Every single day people engage themselves in the buying of goods or services. The goods and services bought range from basics to luxuries, but the bottom line is that there is a constant buying of services and goods. The people who are responsible for guiding people during the exchange of goods and services are referred to as cashiers. They help a customer to complete the buying process by feeding the relevant information into the computer, receiving money from the customers, giving back any balance and thus completing the purchase transaction.
Nature of the Job
To begin with, in many cases cashiers work in shifts during which they are given a specific area from where they operate and are responsible for that area until the shift ends. Normally, these areas are like tellers or a small station that has a computer and the relevant gadgets that facilitate the work of the cashiers. Besides entering the relevant data in regard to the goods or services bought by customers, they are also involved in summing up the total calculations at the end of the shift and giving the proceeds to the management. The work of cashiers is not demanding and or stressing. This is mainly because cashiers work in shifts, and the shifts last for a specified period of time.
Cashiers are found in several places, the most common being the supermarkets. In supermarkets, cashiers are sometime involved in returning some of the goods to the shelves although this is mainly the work of supermarket tenders.
Skills Required
General knowledge especially of operation of cash related electronic machines is a vital requirement for anybody desirous of securing a cashier position. Other skills include some knowledge on the rules that regulate operations of companies that have cashiers. For instance, they must have knowledge on what the position of the law is in regard to the use of the electronic tax register among other things.
Educational Qualifications and Training
There is no specific training that one is required to undergo to qualify for the position of a cashier. However, most employers always go for those who are holders of diplomas from high school. Normally the work of cashiers, though the same, sometimes varies with different organization. Thus many cashiers are trained by the respective organizations or institutions and thus there is no specific academic qualification needed.
However, there are some other attributes that employers look for in those desirous of securing the position of a cashier. To begin with, the main job of cashiers involves calculation and thus knowledge of mathematics is extremely important. In addition, the cashier must not get tired of doing the same thing over and over as it is the nature and character of cashier jobs. Neatness, and pleasant demeanor and appearances are mandatory in this career field.
There are numerous job opportunities that are available in this career field. Again since these jobs are done on shift basis there is a lot of flexibility and many cashiers are able to take up two jobs at a time. It is thus one of the career fields that give one an opportunity to maximize their time to their own benefit. In terms of opportunities these are quite numerous, as there are many companies and institutions that require cashiers ranging from supermarkets, to banks, to food cafes and generally any other business institution.
There are several advantages that are tied to this field of work. Besides the fact that employers are not very strict on the academic qualification, there is also no limit for anyone desirous of becoming a cashier. The flexibility of the working hours is yet another advantage. Another advantage is that any time a cashier is in need of any commodity offered by the institution they work for they are always given them at a relatively lower price.
The main disadvantage however, is the fact that cashiers deal with huge amounts of money. One error may be costly, and so one can be sent packing. Another thing is, according to psychologists the continuous engagement in one particular activity that is repetitive in nature and resulting in intense monotony is damaging, especially to the brain. With time there may be homicides among cashiers. These are true facts based on a recent research. Again, although their working hours are flexible, it is important to note that the services that cashiers offer are required sometimes 24 hours a day. This may mean that to get a few days off from work is not easy, as employers may not be ready to close down their businesses to allow vacations for cashiers.
Remuneration
In comparison with other career fields, cashiers may not be the most highly remunerated lot but they are paid relatively well. On average a cashier is paid $7 per hour, although the working hours vary with different institutions.
Job Prospects
The number of people who get employed in the cashier field is rising each day. This has been attributed to the fact that there are no specific requirements that one needs to have in terms of educational qualifications. This is expected to rise in the future, given the fact that there are more institutions that keep cropping up that require the services of cashiers.
Conclusion
There are many opportunities for people desirous of being cashiers given the fact that there are no specified academic qualifications. Knowledge of mathematics and basic qualifications is however paramount to securing a position in this field.
