Become a Cashier at Coles or Safeway

Not many would think a career as a cashier with Safeway or Coles could be all that exciting, lucrative or respected, however one may be surprised. A cashier at either of the large Supermarket chains isn’t in itself a fantastic position, however for the student it is a good option in terms of economics and time management.

A cashier works at the exit of a retail chain and is the place where the customer pays for their goods. It is often the only place where a customer will come into contact with the people side of the business, thus customer service by staff working on checkouts needs to be very good. Cashiers process cash, cheque, voucher and credit transactions, use registers, provide customer assistance and perform general duties around the front end of the store.

They also pack shopping bags and encourage the use of green environment bags. To be a successful service cashier, one needs to be efficient, learn quickly, be friendly and posses a high level of customer service skills, be a good communicator, have good money handling skills and take initiative as well as adhere to authority.

There are many ways to progress in terms of career, as a checkout operator. The first step is to become a supervisor, then Assistant/manager of the service department. From here most retail chains offer internal course where one can progress through the store management levels of Store Services Manager, Store Trading Manager or Store Manager. Most career opportunities are garnered from internally and do not take external applicants into management positions.

From here specialisation into HR, Union, Buying, Marketing, IT and a variety of other areas is possible. There are no educational requirements to become a checkout operator, however to improve promotion opportunities and general business knowledge certificate programs in Business can be undertaken. To gain positions in HR, IT and Marketing it is often advisable to hold a relevant degree. As a beginner cashier, annual earnings would be around $33K, however promotion can sometimes be speedy and wages increase accordingly.

Find a position in the Service Department of a retail chain, as well as more information here.