What a sales assistant does
Australia's occupation list says sales assistants sell goods and services in shops and other outlets. The work includes:
- greeting customers and helping them choose
- giving advice on products
- processing sales and payments
- restocking shelves
- handling questions, complaints and returns
- keeping the sales area clean and tidy
England's National Careers Service adds pricing and rotating stock, and taking part in promotions. The US occupation database adds showing customers how products work.
Skills employers look for
England's National Careers Service lists skills including:
- customer service skills
- working well with others
- patience and staying calm in stressful situations
- the ability to sell
- using your initiative
- maths knowledge
How the interviews usually work
Retail interviews can be short, and some take place in the store. Some employers run group sessions or ask for a trial shift.
If you're asked to work a trial, check whether it's paid. Our guide to trial shifts and work tests explains the rules in Australia and New Zealand.
You may be asked about the days and hours you can work. Be honest about them.
Questions that test each skill
These are the kinds of questions that test each skill. They are examples, not a list from any one employer.
- Customer service: "Tell us about a time you helped someone who was unhappy."
- Selling: "How would you help a customer choose between two products?"
- Teamwork: "Tell us about a time you helped a teammate when you were busy."
- Honesty: "What would you do if your till was short at the end of a shift?"
- Pressure: "The queue is long and a customer wants a refund. What do you do?"
- Motivation: "Why do you want to work in this store?"
What to prepare
- Visit the store, or its website, and note what it sells and who shops there.
- Pick two or three true stories about helping people, teamwork and staying calm.
- Work out the days and hours you can work, including weekends and holidays.
- Plan what to wear: neat, and close to what staff wear there.
- Prepare one question, such as what a normal shift looks like.
No job yet? Use stories from school, sport, volunteering or caring for family. Say where each story is from.
A worked answer for a first retail job
Here is a made-up answer from someone who hasn't had a paid job yet.
Made-up example
Mia, a made-up 17-year-old student applying for her first shop job
Question
Situation
Task
Action
- I took her aside from the queue so she wasn't embarrassed.
- I asked her name and class, and checked the lost property box.
- I asked the canteen manager, who said we could note it for her parents to pay later.
- I served the next students while the manager wrote the note, so the queue kept moving.
Result
Mia shows care, follows the rules and keeps the queue moving. Those are the same things retail questions test.
Questions
What should I say if I've never had a job?
Use true stories from school, sport, volunteering or helping family. They show how you treat people and solve problems.
Is a trial shift paid?
It depends on the country and how long it lasts. Ask before you start. Our guide to work tests covers the rules in Australia and New Zealand.
What should I wear?
Neat and clean, and close to what staff wear in that store. If in doubt, ask when they invite you.
Sources
Written by Seal the Offer from these pages, last checked on . Rules change, so check the employer's own page and the job ad before you apply.