Personal shopper

As a personal shopper, you will:

• meet customers who’ve booked an appointment
•  get to know customers’ likes, dislikes and budget
•  select goods or services in store or online that fulfil customers’ needs
•  meet individual and team sales targets
•  make sure unsold goods are returned to the right departments
•  follow store and online security procedures on payment, packing and collection
•  use computer systems for customer records

• customer service skills
• the ability to work well with others
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• the ability to sell products and services
• sensitivity and understanding
• the ability to use your initiative
• excellent verbal communication skills
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

You can get into this job through:

• a college course
• an apprenticeship
• working towards this role
• applying directly
• specialist courses run by private training organisations

With experience, you could become a personal shopping manager, in charge of a team, or move into retail buying and merchandising.

You could also start your own business and work freelance on behalf of a number of stores, or shop for individual clients.