retail job therapy?

January 13, 2006 7:34 PM

Help me get a job in retail.

So, I've lived in the middle of nowhere most of my life and have never needed, and therefore had, a job, now I live in London and desperately need one.

The other day I was talking to an aquaintance who works in a big music gear shop and he told me that they are looking for people to fill part time positions. This job would be great experience for me especially since music gear is something I take a great interest in. But I've tried so many times to get jobs in my old closest city and failed miserably, all but one time never recieving so much as a reply.

My main problem, I think, is my CV, there is simply next to nothing to put on there beside my name, address and education. This, I dare say, is grounds for it go straight in the bin, or 'laugh at' pile. Plus, I'm aversed to writing BS.

The only relevant 'skills', if you could call them that, that I've been able to think of are a 'broad knowledge of music technology and instruments', and a 'good understanding of computers' or something along those lines.

The only stuff close to a job that I've done in the past is the odd bit of minor volunteering at my old sixth form college, such as helping as a sound engineer for the college production of Jesus Christ Superstar, and as a mentor helping new students settle in. But I just can't see either being at all relevant.

So, any ideas on how to add some substance to my CV?

Got any tips on getting into the retail game?

posted by iamcrispy to work & money (17 comments total)

Make up experience at add a grown-up sounding friend as a reference for them to call.
posted by lemur at 7:49 PM on January 13, 2006

One tip that may be relevant and hopefully isn't offensive: Spell-check your CV/résumé if you haven't already. You may also want a friend to check for grammatical errors.
posted by booksandlibretti at 7:57 PM on January 13, 2006

Break it down and elaborate.
'Broad knowledge of music technology and instruments'
What, exactly? Recording tech? Creative? Players and amps? They're selling the stuff, so don't be afraid to get technical. Ditto for the instruments.
'Good understanding of computers'
Which computers, which software?

You don't have to go into microscopic detail, but you have enough to fill a decent amount of paper there.
And don't poo poo the mentoring thing either; this is customer service, interacting with people. Presumably you had a supervisor or admin liaison for that, use them as a reference (I'm against the faux reference thing. It's always easier to take the honest route).
Everything you've given can be used on a resume, no BS required. Just look at the pieces and see how they fit.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 8:10 PM on January 13, 2006

I have never needed a resume/CV for a job in retail, though maybe this field is more specialized than the jobs I had. I just filled out application forms. I think that it helps that you know someone there. I've found that it always helps to show up in person or otherwise follow up after handing in your resume or application.
posted by Airhen at 8:13 PM on January 13, 2006

The UK retail sector is flooded with opportunities right now. I've never seen so many signs up asking for staff. Just walk around town, there's tons. You might have to start at a coffee shop and work your way up, of course.
posted by wackybrit at 8:20 PM on January 13, 2006

Above and beyond work experience, on my resume/CV I list volunteer experiences and hobbies - technical and/or creative skills I'm adept at applying in my personal life and fields of interests.

Because of the jack-of-all-trades nature of the specific type of IT/support and/or creative media positions I desire, and because they're often completely relevant to the positions in question, I wouldn't be surprised in the least to confirm that it was this diverse array of skills and interests that land me these jobs. One moment I can be called upon to wire up a CCTV rig for a classroom, the next moment an audio or video projector presentation, the next it's (guh) PowerPoint, and the next could be Illustrator or Photoshop support.


If you're going the CV route, by all means consider a functional rather than an historical resume. List your skills, your interests, your areas of expertise - even if you don't consider yourself an expert. Statistically, if you're as sharp as you sound, you're probably more expert than most just by being actively interested in it and informed about it.

Be detailed but succinct, or even terse. Be descriptive and dynamic. Describe challenges overcome and problems solved during the course of volunteering or personal activities.

And take a breather. It's just music equipment retail - not the London Philharmonic, or foley crew on an Oscar contender. Have you seen those ganja-addled burnouts? Go for it. The mere fact that you can coherently compose a paragraph probably puts you head and shoulders above many other would-be contenders.

Consider, also, your personal attitude and perspective about the situation, the previous joblessness and even your general attitude on life itself. Employers can smell that stuff. They can smell defeatism, they can smell negativity and depression. Work it, even if you don't really feel it.

Trust me, I've been there - I can wallow with the best, sometimes for years on end. You certainly don't have to be a fresh spring blossom bursting at the seams with juicy, joyful life, but - if applicable - you should certainly turn up the juice a bit if you're naturally predisposed to being less than marginally enthusiastic.

