Personal Shopper

Typical Salary

£14,000 To £25,000

Typical Hours

39 to 41 variable

evenings / weekends / bank holidays as customers demand

How To Become a Personal Shopper

You can get into this job through:

a college course
an apprenticeship
working towards this role
applying directly
specialist courses run by private training organisations

College / University

You can take a college course to help you get into this job. Examples include:

Level 1 Award in Customer Service
Level 1 Extended Certificate in Making it in Fashion
Level 2 Award in Understanding Customer Service in the Retail Sector
Level 3 Diploma in Fashion Retail

2 or fewer GCSEs at grades 3 to 1 (D to G), or equivalent, for a level 1 course

2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course

Apprenticeship

You may be able to start by doing a retailer intermediate apprenticeship.

some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

You could start as a retail assistant and take bookings for people wanting a personal shopper.

You'll be the first point of contact in a store and will learn how to work well with a wide range of customers.

Once you have some experience in retail, you can apply for a role as an assistant personal shopper and learn on the job.

You can apply directly to employers if you have some of the relevant skills and knowledge needed for this role.

Employers will look for a good standard of education, with GCSEs in English and maths.

You'll need experience of working with customers in a face-to-face setting like a shop, supermarket, restaurant or hotel.

Other Routes

There are short courses available with private training providers on topics like colour styling, image consultancy and personal styling.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

customer service skills
the ability to work well with others
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
sensitivity and understanding
the ability to use your initiative
excellent verbal communication skills
the ability to sell products and services
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Day To Day Tasks

Your day-to-day tasks may include:

meeting customers who’ve booked an appointment
getting to know customers’ likes, dislikes and budget
selecting goods or services to meet customers’ demands
meeting individual and team sales targets
making sure unsold goods are returned to the right departments
following store security procedures on payment, packing and collection
using computer systems and filling in paperwork

Working Environment

You could work at a store.

Career Path & Progression

Career Path & Progression are not listed for this job.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Career tips

If you want to work as a personal shopper for clothing, you'll have a definite advantage if you've got skills in fashion or design. Many self-employed personal shoppers have this sort of background.

Professional and industry bodies

You can join an organisation like the Federation of Image Professionals International for professional recognition, training opportunities and to make industry contacts.

Further information

You can find out more about becoming a personal shopper from the Federation of Image Professionals International.

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.