Educational Materials, Job guides, Career articles » Careers » Check Out Clerks: Job Description, Education, Skills and Duties, Earnings and Outlook:Job Description, Education, Skills and Duties, Earnings and Outlook

Check Out Clerks: Job Description, Education, Skills and Duties, Earnings and Outlook:Job Description, Education, Skills and Duties, Earnings and Outlook

Submitted by: paula

Job Overview Everytime we purchase items from the different establishment or stores, we have to settle or bills to the cashier counter. The people who man the cashier or check out counters are called the the check out clerks or the store cashiers. They are being employed by the many different businesses to include the groceries and supermarkets as well as the department stores and boutiques. They are in charge of the computation of the total amount purchaed and overall handling of the money recieved from the clients and customers. 

Education, Knowledge and Trainings Required

There is no specific minimum requirements to become a check out clerk or a grocery cashier. To be able to prepare oneself to become a cashier in the future, courses such as bookkeeping, typing, business arithmetic and machine operations are advised to be taken. A two year course in community colleges and business schools can be taken in areas such as marketing and secretarial courses.

Skills and Abilities

People skills and interpersonal skills are very important to be honed in this job as they will be continuously entertaining customers with their purchases every now and then. Techincal skills in operating the cash register and the optical scanners are among the technical competencies that should be developed. In addition, communication skills will help them relate with the customers and their co-workers well for a better working rapport.

Duties

The most basic duty of these check out clerks is to handle the cash or the money in different forms such as from cheques credit cards as well as gift certificates of the customers. They are responsible in operating the cash register. Cash register do the recording of all the monetary transactions  going to and from the cashier's counter.

It also computes for the total amount purchased and total money that has been taken in and given out to the customers. Transactions might involve any of the following: purchasing, refunds, exhanges cash and credit card as well as gift certificate and cheques charges. The cash register that they operate also takes note of the tally of the specific products that are sold for the purpose of inventory. Today, item scanners aid them to make their work easier and faster as these automatically register the code corresponding to the item and the prices of each.

Job Outlook and Earnings

Since this job does not require a high educational attainment and the duties are not specialized, the salary for a check out clerk is not at all high as compared to the other types of jobs. The average yearly income for a grocery cashier for example is around 16,250 U.S. dollars or an hourly rate of more or less 11-13 U.S. dollars/hour.Also, the employment is expected to grow more slowly than the average until the year 2014 as predicated by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Paula Hiz is a researcher and a human resource specialist who helps newly graduates, job applicants and post graduate professionals be aware of their job opportunities and available trainings for skills and practice upgrading.

Latest Articles about: Careers

1: College Mathematics Professors: Job Description, Education, Skills, Abilities, Duties, Earnings and Outlook
2: Mathematics Teacher: Job Description, Education, Skills, Abilities, Duties, Earnings and Outlook
3: Medical Assistant: Job Description, Education, Skills, Abilities, Duties, Earnings and Outlook
4: Mathematicians: Job Description, Education, Skills, Abilities, Duties, Earnings and Outlook
5: Medical Ethicist: Job Description, Education, Skills, Abilities, Duties, Earnings and Outlook
Word Count: 511 Date: Thu, 25 Nov 2010 Time: 6:09 PM


Previous - Campaign Workers: Job Description, Education, Skills and Duties, Earnings and Outlook | Next - Cartographers: Job Description, Education, Skills and Duties, Earnings and Outlook