• Want to take part in this year's BoS Trials event for Maths and/or Business Studies?
    Click here for details and register now!
  • YOU can help the next generation of students in the community!
    Share your trial papers and notes on our Notes & Resources page

How to get a cool retail job (2 Viewers)

law_stud

New Member
Joined
May 15, 2004
Messages
24
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
Hey!

I've been reading threads here and they've been really helpful, but I'm still in need of some advice,

I'm at uni doing a 4 day a week hectic program, with sat/sun/wed off - I want to work 1 day a week as a casual in retail, preferably at my local Westfield...

Even though I'm a retail job noob, I'm sure it would be a piece of cake getting a job if I didn't have to qualify all my enthusiastic "I would love to work for [Insert Retail Store] BUT I can only fit in casual work one day a week" ...

Should I just get over this and go do some approaching? is it that simple that I walk in and ask if there are job vacancies?

thanks for any advice you ppl have!
 

Lennie

Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2004
Messages
480
Err actually its tough getting a job in retail of you don't have experience... Not only that, being available one day a week isnt exactly desirable.

Walk in with only one day availability and you have no chance... You should wait until just before the uni holidays before you apply, and make sure that by that stage, your availability is pretty much full-time.

It works well because if they like you, they will let you stay on for only one day a week when Uni resumes. Just before/ during the holidays is alos def. the best time to apply as the turnover rate during that period increases ten fold.

In my experience, just approaching them seems to be the most sucessful way to go. Alot of places don't advertise their jobs! (But I guess that depends on the store... Where were you thinking of applying?)


Anyway... Good Luck!!
 

melsc

Premium Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2004
Messages
6,365
Location
Chasing ambulances in the Inner West...
Gender
Female
HSC
2005
I dont think they'll hire you if you say you only have one day a week avaliablity, why not apply for christmas casual jobs, I did and they told me it fits in nicely with full-time uni work loads :)
 

melsc

Premium Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2004
Messages
6,365
Location
Chasing ambulances in the Inner West...
Gender
Female
HSC
2005
I recently applied for a Casual Position at Target, I got the job (and had no retail experience, only in family childcare business) but I had to be avaliable abt 3 days a week just to be considered and I told them I would be 100% avaliable after the HSC, but that wasnt good enough

Sanity was worse, I applied for a Christmas postion and all went well until they asked if I was taking any hols from NOV- JAN I had 5 days off in nov for schooliesand I was rejected, they also wanted you to be completely avaliable from nov-jan in cluding new years and christmas eve
 

sarevok

Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2004
Messages
853
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2004
there is no such thing as a 'cool' retail job, they are all shit. for most you will not need experience, but the fact that you only have one day a week free may make it difficult.
 
Joined
Dec 16, 2003
Messages
1,866
Location
North Shore
Gender
Female
HSC
2004
law_stud said:
Hey!

I've been reading threads here and they've been really helpful, but I'm still in need of some advice,

I'm at uni doing a 4 day a week hectic program, with sat/sun/wed off - I want to work 1 day a week as a casual in retail, preferably at my local Westfield...

Even though I'm a retail job noob, I'm sure it would be a piece of cake getting a job if I didn't have to qualify all my enthusiastic "I would love to work for [Insert Retail Store] BUT I can only fit in casual work one day a week" ...

Should I just get over this and go do some approaching? is it that simple that I walk in and ask if there are job vacancies?

thanks for any advice you ppl have!
The only thing i can think of would be for something that isn't 9-5 retail, maybe work afternoons/evenings at a cinemas or supermarket (or is a supermarket an uncool job?) etc.

I've only got one day off uni too, so i work nights at a restaurant.
 

iambored

dum-di-dum
Joined
Apr 27, 2003
Messages
10,862
Location
here
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2003
law_stud said:
Hey!

I've been reading threads here and they've been really helpful, but I'm still in need of some advice,

I'm at uni doing a 4 day a week hectic program, with sat/sun/wed off - I want to work 1 day a week as a casual in retail, preferably at my local Westfield...

Even though I'm a retail job noob, I'm sure it would be a piece of cake getting a job if I didn't have to qualify all my enthusiastic "I would love to work for [Insert Retail Store] BUT I can only fit in casual work one day a week" ...

Should I just get over this and go do some approaching? is it that simple that I walk in and ask if there are job vacancies?

thanks for any advice you ppl have!
You don't actually need to do that - it's almost Christmas. So rock up and tell the you are able to work full time, over the holidays. The beauty is they can start you earlier if they want, or they can just take you for Christmas.

Don't apply just before uni holidays, do it now because they will have hired by the time holidays come.
 
Last edited:

law_stud

New Member
Joined
May 15, 2004
Messages
24
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
yellowbrick said:
So, what job did you decide on law stud?
heh,

I decided that based on the advice above, offering my services of 1 day a week won't exactly impress potential employers.

I'm going to wait a couple of weeks till I can confirm that I'm not going overseas ...

But yeah, the above advice was really good!
 
X

xeuyrawp

Guest
sarevok said:
there is no such thing as a 'cool' retail job, they are all shit.
Hmmm, I don't think so. The key is a good manager. When I worked at EB it was all great until the new manager came

for most you will not need experience, but the fact that you only have one day a week free may make it difficult.
Yeah. Experience is good, but if you're young, they're not going to expect much. My advice, even to people that I've interviewed and rejected, is that you should get some 'experience' with a family friend or something. Even a week's work experience at some dodgy warehouse would be good to add.
 

townie

Premium Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2004
Messages
9,646
Location
Gladesville
Gender
Male
HSC
2004
Uni Grad
2009
1 day a week, no chance, sorry, but u have to bite the bullet and be prepared to do more than that.

i go to uni 5 days a week, i usually work 4 or 5 days a week as well, yes it sucks, but i've had to do it for the past year. now, i have earned enough respect to be able to cut back to 3 days a week.

experience isnt nesescarily needed, but good, i only haved like 2 months @ KFC to get my job

plus, yes, if u wanna job now, u have 2 be prepared to work NYE and Christmas Eve, working christmas eve is easy, NYE is kinda sucky, but, meh, who cares
 
X

xeuyrawp

Guest
townie said:
1 day a week, no chance, sorry, but u have to bite the bullet and be prepared to do more than that.

i go to uni 5 days a week, i usually work 4 or 5 days a week as well, yes it sucks, but i've had to do it for the past year. now, i have earned enough respect to be able to cut back to 3 days a week.

experience isnt nesescarily needed, but good, i only haved like 2 months @ KFC to get my job

plus, yes, if u wanna job now, u have 2 be prepared to work NYE and Christmas Eve, working christmas eve is easy, NYE is kinda sucky, but, meh, who cares
Again, all of that depends on the manager. I worked til 9PM on NYE for a stocktake problem that was happening. Our manager ordered us pizza and brought beer to have after, so it was kind of worth it in the end.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 2)

Top