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Career Details
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Career Details

41-1011.00 - First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers


Directly supervise and coordinate activities of retail sales workers in an establishment or department. Duties may include management functions, such as purchasing, budgeting, accounting, and personnel work, in addition to supervisory duties.


Key Facts
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Bright Outlook
1
Career Details
Green Job
Career Details
Current Employment
1,537,800
Estimate
Forecasted Employment
1,605,400
Estimate
Change in Employment
+67,600
Estimate
Change in Employment %
+4.4%
Estimate
Tasks
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Tasks
The tasks listed below can be performed to prepare you for a career in this field.
Core
  • Provide customer service by greeting and assisting customers and responding to customer inquiries and complaints.
  • Monitor sales activities to ensure that customers receive satisfactory service and quality goods.
  • Assign employees to specific duties.
  • Direct and supervise employees engaged in sales, inventory-taking, reconciling cash receipts, or in performing services for customers.
  • Inventory stock and reorder when inventory drops to a specified level.
  • Keep records of purchases, sales, and requisitions.
  • Enforce safety, health, and security rules.
  • Examine products purchased for resale or received for storage to assess the condition of each product or item.
  • Perform work activities of subordinates, such as cleaning and organizing shelves and displays and selling merchandise.
  • Establish and implement policies, goals, objectives, and procedures for the department.
  • Instruct staff on how to handle difficult and complicated sales.
  • Estimate consumer demand and determine the types and amounts of goods to be sold.
  • Examine merchandise to ensure that it is correctly priced and displayed and that it functions as advertised.
  • Plan and prepare work schedules and keep records of employees' work schedules and time cards.
  • Review inventory and sales records to prepare reports for management and budget departments.
  • Confer with company officials to develop methods and procedures to increase sales, expand markets, and promote business.
Supplemental
  • Hire, train, and evaluate personnel in sales or marketing establishments, promoting or firing workers when appropriate.
  • Formulate pricing policies for merchandise, according to profitability requirements.
  • Plan and coordinate advertising campaigns and sales promotions and prepare merchandise displays and advertising copy.
  • Establish credit policies and operating procedures.
  • Plan budgets and authorize payments and merchandise returns.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Knowledge
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Knowledge

