HOW TO GET THERE
Typical pathway
A typical pathway is to finish secondary school and then look for an entry-level cashier job while building customer service experience. Some students gain this through part-time, evening, weekend, or summer work in retail, grocery, food service, or other customer-facing places. Training is often short and given by the employer, covering the cash register, scanning items, handling different payment methods, basic math, and store procedures. Good communication, accuracy, and a friendly attitude are useful. Requirements can vary by employer, province, and the kind of store or service setting.
THE WORK
What you may do
Legacy duties
- Greet customers
- Establish or identify price of goods, services or admission and tabulate total payment required using electronic or other cash register, optical price scanner or other equipment
- Weigh produce and bulk foods
- Receive and process payments by cash, cheque, credit card or automatic debit
- Wrap or place merchandise in bags
- Provide information to customers
- Assist sports spectators and theatre patrons with seat selection
- Calculate foreign currency exchange
- Calculate total payments received at end of work shift and reconcile with total sales
- May accept reservations and take-out orders
- May also stock shelves and clean check-out counter area.
SKILLS TO BUILD