You will see many job positions in the job postings of department stores as you search. Since department stores are huge retail stores, some department store jobs have little distinctions from smaller retail stores. Here, we describe the most common job positions at department stores, aiming to make it clear for job applicants.
Department Store Job Descriptions
Cashier: A cashier at Michaels is responsible for handling the cash transactions from dozens or even hundreds of customers each day. The cashier also assists with the returns and exchanges, and try to solve any potential customer issues. Tasks of a cashier may be repetitive, but it does not require advanced knowledge so it is a popular entry-level job position. The only requirements are Point-Of-Sale (POS) system knowledge and basic mathematical skills.
Customer Service Representative: The job of a customer service representative at Kohl’s is to keep customers happy and satisfied at all times. The customer service representative communicates with customers over the phone or via email. The most essential part of being a successful customer service representative is having great social skills. It is not uncommon that customer service representatives must deal with unhappy customers.
Inventory Control Specialist: An inventory control specialist at JCPenney makes sure that there is no loss of merchandise within the store. Another crucial part of this job position is counting the items periodically to prevent shortage. Since this job position requires handling some complicated procedures, applicants with previous experience are preferred by companies as inventory control specialists.
Sales Associate: Sales associates at TJ Maxx are the employees that are found most abundantly on the sales floor. The primary duties of a sales associate are helping customers by directing them to the appropriate department in the store and providing helpful information about products. Great social skills are therefore essential for success as a sales associate. There are also additional duties of a sales associate such as improving merchandising by stocking shelves and cleaning the store areas. Sales associates work on foot most of the time and are physically active. Thus, this entry-level job position is a popular one among young people.
Visual Merchandiser: A visual merchandiser at Costco is responsible for improving the brilliance of the products within the store so that customers are provoked to buy more products during they shop. This is usually a mid-level job, which requires strategic planning and leadership skills. A great visual merchandiser can improve sales at any retail store by just organizing products in a better, more appealing way.
Buyer: A buyer at Stage Stores develops relationships with vendors and buy the items that are destined to be sold at the department store at the best prices. The performance of a buyer is directly related to the financial condition of the department store, because it involves both making deals and selling items. This important job position therefore requires the applicants to have an advanced level of education and sufficient experience in the business.
Assistant Store Manager: An assistant store manager at 7-Eleven is responsible for executing the store manager’s business plans on the sales floor. The assistant store manager usually mediates the communication between entry-level employees and the upper management. Additional duties are supervising the employee team and contributing in the development of them on a daily basis, solving possible major customer issues and conduce toward the overall success of the department store.
Store Manager: The store manager at Macy’s is the leader of the department store. Every aspect of the store is a concern of the store manager, such as sales, expenses, customer satisfaction and employee performance. The store manager participates in the hiring, training and scheduling of the employees at the store. Since this is such a crucial job position for the success of the department store, applicants often require an advanced education level and great work experience in order to be hired as a store manager.