Advance Your Career
Retail is a people business. The best investment you can make is in yourself. We’ve compiled the best resources to continue your development.
Climb the Retail Ladder
There are two resources for identifying core retail skills: the Retail Careers: Common Skills for Employability and Pathways to Advancement brochure (PDF) and the free Core Score Assessment tool.
The brochure highlights critical skills for retail career success: Communications, Drive for Results, Customer Service, Adaptability, Critical Thinking, Retail Occupational Knowledge and Leadership.
The Core Score Assessment tool is a free, brief survey that identifies your strengths and development opportunities for pursuing a retail career. You receive the assessment results report immediately and you are linked to free training for your development opportunities.
TRAINING & EDUCATION
Retail training and education starts with foundational skills or credentials that can help you obtain a retail job. Additional training and education will support you in advancing your career in retail. At the top of the pyramid, are the Bachelor degree programs in Arizona that are focused on retail.
Foundational Skills
Those seeking retail advancement should prioritize their GED, English language fluency, and digital literacy.
Get Your GED
English as a Second Language Certification
Digital Literacy Skills
RETAIL CREDENTIALS
Retail Industry Fundamentals
This course is best for someone looking for a first job in retail and/or developing workplace readiness skills. Retail Industry Fundamentals is a 10-lesson program that allows learners to explore the business of retail, customer service, sales and merchandising.
Customer Service & Sales
This course is perfect for someone interested in or currently in a customer-facing role. When you enroll in this course, you’ll master customer service and sales including assessing customer needs, understanding the customer life cycle, engaging customers, and closing sales.
Business of Retail
This course is perfect for someone interested in advancing a career, or a student needing to better understand how a business is run. When you enroll in this course, you’ll learn about merchandising, marketing, store operations, loss prevention, workplace safety, pricing strategies, and calculating profits and discounts.
Retail Management Certificate
The Retail Management Certificate (RMC) is designed to prepare individuals working in the retail industry, and related fields, for the industry training needs in supervision and management, marketing, financial management, and business planning.
COMMUNITY COLLEGE Certifications
Retail Managment Certificate
The Retail Managment Certificate is designed to provide knowledge in the following areas: computer concepts of information processing, supervision, and human relations.
The Associates in Applied Science
The Associates in Applied Science (AAS) in Retail Management is designed to prepare individuals working in the retail management, food industry, and related fields, for the mid-level management position challenges of the future.
Retail Management Degrees
A degree in retail and sales management prepares graduates to work in management positions in retail, service industries, and marketing. You will complete courses in marketing, leadership, and customer service. After graduation, you can work as an analyst, consultant, or manager. Both Arizona State University and the University of Arizona offer such programs.
