Department stores seem to be everywhere. As the numbers of facilities grow, the job opportunities in the area grow as well. Places that were already there seem to be constantly expanding, offering more services and features. This opens up an opportunity for people with most skill sets to get a position in this field.

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Department stores offer employment opportunities with flexible hours. Most of the positions associated with this industry do not require any special education level to gain employment. That makes this a great place for people who are looking for their first jobs, since often times you do not need any experience to work here.

The flexible hours make it a great option for someone who needs a second job, or someone who needs a part-time employment to work around a schedule like school or day care. There are also seasonal positions that open up during the busiest times of year, which can help anyone who wants more money around these times.

The positions here generally pay a bit more than minimum wage and often can bring benefits including a discount in their place of employment. This makes it an appealing field for people seeking for employment.

Job Opportunities

These are just some employment opportunities you can find in an industry like this:

Store Manager:  A department store manager is the one who oversees employees. This means they handle the hiring, firing, scheduling, employee evaluations and training. They must be great motivators, to inspire their employees to get out there and sell and be amazing customer service representatives of their company. A manager will fill in when they are short-staffed. They are also the ones who deal with unhappy customers. Usually no education level is required to obtain a position like this, as it is a very experience based position. A manager, in most cases, has worked their way up the ladder by showing excellent customer service skills and learning about all the departments of their facility and how it functions daily. The average yearly salary that this type of position earns is around $37,000.

Sales Clerk: A sales clerk is the person who you would see out on the sales floor. Their main service is to assist the customer with finding products and helping them choose which items best suit their needs. They are also expected to have knowledge of the items in their department to properly answer any questions that the customer might have. They are also expected to tidy up the area to keep it neat and clean for the customers. This kind of position does not require any special level of education to gain employment. This position does often require excellent customer service skills, and the ability to be on your feet for long hours walking around the department that you work in. On the job training is necessary for properly performing your duties. The average hourly pay for this position is around $8-$10.

Cleaning and Maintenance: These fields are, in most cases, only available as nighttime hours. While the facility is closed, these employees are responsible for many different aspects of maintaining the building. The cleaning crews are in charge of cleaning every area around the building, including all of the bathrooms, cleaning carpets/floors, washing all windows and dusting the area. There is a separate maintenance crew that deals with other issues, like minor construction work and painting. They also tend to any landscaping and extermination duties. They deal with the rubbish removal in the store and are responsible for decorating for the holidays as needed. There is no education level required for this position, but usually high school students cannot take a night shift like this one. The average hourly pay is around $9-$10.

Security: A department store needs to protect the products from theft and to do so they often hire security guards to tend to the building on both day and night shifts. They will be in charge of customer safety while inside the facility. They should have knowledge of how to diffuse possibly violent situations to ensure everyone’s safety. Security guards can also be in a backroom, monitoring cameras around the building to be sure that everything stays safe and no shoplifters are getting away with items. This job can often require specific certifications and applicants must be over the age of 21 because there is a possibility of danger associated with this field. The average yearly salary for this position is around $30,000.

Job Outlook

The growth in an industry like this is right around the national average of 11%. This rate is as a result of a high turnover rate in this field, as most people in entry-level positions move onto careers in other fields. This creates a constant open door for new employees in this industry.