Many internships are unpaid, which isn’t a bad thing, but it does require those interns to pick up another paid internship or a job. The jobs that interns are most likely to pick up are in the food or retail industry.
I recently picked up a job at a retail store to earn some extra cash, but I quickly realized that working in a retail job provides me with skills and opportunities that will benefit me in the future.
Verbal Communication
When working in retail or the food industry, you are constantly interacting with people. The customer always comes first in the retail industry, which means you need to be able to effectively communicate with them. When they ask a question, you can’t give them a roundabout answer — it needs to be direct and informative.
I have had the opportunity of working in an office environment before and know that excellent communication skills are vital. I was constantly talking with members in different departments about projects. I quickly learned that my responses to questions or comments needed to be direct and to the point.
Networking
Every time you work new people are coming in your store and you get the chance to interact with them. The interaction you have with customers can eventually become more personal. You might get on the topic of career and find out they are in the industry you want to be in. This could be used to your advantage.
Flexibility
Though not prevalent to your future career, having flexibility in your job at this moment in your life can be nice. Sometimes as a college student or recent graduate you want to be able to have time to do what you want. Although you might prefer to have a full-time job or internship, I would advise you to use your spare time wisely. Visit places you haven’t had the chance to, read the book you have always wanted to, or start the blog you have been putting off.
What other benefits come from working in the retail or food industry?
