What skills are employers looking for in their retail applicants?
February 20th, 2012As retail is such a competitive industry, it’s vital to familiarise with yourself with the key skills you may need to compete for a job in retail. Although some retail jobs will ask for a very specific set of skills, as soon as you understand the demands across the retail sector and incorporate these into your current skill set, you’ll be on your way to becoming a rather appealing retail applicant. Besides, standing out from the crowd is a must when it comes to applying for a retail job.
So, what kind of skills would attract a retail employer?
- You’ll need strong customer focus and have the ability to provide excellent service to absolutely every customer.
- Excellent listening, communication and interpersonal skills would be beneficial and to any retail employer and if you have experience of these skills, you’re sure to stand out from the crowd. Remember to let your personality shine through in your interview, which will demonstrate your confident, interpersonal skills.
- If you have flexibility and strong time-management skills, this will automatically stand out to the retail employer. Excellent time keeping will show your dedication to the retail role.
- Retail employers will honour you if you have a strong level of commercial awareness, as this will demonstrate your passion towards the retail industry.
- Any previous leadership and management qualities will attract the retail employer straight away, as you’ve proved that you’ve previously worked at a managerial level that demands a high level of responsibility.
- A good standard of numeracy, literacy and IT skills would also make your stand out from the other retail applicants, as it shows you have a diverse and very able set of skills.
- Having the ability to work under pressure is a skill desired by most retail employers, seeing as the busy and bustling lifestyle that most retail roles promote can be sometimes difficult to deal with; the candidate must therefore be able to work well in busy retail environments.
- Attention to detail is another desired skill by most employers, as it shows your dedication to doing the job properly.
- Problem-solving skills are extremely beneficial to have when it comes to applying for a retail job, as you’ll be able to express to the employer that you can use your initiative to overcome a particular problem, whether it be on the shop floor, head office or elsewhere.
Why should I work in retail?
February 7th, 2012The retail industry employs nearly three million people in the UK, generating over £260 billion a year in sales. It’s an extremely profitable and fast-moving industry that attempts to supply customers with what they want before they even know it themselves. Many people believe that any retail job is merely shop floor-based; truth is there’s a whole medley of retail jobs that aren’t restricted to shop floor sales.
Retail is a sea of opportunity, which promotes a diversity of retail jobs; at R-Three, it’s our job to fish out the right one for you. Whether you’re considering a marketing role, retail head office job or perhaps a hospitality and leisure job, any job in retail can be extremely rewarding.
The varieties of roles that are up for grabs are endless. Whether you’re a creative nut who enjoys design and merchandising or someone who shares interest in marketing strategies and PR, retail is guaranteed to suit your current skills and better yet – develop them.
Here are a few examples of jobs from across the retail sector:
- Retail head office jobs – Our retail head office team specialise in buying, merchandising, marketing, technical roles, designing roles and account manager roles. Other typical roles in this sector include office managers, HR managers, general admin roles, facilities managers and many more. Find out more about our retail head office vacancies today.
- Store operations jobs – Our expertise within store operations recruitment covers the complete retail jobs markets, offering typical roles such as: assistant/deputy store manager, operations manager, general manager, section manager, floor manager and much more. Find out more about our store operations roles.
- Luxury retail jobs – Our luxury retail recruitment opportunities include fine fashion, beauty brands, jewellery and more. Typical roles in this sector include concession manager, sales executive, assistant manager, store manager and area manager. Why not find out more about our luxury retail jobs?
- Fashion jobs – Roles within the fashion sector include designers, product developers, buying managers, account managers, wholesale merchandisers and many more. Find out more about our fashion jobs today.
- Sales jobs – Typical roles within the retail sales sector include: sales managers, sales consultants, brand/product managers, field sales managers and many more. For more information, visit our sales page.
- Retail marketing jobs – Our marketing department recruits across various area of the marketing industry. Typical roles in this sector include: marketing assistants/managers, marketing controllers, online marketing managers, direct marketing managers and many more.
R-Three also specialise in recruiting for the following sectors: Senior Appointments, Hospitality & Leisure, Supply Chain & Procurement, Human Resources and Welfare & Skills Division.
No matter which retail job takes your fancy, you’re guaranteed to pick up a wide range of skills throughout your retail career. Besides, the opportunities within retail really are never-ending.
Preparing for your interview
January 23rd, 2012At R-Three, we pride ourselves in being able to help out both candidates and clients and fulfill every single retail recruitment need. We aim to provide our clients with the most suitable candidate for that specific retail job and we also aim to help our candidates as much as possible throughout the whole recruitment process. That’s why we’ve put together a short guide for candidates who are looking for a few quick and memorable interviews tips.
Before the interview
- Preparation is key; preparing for the interview could really set you apart from the other candidates applying for the same role. Try to prepare as far in advance as possible and start by researching into the background of the company, their goals, achievements and any other important information; this will help demonstrate your interest in the company and it’ll also show the employer that you’re serious and committed. Write all of this down on a piece of paper and revise it so that you know it all off by heart. Make sure you don’t recite a whole paragraph from the company’s website or Wikipedia! Even though you’re showing the employer that you’ve previously researched into the company, the conversation should flow naturally.
