Careers in Retail and Hospitality

If you are passionate about customer service, there are plenty of career options in the growing Retail and Hospitality industry.

Enquire Now

Careers in Retail and Hospitality

The retail and hospitality industries are among the largest in Australia and include some of the most stable career opportunities.

If you're passionate about professional management and providing the very best customer service, then working in retail and hospitality will allow you to turn that into your new career. When you enrol with Foundation Education, you will have a clear pathway to a challenging, yet rewarding and flexible career.

What to Expect from a Career in Retail and Hospitality

The retail industry involves the buying and/or selling of goods to the general public or to businesses. There is a wide range of industries within that can include food and beverage, clothing, footwear and personal accessories, recreational goods, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. No matter which industry you choose to step into, you can expect to have the following duties and responsibilities:

Welcoming customers and providing assistance
Organising inventory and other administrative tasks
Processing transactions and sales

The hospitality industry is made up of businesses that provide accommodation such as motels, food and drink services such as cafes, restaurants, pubs, taverns and bars and hotels. No matter which industry you choose to step into, you can expect to have the following duties and responsibilities:

Managing budgets
Meeting and greeting customers, providing great service and resolving complaints
Managing staff and ensuring all training is up to date

To learn more about what to expect from the retail and hospitality industry, check out these amazing articles from our blog:

Hospitality professional enjoying their working environment

Male retail worker performing duties at his workplace

Essential Skills for Retail and Hospitality

In order to perform your role to the best of your ability, there are some essential skills that will ensure you have a successful career in the retail and hospitality industries. They include:

Teamwork – to work effectively with others in order to meet a high standard
Multi-Tasking – for juggling multiple tasks in a calm and concise manner
Time Management – so that all aspects of a business or organisation such as scheduling are running smoothly
Communication – to effectively engage with customers so that they have the best experience.

Retail and Hospitality Industry Insights

Since suffering a major decline due to the effects of the Covid-19 lockdowns, the employment levels of retail and hospitality industries have returned to their pre-pandemic numbers.

In the retail workforce, employment levels are expected to increase from 1,299,800 in 2021 to 1,340,200 by 2025. For the hospitality industry, the numbers are expected to increase from 795,200 in 2021 to 846,400 by 2025.

Your Retail and Hospitality Career Starts Here

For the full list of nationally recognised qualifications, view our retail and hospitality courses.

Retail Sales Assistant

The various duties of a Retail Sales Assistant include:

Provide in-depth product and service advice
Monitor and maintain stock supplies and advise stock orders as required
Attend to merchandise displays and store presentation

Courses

SIR30216 Certificate III in Retail Operations

Retail Supervisor

The various duties of a Retail Supervisor include:

Responsible for hiring and training employees as well as scheduling shifts
Managing finances and preparing budgets
Evaluating the supply and availability of stocks, and profit-margins

Courses

SIR30216 Certificate III in Retail Operations

Reception Front Desk Staff

The various duties of a Reception Front Desk Staff include:

Serve visitors by greeting, welcoming, and directing them appropriately
Answer phone queries from visitors and vendors
Ensure reception area is tidy and presentable, with all necessary stationery and material