Which Jobs Can You Get in South Africa with a Matric and Retail Experience
Starting a career in retail is the first step on penetrating the job market in South Africa after finishing your matric. Most of the retail jobs are easily accessible for South Africans with matric, retail jobs help you with improving your CV and equipping you with skills that you may use to find your next job. Skills like customer service, cash handling, handling clients and time management will boost your CV and help you understand the job market better incase of furthering your career.
The following jobs are some of the best jobs in South Africa that you can Secure with your matric and retail experience.
Cashier
Working as a Cashier will be a walk in the park if you already have experience in handling transactions. This is one of the most common jobs in the retail industry, you can always find a job as a cashier in supermarkets, clothing stores, restaurants, pharmacies etc.
Main Responsibilities:
- Processing sales transactions
- Assisting customers with product knowledge and their enquiries
- Handling and balancing cash at the end of the shift
- Processing card and mobile payments
Industries that are commonly hiring: Retail, hospitality, grocery stores and pharmacies
Why should you be a Cashier is South Africa?
The retail cash handling experience will help you easily land this job as you have the set skills to excel on the job.
Sales Assistant
For a South African who has worked in retail, another suitable job for them would be a sales assistant. With your previous job experience, this job will need your acquired skills of handling customers and their enquiries, prompting products and helping around the store for a smooth operation.
Main Responsibilities:
- Assisting customers with the right products suitable for them
- Assisting customers with product knowledge and recommending the right products
- Restocking shelves and displaying the products in the right way
- Processing transactions and managing inventory
Industries that are commonly hiring: Clothing stores, electronics, supermarkets and specialty shops.
Why Sales Assistant
Retail experience you acquired with your matric will help you blend in the customer service industry to excel at your sales assistant job.
Stock Controller
You can get a job as a stock controller or inventory clerk with your matric and retail experience in South Africa. In this job you basically manage the in and out flow of products in the store. The experience from the retail job will help you excel in the role.
Main Responsibilities:
- Managing the inventory and the stock
- Keeping the stock storage up to date and it’s rotation
- Working closely with suppliers and the sales team
- Double checking if you are receiving the right stock
Industries that commonly hire; Warehousing, retail, manufacturing and logistics.
Why Stock controller
If you have worked closely or directly with managing stock on your previous retail job then this job would be perfect for you to land without extra qualifications.
Customer Service Representative
This is where you let your retail experience shine, showing off your great communication and the right customer handling skills to help you land your job as a customer service representative. This role basically needs you to be able to resolve queries, handle complaints and ensure that the customer is satisfied.
Main Responsibilities:
- Handling customer enquiries either in person, by phone or email
- Resolving enquiries on products and services
- Processing returns, exchanges and refunds
- Product knowledge and support
Industries that commonly hire: Call centers, retail, telecommunications and banks
Why Customer Service Rep
This will be a suitable job for someone with a matric and retail experience as they have already acquired skills in customer interaction and handling disputes.
Merchandiser
This is a perfect opportunity for people who excel in product knowledge and great customer service skills. Your main duty as a merchandiser is organizing and displaying products in a way that will be eye catching for customers and increase sales.
Main Responsibilities:
- Being in charge of setting up and displaying products
- Making sure the stock is presented in a way that will attract sales
- Keeping track of product performance
- Work jointly with sales team and store managers
Industries that are commonly hiring: Retail, grocery stores, clothing, beauty and cosmetics.
Why merchandiser
This is a good fit for someone with a matric and retail experience as they have already worked on this role stocking shelves and arranging products.
Store Manager / Assistant Store Manager
Advancing to a store manager or assistant store manager is a great career move in South Africa for those who have been in retail for a while and know the in out of the job. Store managers’ roles are to oversee the operations of the store, managing the junior staff and making sure to meet target sales.
Main Responsibilities:
- Keeping record of staff schedules and overseeing performance
- Resolving customer service issues
- Making sure sales targets are met
- Being up to date with the stock and inventory
Industries commonly hiring; Retail (clothing, electronics, grocery stores), hospitality.
Why Store manager
This is suitable for people who have been working in retail long enough to understand its operations.
Promoter
Being a promoter is a great job opportunity suitable for people who have great communication skills, handling clients and eye catching personalities. Promoters usually work at events or in stores actively promoting products, assisting with product knowledge to boost sales.
Main Responsibilities:
- Actively engaging with customers to attract them to try a product
- Demonstrating how the products work while promoting it
- Distributing fliers and samples
- Providing feedback on customer reaction and preferences
Industries that commonly hire: Retail, FMCG, electronics and cosmetics.
Why Promoter
If you have experience in retail then you can easily progress to being a promoter as you have experience in interacting with clients and generating product interest.
Warehouse Assistant
Main Role for a warehouse assistant is managing stock, keeping record of everyday activities and ensuring the smooth operation of the warehouse. It would be a wise choice to use your retail experience in stock rooms with your matric to land you this job.
Main Responsibilities:
- Receiving and loading deliveries
- Keeping the stock up to date and keeping record
- Preparing orders for send off
- Keeping inventory records and ensuring product safety
Industries that commonly hire: Logistics, warehousing, manufacturing and retail.
Why warehouse assistant
It seems to be a good career move and advancement if you have been given knowledge of stock handling in your previous retail job.
Visual Merchandiser
This role is a bit more on the creative side and would require to have a deeper understanding of what attracts the customer and have design skills. A visual merchandiser’s role is to attract customers by designing store displays, while showcasing the products in a way that would increase sales.
Main Responsibilities:
- Attracting customers with window displays and in store layouts
- Being in charge of promotional displays and signage
- Tracking sales and making adjacements where necessary
- Working jointly with store teams to maintain visual standard
Industries commonly hiring: Fashion, cosmetics, electronics and home décor.
Why visual merchandiser
This may be your opportunity to showcase your creative side and design skills while boosting your CV on your retail experience along with your matric.
Data Capturer
A data capturer’s role is entering and managing day to day data for companies from sales figures to inventory records. This role is suitable for people with retail experience with a strong attention to detail and basic computer skills.
Main Responsibilities:
- Recoding data into company database or spreadsheets
- Making sure the data entered is accurate and complete
- Organizing a secure filing system for information storage
- Assist when it’s time to generate reports from collected data
Industries that commonly hire: Retail, logistics, finance and healthcare.
Why Data Capturer
Your retail experience that provided you with data handling skills may work in your favor when looking to move to this position.
Conclusion
Equipping yourself with a retail experience after completing matric will be a wise choice in case you want to advance to other wide range of opportunities in South Africa. Retail will give you strong communication skills, ability to handle customers and disputes, experience in stock management and how to carry yourself when dealing with customers. These are a set of skills that can help you score a variety of jobs, grow professionally in case of branching out or staying in retail for promotions.