The Multinational Fashion Store

So you've looked at all the jobs and one in a big high street fashion store really appeals to you. The discounts for one is a positive bonus, some places will give you an allowance per month some, mostly the really swanky ones, mostly. I got 50% discounts at my place, which was great as I got a brand new wardrobe, however it also made me realise that I would only reluctantly buy clothes from them once I left. Why would I want to buy anythging in the future from them, if I know they can afford to sell them at half-price?

The money, too, is good in retail compared to the other options you have open to you, I was paid between £4 and £5 per hour, however this varies upon the store and your age, but the wage will beat fruit picking or factory work. Plus time and a half on Sunday made missing Hollioakes and Dawson's Creek less painful. There is also something cool about working in a clothes/record/video store, you get the badge, the uniform, the discounts and also to see new stuff before it comes out, no matter who you are when working there.

Fashion stores are a must for all you social animals as well, because the customer interaction is cool, it gives you a chance to meet people and a chance to chat while you're working. However that's if the store is busy, if it's a ghost town on the shop floor it can be as about as interesting as watching the grass grow in slow motion. Some shops have you positioned on the front door to greet and say goodbye to all the customers, some will find this great but I found it as dull as ditch-water. For some stores the front person is the security, in terms of keeping an eye out for dodgy characters and thefts, a fact I only found out when I was on the door for nine hours on the busiest Saturday of the month and £400 of jeans got stolen.

In terms of managers and staff, they made the job worth coming in for, because of the company image, the people there are  employed due to their friendliness and social skills, but they were genuinely top people. Though I found the shop floor and front door boring, my main role was in the stockroom, which I loved. It is a perfect job for anyone who wants to be busy the whole time you're at work and if you want to get into shape it's perfect, as you run around getting clothes to the floors, all the day. This sounds crazy but I found it was better to being busy because the time flies when you're occupied,  as when the store is empty time can crawl like a snail, and you constantly pray  for the day to end. The stockroom also provides a chance to escape the inane 'musak' of the shop, we had our own stereo and listened to what we wanted all day.

It's definitely worth doing for a part time job, but pick the right store as a wrong choice could mean a very boring weekend, which no amount of pay will make up for.

- The Pupiline Team