How2Become - Be What You Want

Bookseller

Bookseller

Do you want to become a Bookseller? Here is some information to help point you in the right direction:

Job Description - Print Page

Booksellers may work for a small independent bookshop, a shop that specialises in a certain area such as secondhand books or children's books, or one of the big high street chains. Tasks and responsibilities are likely to include:

Serving customers: as well as operating a till and dealing with various methods of payment, booksellers may give advice and order books.

Stock control: stock levels need to be closely monitored as ordering too many books can be as harmful to a business as not having enough. Booksellers normally check stocks using a computerised system.

Buying: they need to buy books by assessing what their customers are likely to want. They will also need to read catalogues, evaluate new books and meet with publishers' representatives.

A full-time bookseller normally works a 37 or 38-hour week, typically from 9am to 5pm, often including Saturdays. Larger chains of bookshops will often be spacious and modern, while independent shops may be much smaller.

Salaries range from between £8,000 and £30,000.

A bookseller should:

  • be able to talk knowledgeably and enthusiastically about books
  • be able to listen to and advise customers
  • have some selling skills.

Bookselling is a very popular career and about 16,000 people are employed in the profession.

There are no set academic requirements for working as a bookseller, but about 80 per cent are graduates. Some experience of working in either a bookshop or another retail environment is an advantage. A number of institutions offer courses in retailing, which may include learning about specialist retailing such as bookselling.

There are no age limits for work in bookselling, and many employers prefer to recruit older people because of their broader experience and maturity.

Most training is carried out while working, and trainees are likely to receive instruction from experienced colleagues. Some of the larger stores run more formal training programmes, including induction and management courses.

Larger bookstore chains may offer management opportunities. Fewer promotion opportunities exist if they choose to work in a small, independent bookshop.

Self-employment as the owner/manager of an independent bookshop is possible.

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