No offense at all to ganja-addled music store employees everywhere - frankly I'm often jealous. Right up until the Mad Dog-scented "that guy" walks into the store once again to show you his latest hot licks using every guitar on the wall. That I don't envy. Huge discounts, access to mad toys and a boss with a stash the size of a small nation state? That I envy.
posted by loquacious at 10:52 PM on January 13, 2006

If I were you, I'd lay out the CV in the following order:

1. Name, address, phone
2. Objective (i.e. Objective: To obtain employment in a retail environment where I could utilize my broad knowledge of music technology and instruments.)
3. Key Skills: I second Alvy Ampersand about getting detailed in your description of your musical knowledge, and this is where I would put that information.
4. Education
5. Relevant Experience: You were an Assistant Sound Engineer. State this, and explain what you did using technical terms. You were also a New Student Mentor. Describe this also, but in a bit less detail.

If you can get a page out of this, and if you spell check it and proofread it thoroughly, I'd say your CV would be over and above what the competition will be providing. I'm guessing that a lot of people applying for retail jobs don't use CVs, so if you do, it looks like you're willing to go the extra mile.

Dress up, show some enthusiasm, hand over the CV, work your personal contacts and I'd say you have a great shot. If not, as wackybrit says, try some other shops and work your way up.
posted by hazyjane at 1:31 AM on January 14, 2006

All of this is sound advice and I want to add that you should stop thinking of your background as BS and irrelevant. It’s a huge mistake. This is one of the things that education is for. As others have pointed out if you know a range of computer software that means you will be able to adapt to the companies POS (point of sale) software quickly and easily. Your volunteer work means that you are someone who puts the effort in without necessarily great rewards (essential in retail). A lot of people can’t communicate in verbal form effectively – essential in sales – someone probably picked you out to be a mentor and this suggests you can communicate things to people less knowledgeable than yourself. Did you study music at all? Can you sell yourself as someone who can communicate to the kid who wants to start their garage band as well as the professional musician or engineer? Also realize that a lot of people who want retail jobs can’t write to save their lives (as in semi-illiterate) and depending on what kinds of work they require in the store this could be important – particularly if they think they want people who can move up their administrative ladder. Present yourself as confident. A very short cover letter could be useful and give a clearer sense of your character. Don’t grovel for the job but simply hold yourself with the confidence that says you know you can do the job even though you aren’t experienced. In retail things like ‘quick learner’, ‘plays well with others’ and so forth are more important than you might think and could get you the job well before the failing roadie with all the knowledge and a slight attitude problem.
posted by anglophiliated at 3:05 AM on January 14, 2006

Ask your friend for advice. As someone who has worked retail for a fairly long time (8+ years) and helped many get people jobs in the field, the first trick is to have someone on the inside to recommend you.

Where I work, we hire first from recommendations then the general public. Many inexperienced get hired based solely on a strong recommendation from a friend. So give either your application or cv to your friend who suggested you applied to turn in.
posted by drezdn at 4:14 AM on January 14, 2006

Tell them you'll work for free for a week or two. If it works out, they will keep you on and pay you.
posted by fixedgear at 5:19 AM on January 14, 2006

Seconding fixedgear.

If someone with no experience gave me a resume and didn't have the balls to add a few exaggerated or outright fabricated items, I would think that they lacked initiative.
posted by StickyCarpet at 6:31 AM on January 14, 2006

I strongly suspect, based partly on personal experience, that jobs in retail music stores are hard to come by because there's lots of folks that would like that particular kind of retail position even though the pay is low.

One way of getting experience when you have practically nothing to start with, is by doing some kind of volunteer work that gives you a skill set and experience you can claim. What you want are some people that can report your work habits so that you're not a completely unknown risk to hire.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 8:58 AM on January 14, 2006

Stretch your volunteering, mentoring and sound-engineering (use industry terms!). Definitely get your friend to recommend you. Do not listen to lemur.
posted by Count Ziggurat at 9:54 AM on January 14, 2006

And don't be crushed if they don't hire you.
posted by Count Ziggurat at 9:56 AM on January 14, 2006

Another way to gain experience... look for a big-box-type store under construction. They may need a lot of temporary help building fixtures, stocking, etc. That could turn into a permanent job, and if it doesn't, well, it's experience.
posted by evilcolonel at 7:39 PM on January 14, 2006

"If someone with no experience gave me a resume and didn't have the balls to add a few exaggerated or outright fabricated items, I would think that they lacked initiative."

For the flip side of this, if I discovered that someone I hired deliberately lied on his application or CV, he'd be gone as quickly as I could call HR and finish the paperwork - no matter how good a job he happened to be doing at the time.
posted by aberrant at 10:58 PM on January 14, 2006

Yep. That's probably bad advice. I would never hire someone that "outright fabricated" items on their resume.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 11:00 AM on January 15, 2006