I’ll admit, I’ve felt conflicted about recommending Retail as a good career path to students. Although many people have a relatively easy time getting hired for entry-level Sales positions, it is often hard work for low pay – a lot of time working on one’s feet, trying to make sales and keep customers happy; unstable schedules — If business is slow, sometimes work shifts are canceled; and unstable wages — earnings may be dependent on the number of sales made. Not to mention, many brick and mortar shops are closing as business moves online, and the businesses that are open are often “big box” stores that have put “Mom and Pop” stores out of business, impacting local economies. Despite all of that, there is good news in Retail:

1. Retail is a good place to start. Retail businesses often hire people who may have trouble finding work in other sectors – those without extensive work history, with long absences between jobs, such as parents returning to work after raising children, or those with histories of incarceration.
2. Retail skills are transferable to other sectors. Sales positions require excellent problem solving, customer service and communication skills, which are an asset in other sectors. Employers across many sectors see Retail jobs as good preparation for working with the public.
3. In New York City, new laws are improving working conditions in Retail, and these may soon come to other parts of the State. The Fair Workweek law requires that employers provide two weeks notice of schedules. If not provided, employers are fined and their fines are paid to the affected employees.

The NYSED/CUNY CareerKit in Retail addresses all of these topics and more.

Did you know?

Sales jobs account for only about half of the jobs in Retail. Other jobs include Visual Merchandising – the people who create displays and store designs; Supply Chain Management – the people who work with manufacturers and shipping companies to make sure that the right things arrive at the right places at the right time; Management – the people who supervise workers, create schedules and work flow; Buyers – the people who follow trends to figure out which merchandise stores should sell; Marketers – the people who analyze data on spending patterns and figure out how to advertise and promote various products; and Security – people who maintain the safety of people and merchandise in stores, as well as comply with international shipping and trade regulations.

We are all Retail consumers

In addition to activities on pursuing careers in Retail, the CareerKit has an entire unit devoted to the history and consumer rights of Retail. As with other CareerKit sectors, it includes reading, writing, math, social studies, web navigation and critical thinking activities that introduce students to the field of Retail, while presenting opportunities to sharpen their academic skills. Activities in this unit address many key social studies concepts including supply and demand, Post WW2 economics and industrialization.

Access the Retail CareerKit

1. Going to the Retail CareerKit
2. Using the Skills Chart to find activities in line with the academic skills you are working on in class.
3. If you’d like to modify a student handout, contact ellen.baxt@cuny.edu for a Word version of the handout.
4. Share what you’ve done by leaving a review in the comment box at the bottom of this page!