The items listed below are organized into sections that contain knowledge useful for pursuing a career in this field. Each section also contains a "Percentage of Importance" statistic that shows how relevant an item is to the occupation.
 Customer and Personal Service
  • 96%
    Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
 Administration and Management
  • 90%
    Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
 Sales and Marketing
  • 79%
    Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
 English Language
  • 77%
    Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
 Education and Training
  • 72%
    Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
 Personnel and Human Resources
  • 67%
    Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
 Computers and Electronics
  • 66%
    Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
 Mathematics
  • 66%
    Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
 Economics and Accounting
  • 64%
    Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
 Clerical
  • 64%
    Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
 Public Safety and Security
  • 58%
    Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
 Production and Processing
  • 56%
    Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
 Foreign Language
  • 52%
    Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Tools
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Tools
The tools listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Holding and clamping tools
  • Adjustable widemouth pliers
  • Hammer pliers
 Wrenches and drivers
  • Adjustable wrenches
  • Screwdrivers
 Computer data input devices
  • Barcode scanners
  • Credit card processing machines
  • Magnetic card readers
  • PC magnetic card readers
  • Telecheck processing terminals
 Computers
  • Desktop computers
  • Personal computers
  • Personal digital assistants PDA
  • Point of sale POS computer terminals
 Duplicating machines
  • Laser facsimile machines
 Computer printers
  • Laser printers
 Currency vending machines
  • Money order terminals
 Surveillance and detection equipment
  • Security cameras
  • Security monitors
 Tags
  • Sensormatic systems
 Audio and visual equipment
  • Video cassette recorders VCR
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Technology
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Technology
The technologies listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Content management software
  • Adobe Systems Adobe AcrobatHOT
 Content authoring and editing software
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Fireworks
  • Adobe Systems Adobe IllustratorHOT
  • Adobe Systems Adobe InDesignHOT
  • Adobe Systems Adobe PhotoshopHOT
  • Apple Final Cut Pro
  • FacebookHOT
  • Google DocsHOT
  • LinkedInHOT
  • Microsoft ExcelHOT
  • Microsoft PowerPointHOT
  • Microsoft Publisher
  • Microsoft VisioHOT
  • Microsoft WordHOT
  • Qualitech Solutions Dynamic Scheduling
  • Scheduling software
  • SmugMug FlickrHOT
  • Social media sitesHOT
  • TimeTrak Systems SchedTrak
  • YouTubeHOT
 Industry specific software
  • American Precision Instruments Regit
  • ASI Point of Sale
  • Attitude POS itive AccuPOS Retail
  • Autodesk RevitHOT
  • Bibase 4POS Retail
  • CAP Automation SellWise
  • ComCash
  • CompuTant CounterPoint
  • CyberMatrix POS
  • Datasym SYMFINITE
  • EZ Software Solutions
  • IBM SPSS StatisticsHOT
  • Infocorp Computer Solutions $mart System
  • Infocorp Softwear/POS
  • Intuit QuickBooks Point of Sale
  • LOB RetailPoint
  • Logisoft Positive Pos System
  • ManageMore Cellular Manager
  • Master Merchant Systems Music Store
  • MicroBiz
  • Millennium Software Atrex
  • MinitabHOT
  • Plexis Software Plexis POS
  • Point of sale POS bookstore software
  • Point of sale POS parts and services software
  • Point of sale POS software
  • RiscStation POSSum
  • Sage DacEasy
  • SASHOT
  • SBS Keystroke
  • Semicron Systems
  • Softpedia ShopInvo
  • StataCorp Stata
  • System3 POS software
  • The General Store
  • The Retail Solution
  • True North Computer Retail Plus
  • VeriFone PC Charge Pro
  • Vigilant
  • Visual Retail Plus
  • WinMan SureSell
 Data management and query software
  • Data entry softwareHOT
  • FileMaker Pro
  • Gift registry software
  • Google AnalyticsHOT
  • IBM Cognos ImpromptuHOT
  • Microsoft AccessHOT
  • Microsoft DynamicsHOT
  • MicroStrategyHOT
  • Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise EditionHOT
  • Oracle softwareHOT
  • Qlik Tech QlikViewHOT
  • Salesforce softwareHOT
  • TableauHOT
  • Teradata DatabaseHOT
  • YardiHOT
 Finance accounting and enterprise resource planning ERP software
  • Delphi Technology
  • Hagel Unitime Systems
  • Kronos Enterprise Workforce ManagementHOT
  • Kronos Workforce Timekeeper
  • Lathem Time PayClock EZ
  • Oracle E-Business Suite Financials
  • Oracle Fusion ApplicationsHOT
  • Oracle HyperionHOT
  • Oracle PeopleSoft FinancialsHOT
  • Payroll software
  • Sage 50 Accounting
  • SAPHOT
  • TimeTrak Systems ClocTrack
 Business function specific software
  • Exact Software
  • Google AdWordsHOT
  • Google DriveHOT
  • Human resource management software HRMS
  • Inventory management software
  • Microsoft OfficeHOT
  • Microsoft ProjectHOT
  • Microsoft SharePointHOT
  • Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio ManagementHOT
  • Oracle TaleoHOT
  • Time card software
 Information exchange software
  • Google Meet
  • IBM NotesHOT
  • Microsoft OutlookHOT
 Operating environment software
  • Handheld computer device software
  • Microsoft WindowsHOT
 Network applications software
  • Internet browser software
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Certifications
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Certifications
The certifications listed below are useful to pursue if you are interested in a career in this field.
 Advanced
 Product/Equipment
  • Oracle Retail Predictive Application Server 13 Configuration Essentials
    500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065800-833-3536

  • Oracle Retail Demand Forecasting 13.3 Functional Implementer Certified Implementation Specialist
    500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065800-833-3536

  • IBM Certified Implementation Professional - DemandTec Price Optimization V13.x
    1133 Westchester Avenue White Plains, NY 10604404-238-1234 (outside U.S.)

 Core
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Licensing
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Licensing
The licensing information below is organized into sections and is useful for pursuing if you are interested in a career in this field.
No specific licensing information is listed for this occupation in the area you have selected.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Related Programs
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Online Programs related to this career, offered by participating institution(s), are listed below.

Clicking on the Degree programs in the list below will take you away from the Careers page.
INSTITUTION
PROGRAMS
Brightpoint Community College
Eastern Shore Community College
Germanna Community College
J Sargeant Reynolds Community College
Laurel Ridge Community College
Mountain Gateway Community College
Northern Virginia Community College
Paul D. Camp Community College
Rappahannock Community College
Southside Virginia Community College
Tidewater Community College
Virginia Peninsula Community College
Virginia Western Community College
Wytheville Community College