Part time jobs in retail more often means the personal touch so here are some tips to get you started!
- Pick a quiet time of day to visit shops: for example in the Trafford Centre 10.00am on a weekday is a good time. Avoid interrupting people who are very busy (for example, in the middle of rearranging the whole shop, or speaking to a customer).
- Dress as if you’re going to an interview – it’s possible you could be interviewed on the spot if there’s a vacancy.
- It’s a good idea to have any certificates, references, your NI number and bank account details on hand, or the details written down because you could be asked to fill out a store application form there and then.
- Write on the top of your CV whether you are looking for part time or full time work, and what days, times you are available (eg P/T evenings and weekends)
- If you’re looking for a job in a clothes shop, try and reflect the look of the staff a bit – are they fashionable? Smart? Alternative?
- Ask to speak to the person responsible for recruitment, and give them your CV. If they’re not available, ask for their name and contact number. Try not to hand your CV to the person on the front door, or at the till – they’ll soon get sidetracked with something else and could put your CV down and forget it.
- If you’ve a particular interest in the type of shop you’re visiting (play a musical instrument – music shop, do a lot of outdoor activities – outdoor gear shop, interest in fashion – clothes shop) let them know about this, both on your CV and when you visit. Some stores don’t advertise vacancies, and only recruit people with a passion for their business.
- Make a note of the shops you visited and who you gave your CV to.
- A few days after you’ve handed your CV out, call the store back (again, choose a quiet time) and ask if they’ve had a chance to look at it. If a vacancy has come up since, they are more likely to remember you, and if your CV is sitting in a pile of others they may pull it out while they talk to you, then it’ll be sitting on the top of the pile!
- Many stores recruit extra staff in the run up to a sale, to work behind the scenes, put on sale tags etc. It’s worth asking about this kind of work, because if you impress them, they could offer you something further.