2. Exploring Retail Careers
Sources of Career Information 2

3. Chapter Objectives Describe career opportunities in retailing.
Identify personal traits desirable for retailing.
Identify career information to research.
Explain career paths.
Name sources of information about retail careers.
Describe the ways to apply retail-career information. 3

4. The World of Retailing Careers
No matter what your interests are, there is a retail career that relates to your interests. 4

5. Personal Interests
When you have determined your personal interests, you can begin to match them to jobs that require the same or similar interests, aptitudes, and skills.
personal interests activities and pursuits that you enjoy most
aptitude a natural ability to do and learn something
skill the ability to do something 5

6. Careers in Retailing Careers in retailing include:
Marketing and advertising
Store operations
Loss prevention
Store management
Finance
Human resources
IT and e-commerce
Sales and sales-related careers
Distribution logistics and supply chain management 6

7. Careers in Retailing Merchandise buying and planning Entrepreneurship
continued
entrepreneurship the process of owning and managing your own business
Merchandise buying and planning
Entrepreneurship
trade associations organizations made up of individuals and businesses in an industry that work to promote that industry
Retail-industry support
Trade associations
Central administration
central administration the top-leadership branch of a company 7

8. Traits Required for Retail Careers
Traits required for retail careers include:
Ability to work with and get along with people
Responsibility
Reliability and trustworthiness
Punctuality
Honesty
Loyalty
Leadership potential 8

9. Dot-Con Protection
Internet safety is a major concern for online shoppers. So most e-tail stores use SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption to secure financial transactions.
Operating an e-tail business on an electronic channel—the Web—can be costly, due to design, delivery, returns, and operating expenses.
Though Many larger dot-com companies crashed in the 1990’s, small stores like Harris Cyclery of West Newton, Massachusetts, actually increase sales using a basic Web site. Today, a third of Harris’s bicycle business rides in on the Web to get hard-to-find parts and personal service.
Describe an e-business’s home page to your class after viewing one through marketingseries.glencoe.com.
The technology scrambles and separates the bits of data in the transaction before they fly into cyberspace. When the credit-card numbers reach a vendor, they fall back in order—safe from electronic pirates.
For more information on retailing,
go to marketingseries.glencoe.com. 9

10. Why is the career area of loss prevention important?1.
Why is the career area of loss prevention important?
Which career area of retailing deals with a company’s overall leadership?
What are three desirable traits for employees in all career areas of retailing? 2.
Quick Check Answers
Loss prevention jobs deal with protecting a company’s assets.
central administration
Answers may include the ability to work with and get along with people, responsibility, reliability, trustworthiness, punctuality, honesty, loyalty, and leadership potential. 3. 10

11. Getting a Job in Retailing
Investigate the job forecast for the career you are considering.
job forecast an estimate of the number of jobs that will be available for a career in the next five to ten years
Research the career path for the career areas that interest you.
career path the series of job experiences that you need to reach your career goal 11

12. Where to Get Career Information
Beyond books and Web sites, people can be your best resources.
Your school counselor or your marketing teacher may have information about retail careers.
You can get the best information about day-to-day retail work from retailers themselves. 12

13. Where to Get Career Information
The Internet
Monster.com
CareerBuilder.com
U.S. Department of Labor
Occupational Outlook Handbook
U.S. Department of the Census
National Retail Federation Foundation
Libraries
Occupational Outlook Handbook
Career Guide to Industries
School Counselor and Marketing Teacher
Retail Professionals
Trade Publications 13

14. Using the Information
Study the career information that you gather and relate it to your personal goals.
values the factors that determine how you want to live your life
lifestyle the way you live your life and spend your time
Broad personal goals include your values and the lifestyle you want to pursue. 14

15. 1.
What is one question you should answer when gathering career information?
Name one government publication that can provide useful career information.
Regarding your personal goals, what are two factors to consider when making career decisions? 2.
Quick Check Answers
Answers may vary but may include questions about education required, special requirements, job forecast, workday length, or salary range.
Occupational Outlook Handbook.
values and lifestyle 3. 15

16. Checking Concepts 1. Describe career opportunities in retailing. 2.
Career opportunities fall into several areas: marketing and advertising, store operations, loss prevention, store management, finance, human resources, IT and e-commerce, sales, distribution logistics/supply-chain management, and merchandise buying and planning. Additionally, there is entrepreneurship and retail industry support. 1.
Information includes how much education is necessary after high school, how long is a typical workday, what is the salary range, what is the job forecast, what are the career paths. 4.
Career paths are the series of job experiences necessary to reach career goals. 2.
Ability to work with and get along with people, responsibility, reliability, trustworthiness, punctuality, honesty, loyalty, and leadership potential. 3. 2.
Explain how career paths function. 3.
Explain the traits required for working in retailing.
Checking Concepts Answers
Career opportunities fall into several areas: marketing and advertising, store operations, loss prevention, store management, finance, human resources, IT and e-commerce, sales, distribution logistics/supply-chain management, and merchandise buying and planning. Additionally, there is entrepreneurship and retail industry support.
Career paths are the series of job experiences necessary to reach career goals.
Ability to work with and get along with people, responsibility, reliability, trustworthiness, punctuality, honesty, loyalty, and leadership potential.
Information includes how much education is necessary after high school, how long is a typical workday, what is the salary range, what is the job forecast, what are the career paths. 4.
Identify the kinds of career information you need to research.
continued 16

17. Checking Concepts 5. List sources of career information. 6.
The information must be related to your personal goals including your values and lifestyle. 6.
Personal values are the factors that determine how you want to live your life, the things that are important to you and the things in which you believe. Your personal values will vary. 7.
Internet, libraries, school counselors and marketing teachers, retail professionals, and trade publications 5. 6.
Explain how to apply career information in your life.
Checking Concepts Answers
Internet, libraries, school counselors and marketing teachers, retail professionals, and trade publications
The information must be related to your personal goals including your values and lifestyle.
Personal values are the factors that determine how you want to live your life, the things that are important to you and the things in which you believe. Your personal values will vary.
Define personal values and list five of your own. 7.
continued 17

18. Checking Concepts Critical Thinking 8.
The more you know about retailing and running a shop, the less likely you are to fail. Many shops fail because the owner did not understand what he or she was getting into. Because the entrepreneur is probably using his or her own money, the best course is to lower the risk as much as possible. 8. 8.
Explain why it is a good idea to get as much experience as possible with running a retail business before becoming an entrepreneur.
Checking Concepts Answers
The more you know about retailing and running a shop, the less likely you are to fail. Many shops fail because the owner did not understand what he or she was getting into. Because the entrepreneur is probably using his or her own money, the best course is to lower the risk as much as possible. 18

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