Retail Salesperson: Career Brief

When I was in college I spent one summer working at a clothing store in the mall. Before I started my job I looked forward to helping customers make selections, perhaps using some of what I learned in my marketing classes. Unfortunately I found myself spending most of my time straightening up racks of clothing and applying price tags to new inventory. Maybe I picked the wrong store. Customer service wasn't exactly a priority. To his credit, though, the store's owner was a huge philanthropist.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that there will be more job openings in retail sales than in any other field through the year 2014. If you think you might like working in this occupation (and if you are more selective about where you work than I was) read about the qualifications, earnings, and day-to-day activities of a retail salesperson.