales assistant would be becoming a store manager, progressing further into an area manager position.
What will I be responsible for?
You will need to be attentive to customers' needs on a daily basis, providing them with the answers to any questions they may have, as well as giving them information about the products they're buying, should they wish to know. There will be times when customers will ask you for help to find something, or for you to arrange an order for them if stock isn't readily available.
What qualifications do I need?
Sales Assistants should be able to demonstrate a good degree of numeracy and literacy, with GCSE's in Maths and English being particularly useful.
Do I need any experience?
There is no compulsory amount of experience needed to be a sales assistant, however, it's good to be able to demonstrate experience of dealing with the public, as well as money handling. In-depth shops could need sales assistant's to have more in-depth knowledge about something in particular, such as working behind a pharmacy counter for example.
What attributes are needed?
Sales Assistants should be patient, willing to help, and comfortable at the thought of being on their feet all day- shifts can be short, such as three or four hours long, but they can also be eight or nine hours long too. You should be willing to work on a flexible basis during busy periods, such as Christmas.