Working in retial

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I was just wondering how many of you work in retail (like clothes shops and the like) and if you cope with it? I was thinking of applying for a job in a clothes shop or something but I'm somewhat reluctant to because of the initiative you have to take - like go up to customers and ask them how they are and if they need help and simple small talk stuff. I was thinking it might improve my social skills, but an employer would want someone who has already developed those skills, not someone in the process of developing them. So I was just wondering what everyone elses thoughts are on it? Is it a good idea to try and develop some skills or would it be too much of an overload? Or what are your experiences with it? If you can help, please do!

I don't know. Maybe you could try to first get a position requiring little interaction like handling inventory or whatever and later if you prove you are a competent worker see if you can do some work involving customer service once you feel like you know the store and products pretty thoroughly so you'll have some confidence and be in a comfort zone. I don't know anything about working in retail but thinking intuitively, that's personally how I would go about it. I wouldn't worry at all about making small talk, just practice using appropriate body language, tone of voice, greeting customers in a friendly way, etc.

I took a job as an untrained nurse in a psychiatric hospital, which forced me to develop a lot of social skills. I never told them i was AS (i didnt know myself) but there was always a sense of 'pretending' to be normal/a nurse, which i achieved by observing & copying the other staffs behaviour & interactions. Overall, i did pretty well + managed to build up a convincing 'work-persona', let down only by sudden eruptions of innapropriate laughter This might be less of a problem in a less surreal environment like retail.

Regarding overload, some people find that they can cope suprisingly well under pressure, when at work or in a crisis. Theres a good thread about it somewhere if you search 'overload'. I managed to hold down a demanding job for 2 years until family & personal problems caught up and overwhelmed me.

If your serious about shop-front retail, id recommend hanging around shops in your spare time and watching how the staff approach and interact with the customers. Salespeople in expensive shops (furniture/cars/kitchen appliances etc) tend to be extremely slick operators, and quite educational to watch.

I cant tell whether this is a good idea for you or not, because i dont know you personally and how much your AS effects you. But if you think its a good idea, then it probably is, as long as you choose a relatively easy environment to get started. It would give you an ideal opportunity to try out self-help techniques youve read about beforehand re (eye-contact, bodylanguage etc etc).

I did work in a supermarket before and I found that hell... I quit after 3 months. Sure, it was a supermarket but the customers were demanding and all - is it the same working away from food? I did work an 11 hour shift on a saturday, hard enough as it is, and I couldn't handle it, I'd break down and hold back tears an hour after starting some days because it was so bad. I'm really reluctant to try and find a job simply because of my bad experience with customers 2 years ago... and there's nowhere else I can get a job, and I need to start earning an income. I'll search for the overload thread . Hmmmmmmm... it's all too hard

busy supermarkets are the worst place for me if im stressed. Intense fluorescent lighting, kalaiedoscope of primary colours, noise, riotous human activity buzzing about etc.

Im not too bad walking about, but standing in line at the checkout when i just want to get out of there seems to go on forever.
If you feel even remotely like that, and actually sat AT the checkout for hours on end, day after day then im impresssed.

I would assume supermarket customers & atmosphere to be completely different from other shops. In supermarkets people are doing the daily grind, probably overloaded themselves and just wanting to get home and relax. In other shops, its treated like more of a leisure activity. Many of them take their time and try to enjoy the experience. But ive only worked around food + hospitals so i dont know for sure.

I worked in the cold meat section, in my opinion it was worse than the checkouts.
Thanks for your help I might just give it a try, if it becomes too much for me I'll look elsewhere.

i work @ a clothing store. it's not too hard, really. i doubt your boss will be able to figure out from you initially how good you are socially...

it's not too hard though. you just need to be willing to help people and ask how you can help them, be engaged in their convarsation and care about what they're looking for, know your stuff about w/e you're selling, give opinions, be friendly to the other employees, that sort of thing. care about the people, and be friendly! it's not too hard, i swear! just don't make your boss hate you, like don't be offensive or rude or anything like that. always do as you're asked. don't make you're breaks too long, and drink coffee beforehand (headaches are TERRIBLE on the job)! !!

it's really not that hard. just pick a store that applies to your interests and you'll meet people like you and be able to relate to them well. plus, i'm sure you'll get good discounts! it will be fine!

also, work somewhere really low-stress, like a little shop. it will mean less pressure if that's what you're worried about

Retail jobs are the worse, no hours, crap wages, etc.

It's pretty much the only place I can get a job currently so.. Thanks for all the advice and warnings