If you want to become a general cashier, pleasant communication skills and the ability to stand for most of the work shift are important qualifications. Grade 12 or a General Equivalency Diploma (G.E.D.) may be preferred, but retailers may forgo their requirement if candidates have cashiering experience and references. Some experience using a cash register and handling money may be easy to gain if you can volunteer at fundraising events or in concession stands run by sports clubs. When you’re ready to apply for local jobs to become a general cashier, consider all of your options such as supermarkets, restaurants, movie theaters, specialty shops and department stores.
It’s a good idea to apply to become a general cashier both at businesses that advertised openings and ones that didn’t. In the case of advertised jobs, you may be competing with many others that have more experience than you. Still, it’s worth applying anyway and selling your skills; the fact that they’re advertising for cashiers may mean that they need workers right away and are willing to take a chance on hiring you. When looking for unadvertised general cashiering jobs, it’s a good idea to speak only to the manager about possible work since a cashier or other worker in the store may not even be aware of upcoming openings.
Since most cashiers receive on-the-job training, employers tend to look for people who learn easily and seem willing to stay with the company more than just a short time. Many retailers don’t want to invest resources in training a person to become a general cashier, only to have him or her quit within a few weeks or months. Another thing employers look for in cashiers is reliability. They expect workers to show up consistently for their shifts and work hard while they’re on the job.
If you want to become a general cashier, you’ll have to be prepared to uphold store policies while also being polite and respectful to customers. This isn’t always easy, especially if you’re tired or have already had a challenging workday. Memorizing product cash register codes, handling coupons and processing bank card payments are other common duties of general cashiers. Working evenings or weekends may also be required.
