The world of work is undergoing drastic transformations these days (Guffey 5) and the working experience becomes one of the most important factors which may influence the employer’s decision regarding hiring the personnel. My working experience for the present day is not as rich as I would like it to be, but I have already learned some things which will be useful for me in the future. From October 5, 2007, till October 10, 2008, I worked as a cashier in Oakland, CA. A job of a cashier includes definite duties and requires attention and responsibility; it is easy to cope with all the challenges this job may entail if one has a desire to learn and gain experience.
- What were the job and location?
- What were the main duties and obligations?
- What were the challenges the job entailed?
During my work as a cashier, I had a number of duties and obligations. I ensured fast and friendly customer service communicating with the customers and helping them to choose what they were going to purchase. I also answered numerous phone calls and solved different problems with people I worked with. Moreover, I watched my work area remain clean and organized because this, like nothing else, helps to create the necessary working atmosphere. Lastly, I operated a cash register and processed cash as well as credit cards.
Any work demands certain skills which may be achieved by special training. I did not know much when I started working as a cashier, but each day I learned something new and useful. Cashiers guide people through the process of their purchase scanning the purchased items, taking money, and completing the transaction. Despite all the responsibility this work involves, it usually requires little or no experience. The cashiers are expected to have good manual dexterity and mathematical skills, but the most important is that they should be able to accurately do repetitious work. Learning how to work with the cash register does not require much time; what matters here is to stay attentive all the time and memorize all the necessary key combinations.
The work of a cashier also demands responsibility. A cashier cannot easily leave his/her working place, because the sums of money he/she is responsible for are often quite big. Cash register shortages may occur because of being inattentive. Sometimes the cashier can simply return the missing money from his/her own salary, but very often shortages result in dismissal for they are the sign of inaccuracy and incompetence of the cashier. Attention is a key to success in the job of a cashier, and any distraction during the day may hinder this success.
Taking into consideration everything mentioned above, it can be concluded that any work demands skills and devotion. Thus, the work of a cashier requires an ability to communicate with the customers, practical skills of work with the cash register, certain mathematical skills, and the ability to do repetitious and monotonous work with the greatest possible attention. Challenges that one may encounter at the beginning of the work may be easily overcome with time. All it takes is some experience and the ability to adapt to the changes easily. My working as a cashier helped me to acquire the necessary experience and served as a preparation for a more serious job I will easily cope with in the future.