- Get your ‘interview outfit’ sorted at least a couple of days before the interview. This means you won’t be running around trying to find appropriate attire on the morning of the big day. Leaving enough time to decide what to wear will also help you feel at ease and possibly less nervous about the whole interviewing procedure, as you’ll feel a little more prepared.
- Make sure you know your CV well and that you’ve been completely honest. As soon as an employer notices dishonestly, they won’t even consider you for the role.
- Write down any questions before the interview that you may want to ask.
The interview
- Arrive on time or at least five minutes early to your interview. Make sure you’ve planned your route and that you have allowed yourself plenty of time to get to the interview. Arriving early can provide you with the chance to freshen up and look over your interview notes.
- Be polite; first impressions are everything. When the interviewer comes along, give a firm handshake and smile while remaining eye contact. If you’re confident, you’ll know that nerves won’t get the better of you during the interview.
- Maintain a positive attitude at all times. Don’t bad mouth your previous employers, work environment or any other retail companies for that matter, as this can seem very unprofessional.
- Maintain eye contact throughout the interview and keep your arms in a relaxed position. Any negative body language may make the interviewer think you’re either nervous or not that bothered about the whole interviewing procedure.
- Speak clearly and concisely at all times so that the interviewer understands everything you’re saying.
For more hints and tips, check out our full interview guide.
Retail Jobs: The January Retail Environment
January 10th, 2012January is one of the busiest times for retail companies and usually one of the most exciting too. Although the January sales might seem a little hectic, you can actually learn a whole variety of skills during this very busy period. Retail sales jobs, store operations jobs, luxury retail jobs and hospitality and leisure jobs are the roles that promote involvement on the shop floor; this is the best place to be during such a busy stage in the year as you can really get involved with the bustling in-store atmosphere. So, what skills could you learn during retail’s busiest periods?
- Listening & Communication skills
Your communication skills will undoubtedly develop when the retail company you are working for is at its busiest as there will always be a regular influx of customers to communicate with. You’ll learn to reach certain sales targets by communication with fellow members and providing customers with the best service possible. Communicating with your team and taking it in turns to cover the shop floor give you the opportunity to keep on top of store standards and you’ll become dependent on the ability to communicate. In terms of your listening skills, you’ll learn to take into consideration the customer’s needs and provide them with exactly that. Similarly, you’ll learn to listen to what every team member has to say in order to make the day’s sales as successful as possible.
- Ability to multi-task
Your ability to multi-task will unequivocally develop, as you’ll learn to deal with a multiple number of customers at the same time and provide each customer with a separate product or service.
- Motivation
You’ll feel incredibly motivated during the company’s busiest months, as you’ll feel determined to reach a set goal or target by taking advantage of the amount of customers in-store. A daily or weekly incentive set by your store’s manager may also fully motivate you and the whole team and you’ll work together to work at the best level you can possibly be.
- Initiative
Your initiative will improve on various levels; you’ll learn to think on your own two feet and make decisions for yourself without asking someone in authority. The busy environment will also urge you to trust your gut instinct and make a decision based on what’s best for that retail company.
So, whether you’re looking for a retail job for January or the upcoming months or you’re just considering a role in retail, please do not hesitate to ask our retail experts for further advice. Why not browse through our current vacancies today? You may just find your perfect job in retail.
Kick-start the New Year with a job in retail
January 5th, 2012There really isn’t a better time to start a job in retail than in the New Year. Not only does the New Year indicate a new start, but there’s plenty of other reasons why now’s the time to take advantage of R-Three’s recruitment experts in order to find you that perfect retail job. Here’s why…
If you start a brand new retail job at the start of a year, whether it’s involving store operations and sales or head office and marketing, you will:
- Start with a positive attitude and work alongside a positive team. The start of a New Year never fails to bring great positivity, especially in the work place. This is because you and your new colleagues will be excited for what the New Year has in store for the company and its success.
- Commence at the beginning of a year, not half way through. Starting at the beginning of a calendar year is a lot more beneficial for you than starting a retail job half way through or towards the end of the year. This is because you’ll know how well the company’s level of success from the start of the year and throughout. You’ll have had a chance to work with all of the targets starting from January and you’ll also have a good understanding of previous month’s sales (except January of course).
- Have the chance to try and beat last year’s sales. Every retail company sets new targets at the beginning of a calendar year, and when you begin your retail job in January you’ll see how the company will try and top last year’s sales, forecast and target. You’ll also get the chance to try and beat last month’s sales this time last year and get involved with any incentives that might be going on. This is mainly related to sales and store operation roles where you can interact with customers and push sales on the shop floor. You will feel motivated and learn a whole variety of skills during certain days where incentives may be running. If you beat last year’s target you’ll be guaranteed to feel accomplished.
- Get the opportunity to watch the company grow and improve from the start of the year up until the end of the year. If you begin your retail job at the start of the year, you’ll know where the company is at and you’ll watch the growth of sales right through until the end of the year.
Why not browse through our retail jobs today and see if R-Three that perfect role in retail?
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