Where are all the Retail Jobs?

Over the last couple of years I have heard so many people talk and complain about the lack of jobs that are out there, especially retail jobs.  So where are all the retail jobs? I think there are only three answers to this question.

1) Budgeting reasons- From the retail stores that I have previously worked at, I have observed that these stores have had to limit the amount of people they hire due to budgetary reasons. They aren't huge brand stores like H&M or The Bay and they don't gather enough traffic regularly to afford to hire many people. Depending on where you are applying, I think that this could be a huge factor as to why you may never here anything.

2) Where are you looking? I've asked so many people this question and the main response is, "oh well I went to the mall and I gave out my resume to the stores I liked". Some people even go further and say that they have given their resume out to even the stores they don't like. This may not be enough anymore.
We are an electronically savvy generation and I think more people need to start utilizing career websites. Kijiji.com is an awesome place to start. I was on Kijiji with my boyfriend just the other day helping him apply to retail job postings and not only did he hear from a job immediately, he also had the job interview today and got the job!!
You must go out of your comfort zone of just going to malls and try experimenting with the online world. You should also take advantage of your career centre at school, look at bulletin boards at your local community centre, and make sure to have an online profile on Linkedin.com. Here is a link to mine if you have no idea what Linkedin is. http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=65443920&trk=tab_pro

LinkedIn is great way to sell yourself and I have also had a couple of people approach me on this site wanting to interview me for various retail positions. So as you can see, this site can be a very valuable tool to have!

3) What are you doing to show the stores that you stand out? It doesn't even matter if your not applying to a retail job, everyone should ask themselves that question. There are so many people wanting a retail job so you have got to find a way to stand out!
When I applied to Chapters, for the last time, I really wanted to show them how badly I wanted to work there. I have been applying to the Indigo/Chapters/Coles brand since I was 16 and I wasn't gonna let them say no to me anymore. I mentioned to my dad that I really wanted to work there and his advice was to go into one of the locations and talk to a manager about what they look for when hiring employees. So of course I did just that. The World's Biggest Bookstore gave me just the points I needed to stand out at my Ajax interview, which, I would get after bugging the manager for a couple of weeks (haha).
Anyways my point is, you must show these stores why you have got to work there. Many people that I have talked to about this "lack of jobs" issue, have said that they haven't followed up after submitting their resume.  KEY WORD: Persistence. I am a strong believer in if you want something bad enough, then you will find a way to get it.

Fun fact: I actually didn't get hired at Chapters as a sales associate at first. I got hired as a "Task Employee" meaning I would have to get up at 4:15 am everyday, start work at 5am and finish at 10am. I was willing to do whatever it took to work there and by showing them that, I really think that helped me stand out.

That's me on the left looking very happy on Valentines haha, one of my fav managers in the middle and a fellow happy employee on the right! 

Oh and if your wondering why the heck I was there so early haha well Chapters is so big that they need employees to come in early and shelve all the glorious books and merchandise. I truly loved it for a while...until school started and I could no longer keep my eyes open in class lol.

Here are some other factors as to why you may not be getting hired: 

1) Age - From my experience, a lot of retail stores are reluctant to hire between 16-18 so if you are at that age, that could be a huge factor as to why you may never here anything. If this is the case, it is very important for you to be persistent so they will see your maturity.

2) Presentability - Many people walk into retail locations with their mom or their friends when they apply and I assure you that that is a big NO! Retail managers want to see that you are mature and aren't shy enough to speak on your own as you will be dealing with a lot of customers all the time and you need to know how to deal on your own.
-Also you should always dress appropriately for whatever retail store you are applying at! Do some research on the style of the store and then dress yourself around that style.

3) Language - Really do your research as to what your favourite store stands for. What is their motto and what are their core values? Make sure you know this for the interview and cater all of your responses to these values.

xoxo