Transfer Skills Retail Managers Can Leverage. A Smooth Career Switch Out of Retail

Whether you're on the sales floor, stocking shelves in the back, or working at the managerial level, retail is challenging. When you climb higher, there is inventory management, vendor contact, contract conflict resolution, training, recruitment, and administrative work. While this role has rewarding aspects, many want to transition out of the industry but feel stuck.?

Changing careers is possible, but it requires some convincing as the job seeker. It's common for hiring managers to lack formal training in recruitment, screening, and hiring. So when they have to think about hiring (which is not enjoyable in the first place), they often choose someone who's already done the job before. They select the traditional candidate over a career switcher. Not because it's the best hire but because it's the easiest.?

You can make it easy for hiring managers to see why your career journey makes sense in this industry. And why hiring you is a no-brainer because of your applicable functional and interpersonal skills. Spell it out for hiring managers to ensure they don't see your application as a risk but as an exciting, unconventional choice to give them a slight edge over their competitors.?

Here are a few transferable skills retail managers can leverage when making an industry career switch.?

Building and maintaining relationships??

Retail managers develop invaluable soft skills that will enrich and positively impact any team they join. Talent Acquisition Coordinator Ferbie Montano , says that "retail managers are some of the best communicators you'll ever come in contact with, and they know how to match tone and feeling with anybody they're doing business with," a necessary skill that aids business development and better client relationships for all mid to high-level roles in all industries.

On-site adaptability

To manage in retail is to learn adaptability. In an inherently demanding position, retail managers expertly shape shift into roles the company needs. With wearing several hats, they aren't just managers but often "jump into every position the store has as needed," as Store Manager Amanda Worley expertly phrases. This flexibility makes them invaluable employees on any team they join.?

In short, if you're a retail manager looking to shift your professional attention. An industry switch is possible. Think. How can you frame your career portfolio to clearly draw the connection between your transferable soft and hard skills and the role you're applying for? Learn to do that, and hiring managers won't see your candidacy as a risk but an asset.

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