Sales assistants are junior employers who assist sales team members with generating revenue. In many instances, someone wishing to become a part-time sales assistant has to have prior industry-related experience. Some firms employ entry-level workers as sales assistants while in other instances these individuals must undergo extensive training and may even have to obtain licenses.
Many sales assistants are employed by retail stores and these individuals are often entry-level workers. Some companies prefer sales assistants to have prior cash handling experience since they are usually responsible for processing client transactions and using cash registers and sales terminals. Additionally, many employers require assistants to have completed high school, although retailers do not normally require junior sales team members to have college degrees. Part-time workers typically work half as many hours as full-time employees, which means that retail sales jobs are often ideal for students or people whose other commitments prevent them from holding down a full-time job. Nevertheless, many employers require anyone wishing to become a part-time sales assistant to have sufficient flexibility to cover the shifts of other workers during staff shortages.
Financial companies employ sales assistants who are responsible for setting appointments for investment and mortgage brokers. In many countries, loan officers and investment representatives must hold licenses. Consequently, someone wishing to become a part-time sales assistant for a financial firm must first pass the local or national regulatory agency’s licensing exam. Some firms also require those involved with financial transactions to have completed an undergraduate degree in finance, economics or a related topic.
Sales assistants are often the first representatives of a firm to have interactions with clients, and those wishing to become an assistant must usually possess good sales and interpersonal skills. People with prior experience as customer service representatives are often able to land assistants jobs. Additionally, sales assistants have to keep track of revenue goals and sales targets so these individuals must have good organizational and administrative skills. Some firms prefer to hire sales assistants who have completed administrative training classes at community colleges.
Many firms attempt to keep staffing costs low by employing two part-time employees who receive no benefits rather than one full-time employee. Therefore, someone planning to become a part-time sales assistant must have the ability to work as part of a team alongside another part-time assistant and in support of a fully-fledged sales representative. Some companies hire multiple part-time assistants who possess different skills in which case an associate may have to possess second language skills or other industry specific experience.
