Thinking about a career in retail?
20 Sep 2016
Eileen Moloney
The steady growth in Ireland over the past two years has resulted in a very healthy retail market. With domestic consumer demand steadily improving, the need for more retail staff is evident. Retail is the country’s largest industry and it is the largest private sector employer.
Working in the retail industry offers a very exciting career path with there being many positive benefits to be gained from a career in retail. Retail jobs provide varied and challenging work and the chance to learn valuable skills.
The steady growth in Ireland over the past two years has resulted in a very healthy retail market. With domestic consumer demand steadily improving, the need for more retail staff is evident. Retail is the country’s largest industry and it is the largest private sector employer.
Working in the retail industry offers a very exciting career path with there being many positive benefits to be gained from a career in retail. Retail jobs provide varied and challenging work and the chance to learn valuable skills.
There is a lot more to retail than you might think. It is one of the most diverse, fast paced and exciting sectors to work in.
The retail industry offers…
• Variety and Career Progression
There are a variety of career paths in the retail industry (buying, merchandising, visual merchandising, design, logistics etc.) leading to a multitude of opportunities and pathways to follow. The retail industry offers so many opportunities for growth and progression as an employee. It's an industry where you can start at the bottom and work your way literally on the shop floor and up to the top.
• Diversity
There is a lot of choice across the range of areas in retail meaning it should be easy for you to find a role that is your passion. The many diverse areas in retail including luxury goods, department stores, high street, electrical goods, grocery, discounters, cosmetics, fashion, accessories, over the counter ensures a variety of challenges for the upwardly retail professional.
• Flexibility
While retail certainly isn’t your typical 9-5 job, there is plenty of room for flexibility working in this environment. The retail sector is an ideal environment in which to work because of the flexibility of the hours and shift patterns. Many retail jobs offer part-time, late night, weekend and other schedules. It is an ideal career for working parent’s students and allows you to still earn an income whilst also being able to attend to other commitments you might have.
• Job Benefits
Working in retail offers benefits that an office job doesn't, providing an interesting lifestyle and an exciting and varied career path. You can choose to work in a sector of retail that suits your personality, hobbies and interests and you could be lucky enough to receive staff discounts on products you'd like to buy! Most importantly many of the skills acquired from working in retail will be beneficial to your future employment endeavours.
What do employers look for?
While there is no such thing as the ‘perfect candidate’ – in order to be successful in placing a retail role, employers look for personality, energy, a passion for the retail world and good communication skills. The great thing about working in retail is that you don’t necessarily need a qualification in the area or any experience. However courses such as the full-time Post-Graduate Diploma in Fashion Buying & Management in DIT or the Master of Business Studies (Retail Management) also in DIT are ideal choices for those interested in gaining a qualification in the area. The Portobello Institute offers a variety of full and part-time courses ranging from Visual Merchandising to Fashion Buying.
Experience always helps and a part- time job will enhance your CV and give you that additional edge.
Hot Tip- if there is one piece of advice we give you before applying for a retail role, ensure that your CV is detailed, clear and lists your key achievements to date. This is your chance to sell yourself as best as you can, if your CV is unclear and not laid out properly, you more than likely won’t be forwarded to the next stage.
To learn some tips about how your CV should look click here.
In the run up to Christmas, the requirement for temporary and flexible staff is highly desired. Make sure to keep an eye out on our website to see latest job postings. Contact our retail division to find out any opportunities or read about our current openings here.