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Many young adults have their first work experience in retail. It is an industry always looking for new talent and is a great place to start building a career.

The retail industry offers substantial employment opportunities because part-time and temporary work is plentiful in a wide variety of formats ranging from small, independent retailers to national and multinational retail chains. Solid store experience can lead to an array of retail management and store support career ladders. A college degree can afford direct entry into management training programs and regional/corporate level career paths.

Retail trade employers struggle to attract and retain the best and brightest employees because of the misperception that jobs are low-wage and lack growth potential. In reality, today's retail trade careers are more than just cashier and sales associate positions; they encompass information technology, marketing, communications, loss prevention, finance, and merchandise sourcing.

According to the National Retail Federation Foundation, the specific paths one can try in retail are:

• Sales and Operations - which includes sales, store operations, and loss prevention;
• Management - which includes store management, marketing/advertising, finance, and human resources;
• Merchandise Flow - which includes IT/E-commerce, Distribution/Logistics/Supply Chain management, and Merchandise Buying/Planning; and
• Entrepreneurship.

The retail trade industry is a dynamic field with diverse career ladders, a wide range of employee benefits, and on-the-job training that is increasingly driven by high-end technology that requires advanced skills. Education leading to a high school diploma or equivalent is important for employment entry in retail. Employers increasingly seek graduates from junior and community colleges, technical colleges, and universities. College graduates will fill most new management positions.

While structured training at smaller stores is generally brief, on-the-job training is continuous for committed employees who demonstrate initiative and often takes a mentoring form. At larger companies, initial training tends to be very structured, often lasting several days, and may be instructor-led and computer/video-based. Supplemental training in the form of on-the-job, instructor-led, computer/video-based, self-paced, and coaching is offered at various stages of employee tenure, supporting career advancement.

The range of options and the potential advancement in retail is wide open for anyone interested in this enormous industry.

(Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and National Retail Federation Foundation)