Job in about 50 words:
Are you fast, friendly and efficient? If so, you may have a future as a grocery store clerk. You'll run a cash register, stock groceries and provide prompt and friendly customer service.
Job skills/requirements: You'll get training on the job to help you work the cash register, bag items correctly and remember all those fruit and vegetable codes. But there are a few essential job requirements:
- Be 16+: You're dealing with money, so most places will require you to be at least 16 years old, if not older.
- Nights and weekends: Grocery stores are busiest at two times - after people get off work and on the weekends. You'll need to be flexible and available to work these shifts.
- Customer service skills: You will be helping busy and hurried customers with their orders in addition to managing other customer service issues. You need to enjoy being around people all day long!
- Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds: You have to have a few muscles on you for this job. You may be required to restock shelves or assist customers with heavy items, so you'll need to be able to lift boxes onto shelves or carts.
- Patience: You're going to be dealing with some stressed-out people who won't be in the best of moods. Be patient and try to keep smiling... however hard that might be.
Expected hours: Plan on being available 24/7. Depending on what shift you get, you could be working early in the morning getting the store ready to open, throughout the day helping customers, or even overnight when deliveries come in.
Dress the part: Most grocery stores will provide you with a logoed polo shirt or a logoed apron to wear with your own black or tan pants. Pretty casual!
Job myth: It's a boring job. Not only will you be working with everyone from college students to retired businesspeople, you're going to have some hilarious stories to tell your friends. Just wait till a customer comes to your aisle with 50 cans of pork and beans, a tub of Cool Whip and toilet paper and you have to ring him up with a straight face.
Career path:
- Grocery assistant manager ($45,000/year)
- Grocery store manager ($60,000/year)
- Top human resources executive for a grocery company ($200,000/year)
Take Note
- Great for summer
- Great first job
- No previous experience required
Industry:
Customer Service, Retail
Expected wage:
$8-$9/hr
Extra perks:
You'll get all sorts of perks from working at a grocery store. Some offer discounts on all the groceries you or your family buys there (your mom is gonna LOVE that) or stock purchase programs. This varies from store to store.
Celebrity sighting:
Late-night talk show legend David Letterman got his start stocking groceries at Atlas Grocery store in Indianapolis. We're betting he got some hilarious stories out of working there.
Similar positions:
Grocery cashier, Grocery team member and Seafood/bakery/produce clerk
Examples of employers with this position: