If you’re looking for a role in fashion, but aren’t sure where to start or you’re wondering what you can do without a fashion degree or years of industry experience, consider a role as a retail store manager. Not only are retail store managers in high demand right now, but taking on this role will help you develop both soft and hard transferable skills, offer invaluable experience in fashion and can open doors to exciting opportunities in the industry. Let’s discuss the value of retail store managers.

Get Your Foot in the Door of the Fashion Industry

With the return of brick and mortar and more people wanting to shop in-person, store managers are more important than ever and in high-demand. If you are looking to get your foot in the door of the fashion world, but unsure of where to start, this could be the chance you’ve been looking for. Consider a fashion brand you have always dreamed of working for and look to see if they are hiring store managers, key holder positions, or even retail positions that could lead to managerial roles. Many fashion brands hire from within, so starting at the store-level is a great way to demonstrate your skills, passion and drive to corporate-level hiring managers.

Gain Experience in Fashion

You may be surprised at how much you can learn about fashion being on the retail level. Having hands-on experience is invaluable in almost any profession. Working on the ground in a retail environment exposes you to so many opportunities and can be a great place to gain knowledge in the fashion industry. As a retail manager, you will learn about merchandising, textiles, how clothes fit on different bodies, up-and-coming trends and cycles, and maybe even be exposed to fashion buying. Each of these areas could lead to a different career in fashion. If you find yourself fascinated by textiles and fit, consider a job as a designer or stylist. Obsessed with following the trends that come through the store? Maybe a trend forecaster is in your future, or an editorial position at a magazine. If you love setting up windows and in-store displays, you may want to go on to be a fashion merchandiser.

Learn Invaluable Skills

Beyond specific knowledge and skills in fashion that you will pick up as a retail manager, there are a plethora of other soft skills as a manager that are great to have on your resume, which can transfer to just about any other job. Here are some of the skills you can take away from a retail manager position:

• Organization: Retail managers have to be super organized to succeed, with a store full of employees, you’ll be drafting schedules, monitoring sales and delegating tasks all day long.

• Interpersonal Skills: As the manager of a retail store you’ll be expected to deal with all different kinds of people (both your staff and clientele). You will likely need to deal with unsatisfied customers and consider creative ways to keep morale up amongst your workers.

• Leadership: As a manager, leadership will be your most important task. Your staff will look to you for guidance, including onboarding, mentorship, day-to-day tasks and more. 

You will also have many opportunities as a retail manager to hone your problem solving, communication, adaptability and critical thinking.

If you’re dreaming of a job in fashion, but don’t know where to begin, working as a retail manager could be the perfect opportunity for you right now. A retail manager position is a great way to expose yourself to different fashion career paths and currently one of the most in-demand jobs in fashion. So get your resume ready and start applying to your favourite stores!

Are you interested in a position as a fashion retail manager? Discover the current openings on the Style Nine to Five job board!

Sheila O’Neill is a creative, innovative and inspiring storyteller with a background in fashion.

Feature Image: Adobe Stock