Remember your very first shift at your part-time job? Many of us stepped into the working world with a casual job in retail or fast-food, with one million of us being casually employed in the industry last year (Parliament of Australia).
Even if you’re no longer in the fast-food and retail world, we can all agree that customer service roles taught us invaluable lessons when entering the workforce. Whether it was understaffed shifts or difficult customers, there’s no doubt that you’ve walked away with a highly adaptable skillset you can use for life.
Have you ever thought about how those skills could advance your career? Here are some corporate careers you’d have an ideal skillset for based on your experience:
Careers for retail workers
As a retail worker, you’ve had first-hand experience in the day-to-day operations of running a successful business. This is valuable knowledge and will set you up for a thriving career in the business world.
Become a marketing professional
You know how to nail your KPI’s, and you’ve got a nifty eye for visual merchandising. You know what tempts people to visit your store, how to increase conversion, what sells and what doesn’t. You would be an excellent candidate for a marketing role because you know how it works in the real world.
Become a logistics expert
You’ve done stock take and inventory every single week. You get ready for the next delivery of products, and you make a note of when stock is running low. You’ve already armed yourself with the highly organised skillset that logistics professionals use. By building on your current knowledge, you’d be a great fit for a large-scale supply chain role.
Careers for fast-food employees
What can’t you do? You’re a cook, a cleaner, an entertainer, a waiter, a runner and you’ve memorised the entire menu because so many people just order the ‘chicken one’ and you’ve got to explain there’s six different chicken options…
Start a career in finance
If you don’t panic when a customer hands you change and you’ve already opened the cash register, you’re already a good candidate! In all seriousness, you know how to make sure your tills are correct every shift, you count the float, and count the stock. You’re also a brilliant problem solver, which is a great asset in the finance world. By combining your quick mathematical skills with your people skills, you’d be a perfect fit for finance.
Start a career in management
You have learned how to look after every kind of customer imaginable. But sometimes, it’s not just the customers that give you great skills. You might have had a good manager – or a not-so-great manager – which has inspired you to develop your own management style. Your knowledge about management – what it’s like to work at a franchise and your ability to juggle multiple tasks at once – means you’d also be a great manager in the business world.
Be proud of all the skills you’ve learned in your working life – and importantly – use them to help advance your career. If you’d like further guidance, our friendly Course Consultants are here to help you on 1300 069 765, or you can contact us here.
