Get ahead in the consumer products industry - Military Careers, Second Careers - Navy Times

Get ahead in the consumer products industry

Retail jobs — they’re not just for kids.

The retail industry is a multiheaded giant that includes department stores and drugstores, grocers and discount warehouses. But it’s even bigger than that, going beyond the building to include e-commerce and catalog sales.

And while retail often provides young people their first opportunity to earn minimum wage, that’s only one segment of retailing. As diverse as the array of goods to buy is the array of people responsible for all that merchandise. If you’re shopping for a second career, the retail industry is filled with aisles and aisles of jobs.

Stacie Bearden spent 22 years serving in the Marine Corps, most of that time as a reservist. She’s worked for a truckload carrier and as a college teacher. She retired as a lieutenant colonel and senior aviation logistics planner for Marine Corps Pacific. Now she’s in retail as the senior director of delivery for the Home Depot, a career move she never anticipated.

“I knew my leadership skills would easily transfer to other industries, but I felt the technical skills would serve me in a logistics/supply chain position,” Bearden said. “I have been working around planes, trains and trucks for the past 20 years.”

In some ways, Bearden is still doing that. She’s responsible for the Home Depot’s delivery operations — a job description that’s hard to fathom.

“My scope of responsibilities includes outbound customer deliveries from all of our 2,000-plus stores, all appliance deliveries and installations, the corporate fleet of trucks and personal vehicles, and our network of distribution centers that support customer project and home delivery. I’m frequently on the road, walking stores, walking distribution centers, meeting with providers and the like in the continental U.S., Hawaii, Alaska and the Caribbean.”

Bearden’s successful transition into retail is not that unusual. The industry is undergoing major alterations in an effort to keep up with changing consumer demands and advanced technologies.

Today’s shoppers know more about the product and what they want to spend than in years past, according to the National Retail Federation. They’re also less interested in spending time getting it. Add to that a competitive industry that offers increasingly improved and sophisticated merchandise, better in-store customer service and faster delivery of goods.

To get it all done, retailers are stepping up their recruiting efforts to draw talented people into their ranks, selling retailing as a career — not just a job.

The upshot for service members: Retail wants you.

“Military personnel bring leadership, discipline, loyalty and motivation, all of which can be contagious in a working environment and help to improve the overall performance and dedication,” said Shane Cornett, military transition recruiter for Lowe’s. Cornett served as a recruiter in the Army from 1988 to 2005. When he left the military, he went to work for Lowe’s as a human resources manager. He moved into his current position in August.

When Cornett talks to service members, he encourages them to consider the long-term career and promotion paths available in retail — not just the starting salary.

“Something I feel is important for transitioning military members to understand is that while Lowe’s is a retail company and doesn’t offer the extreme high-end salaries right away, Lowe’s does have outstanding bonus programs for their employees which are very realistic and attainable and will increase the annual income by several thousand dollars in many cases.”

Like other major retail outlets, Lowe’s offers 401(k) and employee stock purchase plans and other benefits, all of which add value to the big picture.

“I’ve had many candidates that are only interested in and looking at the salary offered. This is a big mistake when considering Lowe’s and many other companies,” Cornett said.

Selling your skills

Dawnn Devereaux has been onboard with Lowe’s in Lansdale, Pa., for three months. She left the military as an E-5 after 12 years on active duty as a medic. She was able to market her skills “outside the box” and is now a Lowe’s human resources manager.

“While my skill set did not exactly match, I figured working with patients in the medical field could be like working with customers in the store. When I looked at it like that, I was very successful in obtaining a job with Lowe’s. In addition, they recognized that I could be flexible and that I am open to new ideas.”

Given the industry’s push for quality employees, service members have an edge, if not an exact match. A supervisory background in the military translates well to retail supervisory and management jobs. The same is true of logistics, administrative and comptroller positions.

Younger service members and those with mechanical or technical training bring both transferable and intangible skills and make good candidates for retail leadership training programs. Some are specific to the military, like the Home Depot’s Operation Career Front. In an effort to recruit service members and military spouses, this initiative is a recruiting partnership among the departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs.

Bearden advises service members to focus on education and training while still in the service and to look for companies that offer additional leadership training to further their careers as civilians.

“Take advantage of educational programs while on active duty,” she said. “Advanced degrees will set you apart from other candidates. If joining Home Depot, take advantage of our leadership programs. While I did not join through one of them, they are a pipeline to enable our junior military officers to leverage their leadership skills while learning the Home Depot ropes.”

Career options snapshot

The range of career options in retail is vast. It includes non-supervisory to supervisory postsand corporate-level positions.

Information provided by the U.S. Department of Labor and the National Retail Federation lists these categories:

• Cashiers and sales associates. These are considered non-supervisory positions, and most pay hourly wages. Sales associates in clothing and general merchandise stores with no experience earn an average of $8 to $9 an hour. Those working in building supply and warehouse stores earn from $10 to $13 an hour. Most stores offer their employees discounts on merchandise. The larger the outlet, the better the chance of receiving benefits packages, commissions and other incentives.

• Bookkeeping and payroll positions. These are commonly full-time, salaried positions with annual pay of $29,000 to $32,000.

• Loss prevention associates. Military personnel often receive hiring preference, and many retailers don’t require a college degree or certification as a detective. Annual salaries average about $30,000.

• Sales supervisors and assistant managers. These jobs can range from sales worker supervisors to assistant floor managers to assistant store supervisors. Some retailers pay $12 to $16 an hour. Wages vary per outlet and region.

• Retail managers. Full-time department managers can earn about $35,000, while store managers in major chains can earn $40,000 to $50,000 annually.

• Merchandise buyers and purchasing agents. Buyers are responsible for buying the goods the outlet sells. Purchasing agents buy the goods the outlet uses to operate. Hiring managers look for candidates with college degrees and previous experience. Companies like to fill these positions from within. Starting salaries are generally $35,000 to $45,000.

In addition to these general categories, the retail industry is moving toward trade-specific positions. The remodeling and home improvement trend has sparked needs for flooring and carpet installers, paint makers, decorators and landscapers.

Electronics retailers now have whole departments staffed with personnel trained in computer repair and upgrades. Food and floral delivery needs have exploded, as have retailers specializing in party and theme goods.

“If you’ve been in the service, you just have to pick what you want to do, and there’s a retail job for you,” Lowe’s military transition recruiter Shane Cornett said.

For information on retail career opportunities, salaries and leadership and training programs, visit the National Retail Federation’s Web site.