By Bruce Powell, Founder & Executive Recruiter
In today’s uncertain economic climate, it can be hard to predict which companies will be around for the long haul. However, the recent excitement of the arrival in Canada of major successful US retailers has restored confidence in retail job seekers. Recently, there has been growth resulting in the creation and retention of more retail jobs, not only in stores, but also in the company flagship and headquarters that support and manage them.
- Research: Company research is very important in retail, and fortunately today with Google it’s gotten easier to conduct. You want to know everything possible about a company.
- Target your resume: The first step towards getting a retail job will be tailoring your resume. Make sure to highlight your skills and accomplishments. Re-vamp your cover letter, clearly outlining how you can meet the company’s needs. Give examples that show that you can get up to speed and start contributing quickly.
- Identify Wants / Needs / Nice to Have’s: Landing the right role in your career can be just (if not more so) as purchasing a home. When embarking on such task, list everything that is important to you in your career; conversely identify all that does not work. You will find that after analyzing all this data, many find it quite surprising that a career in retail can address all areas that are important in your career.
A retail career can offer a competitive salary, career advancement and the ability to travel. A profession in retail integrates the understanding and implementation of many different business disciplines including accounting, marketing, finance, human resources. The prerequisites for the success in retail besides hard work include analytical skills, creativity, decisiveness, flexibility, initiative, leadership, organization, risk taking, stress tolerance, perseverance and enthusiasm.
