What to wear for a retail job interview

You should wear dress slacks or khakis, a button-up shirt or polo, dark socks, and dress shoes, while women can also wear a pants-suit or skirt-suit, blouse, hosiery, and closed-toed shoes for a retail job interview.

What is a retail sales consultant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Experts

Peter Weiss Ph.D., P.E.,

Joseph Hancock

A retail sales consultant is a person who works in a retail store and is responsible for assisting customers with their shopping needs. They provide product information, offer recommendations, and help customers find the right products. They may also handle transactions and handle customer complaints or returns. In addition to providing excellent customer service, retail sales consultants are often responsible for ensuring that products are displayed in an attractive and organized manner.

What general advice would you give to a Retail Sales Consultant?

Peter Weiss Ph.D., P.E.

Professor, Website

Interpersonal skills and communication will become more important, but they have been very important for a very long time. Additionally, computer skills will also become more important. For example, learning CAD software or software specific to your area of work will become more important. In a combination of interpersonal skills and computer skills, learning how to stay connected with colleagues, your employer, and your superiors in this post-Covid time period will become more important. While it rarely occurred prior to Covid, it is common now for people to work remotely for at least some of the work week. It used to be that if you had a question you could walk down the hallway and ask a colleague but, with remote work occurring more frequently, this is becoming more difficult. So, it will be more important, especially for new graduates, to be able to maintain these lines of communication, build relationships, and communicate clearly while they and/or their colleagues are working remotely.

ScoreRetail Sales ConsultantUS Average

Salary

3.3

Avg. Salary $42,323

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

6.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.55%

Asian 6.88%

Black or African American 11.01%

Hispanic or Latino 22.12%

Unknown 5.08%

White 54.36%

Gender

female 40.07%

male 59.93%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress Level

6.2

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

4.5

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

8.5

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Retail Sales Consultant?

Pros

Opportunity for commission and bonuses
Opportunity for career advancement
Ability to work in a team-oriented environment
Opportunity to build relationships with repeat customers
Discounted or free merchandise

Cons

Long hours on your feet
Dealing with difficult and sometimes angry customers
Constant pressure to meet sales goals and targets
Difficult to balance customer service with sales goals
High turnover rate and lack of job security

Key steps to become a retail sales consultant

Explore retail sales consultant education requirements

Most common retail sales consultant degrees

Bachelor's

53.3 %

Associate

20.1 %

High School Diploma

18.0 %

Start to develop specific retail sales consultant skills

Skills	Percentages
Retail Sales	26.31%
Customer Satisfaction	10.72%
POS	7.68%
Sales Objectives	7.64%
Customer Relationships	6.41%

Complete relevant retail sales consultant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New retail sales consultants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a retail sales consultant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real retail sales consultant resumes.

Gain additional retail sales consultant certifications

Retail sales consultant certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific retail sales consultant certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for retail sales consultants include Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).

More About Certifications

Research retail sales consultant duties and responsibilities

Achieve quarterly and yearly bonus goals by controlling business expenses and effectively managing payroll costs.
Excel selling requirements with geek squad protection, attachment rate, and sales quota.
Exploit selling techniques such as up-selling/ bundling to improve sale quotas.
Promote Samsung products as a subject matter expert to target specific sales goals.

Prepare your retail sales consultant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your retail sales consultant resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a retail sales consultant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Retail Sales Consultant Resume templates

Build a professional Retail Sales Consultant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Retail Sales Consultant resume.