How to Break Out of a Retail Job and Land a Dream Job

I spent three years working in retail at Sears. At first I worked on commission as an electronics salesman. I did fairly well for myself and enjoyed the part-time flexibility that went with the job. I was still enrolled in school at the University of Connecticut, and the job was exactly what I was looking for to bring in extra money.

Time passed and I entered my final semester at UConn with no job prospects in site. Graduation came and went. There I was with my brand new business degree and unemployed. I dropped a few resumes here and there but nothing fruitful came of that. About 6 months after I got my degree I waltzed back in to Sears to see if I could work at my old job (just till I ended up with my dream job).

Here's were I made a mistake that many people make. I was offered a Lead position (kind of like a manager but not really) at a whopping $12.50 and hour. Now I realize that's not a lot of money but it was guaranteed money and I had bills to pay. So I accepted the job. Thus creating my need for the job. That is where I believe people get caught up in retail. They lose the option of something better, perhaps selling themselves short.

After 6 months of long hours and angry customers I stumbled out of retail by luck. I landed a contracting job at the world's biggest pharmaceutical company making much more per hour than the Sears gig. I've been working on various contracts for the last two and a half years.

Here is a list of the top 5 things you need to break out of a retail job:

1) Get your resume up to date and make several versions of it - I know you were expecting this but really this is your calling card to a better job. The goal is to get in the door for an interview and your resume is the key. Make a few versions to look more appealing to different job titles.

2) Get certified - This is one area of I learned about after I got away from retail. Employers want to see that you understand what they need. They want to see some acronym that says I put extra time into getting here for an interview. In my line of work, which is Information technology, the hot certification is PMP (Project Management Professional). Check out www.pmi.org. Also for help with filling out your application read this:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/765729/how_to_fill_out_you_project_management.html?cat=31

3) Check out websites who contract to larger companies - Do some research and track down these hiring agencies. Most of these companies will attempt to keep you long term and even offer decent benefits. www.dice.com is my favorite site.

4) Network - Join a group like www.pmi.org and attend the monthly meetings. Listen to co-workers talk, maybe someone has an in at a larger company (that's what happened to me). Go to job fairs but mainly talk to your friends. Know someone who has a good job? Ask him about it. This is how to network.

5) Apply, apply, and apply - Honestly, don't be intimidated by requirements. If you are relatively close to the requirements then apply. Remember the whole idea is to get into an interview. DO NOT LIE on your resume. You can apply for any job regardless of the requirements. You never know how many people have applied; there is always a chance.

You must be diligent in leaving your retail job. Do not let anyone know you are leaving until you accept a job. Quietly do your work and post your resumes. Make sure you use key words in your resume to gain attention. Most resumes now days are looked at by a computer running a filter looking for key words and the number of incidents it finds in a resume. For example if the job is for project manager then you better make sure that the word "project" shows up in your resume at least ten times.

I'm not saying retail is a bad job. What I am saying is that retail is not a fit for everyone and there are other higher paying jobs out there. With a little research and a little effort you might be looking at a decent raise and some great opportunities. Start hunting today.