Sales assistant
Serve customers and look after stock in a shop such as a supermarket, fashion store or department store.
Also known as: sales staff, shop assistant, store assistant
About the job
What it's like
You would serve customers and look after stock in a shop such as a supermarket, fashion store or department store.
Your aim would be to help people have a great shopping experience. You could work in a large chain store or a smaller independent retailer. Your place of work might be anywhere, but would probably be on your local high street or in a shopping centre.
You would:
Serve and advise customers
Take payments
Help customers to find the goods they want
Order goods and look after stock
Give information on products and prices
Stack shelves or display goods in an attractive way
Arrange window displays
Promote special offers or store cards
Handle complaints or pass them on to a manager
Some stores, for example mobile phone shops, DIY or electrical goods stores, may expect you to have a lot of knowledge about their products before you apply.
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Related industries
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Retail
Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- mentoring
- managing resources
- attention to detail
- respecting
- working with numbers
- verbal communication
- cooperating
- positive attitude
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
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Foundation Apprenticeship: Hospitality
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Administration and Information Technology
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Skills for Work: Retailing
You can get a head start in this career by doing a Foundation Apprenticeship in S5 and S6.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification which is the same level as a Higher. You'll also learn new skills and gain valuable experience in a work environment.
Discover what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
There are no formal qualifications required to enter this role but most employers value a good general education and some employers may ask for qualifications at SCQF levels 4 to 6.
You can enter some National Certificate or National Qualification courses (SCQF 5-6) with no formal qualifications but most courses ask for National 4/5 qualifications (SCQF level 4/5).
Qualifications and experience that show good customer service skills and levels of numeracy such as Skills for Work Retailing (SCQF Level 5) or a National Certificate / National Qualification in Retail (SCQF 5-6).
Relevant work-based qualifications such as a Scottish Vocational Qualification in Retail (SVQ Level 2/3) or be willing to work towards qualifications once in a job.
Some experience of working with the public. Many stores take on staff at Christmas and this can be a good way of gaining experience which may lead to a permanent job.
Good customer care skills.
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