The Trials and Tribulations of Working at the Mall

If you are like most teenagers in need of college savings, you may be considering a job at the mall.  If you’re not lucky enough to find another job, take pride in the ease of working retail:

1. You can use the experience to develop cashier skills, training experience, and organization skills.  Don’t feel you are too young to learn some real business skills from a retail store.
2. Be on time; leave on time.  Staying late is the demise of anyone who has ever had to close a store.  Don’t waste your shift.  There are always nights where you can’t help getting caught up in customer service overload, but on a typical night, you should be able to work in between direct contact with customers.  Tidy up.  Straighten up.  
3. Communicate your needs with your boss.  If you have exam week and your boss somehow doesn’t seem to understand that meticulously folding t-shirts is not your career goal then, it’s not worth the extra cash.  You’re better off quitting and focusing on your studies.  Find another job. 
4. When you go to a job interview, ask about the expectations.
5. Make a budget.  Why are you working?  Plan the amount you need and what you will spend and what you will save.