Meet Manya Singh: the Beauty Queen Who Struggled with Her English and Then Went on to Be Femina Miss India Runner Up!

1. Performance is essential: Retailers are known for judging every process and every employee based on various performance metrics. You'll be no exception. In short, you will be fired if you don't do enough to earn your pay.

2. **Consider all customers as your customer:**Since it costs so much to get a new customer, retailers can't afford to lose any. Every time a customer comes in, they should be treated with respect. If they are being unreasonable, you shouldn't take it personally. Instead, it would be best if you talked to management.

3. Go the Extra Mile: In retail, the more valuable you are to your manager, the better shifts you'll get and the faster you'll get a raise. Managers want people who can figure out how to do their jobs without repeatedly being told or having to answer the same common-sense questions.

4. Be punctual: No manager wants to deal with employees who are late. In retail jobs, one minute late is too late! If you don't show up, they'll have to ask someone else to stay later or do the work themselves, neither of which is good for you. Being late is also a great way to make your retail coworkers dislike you, making them much less likely to help you when you need a favour.

5. Don't complain about the hours later: When you get hired in a retail career, most stores want you to tell them your available hours. Don't complain if you work the hours you said you would. And don't change your schedule all of a sudden the week you get the job.

6. **Be flexible:**Staying late or picking up odd shifts when your manager asks is a great way to get more hours and help your boss. You'll also be the first person they think of for extra hours. You can choose to do this based on your requirement.

7. Don't be a downer: People who talk bad about the store and its policies hurt the business for everyone else. These loud, rude people are not only bad at their retail jobs but also bring their good coworkers down to their level.

8. **Play well with others:**In retail, most stores have a set schedule of tasks and procedures. Help get these things done with your other coworkers, and you'll be a valuable team member. You get extra points if you tell other people to do their jobs without being rude.

9. Follow the rules: Don't take shortcuts. Follow the rules and policies of the company without being told to. It makes life easier for everyone and could save your career in retail if something goes wrong. And do what the instructions say; don't try to change them.

10. A cut in hours is a sign: Even if the business is slow, a cut in hours usually means that your services aren't valued as much as they used to be. This is often the first sign that you will soon be "counselled on performance" and fired if you don't improve. Even when work is slow, managers don't cut the hours of the best workers. So try to improve your performance.

    These are not the only things you need to know if you want to work in retail, but if you think it will be easy, they should open your eyes.

    Even though you should always do what you're told, you should never be afraid to make a creative suggestion that could help your store. Just don't go too far, do them on your own, and then you can expect to be praised.

    Ask, suggest, get permission, then do. Don't be afraid to upskill. Takeonline courseson etiquette and business conversation. Glow & Lovely Careers (formerly known as Fair & Lovely Career Foundation) has retail-specific courses available for free.

Fortunately, we live in a time where learning can be done from the comfort of home. So if you're looking to start working again or want to improve your skills? Online courses are the way to go.

Doing an online certificate course also shows that you are taking steps to get better at something you like.

In the pandemic, online courses have become even more popular. So there are many options available. To make things easier, we have listed the top 9 free online courses that stay-at-home moms can apply for.

1. Take Up A Creative Writing Course

   A creative content writing course is one of the best ways to improve your writing skills. Once you get into the habit of writing, you can slowly try making a profession out of it.

   An online writing course provides opportunities to learn good English. You will be given writing activities that uncover the passion you have for writing. Some of the lessons involve learning grammar, punctuation, and different writing styles.

   After understanding the basics of writing, you can apply for jobs related to content writing, proofreading (editing) or copywriting.

   You get to see your words used in magazines and websites! These types of jobs also don't have a strict working schedule. This is a bonus if you like to plan your own working hours.

2. Develop Your Communication Skills

   Everyone feels slightly nervous about presenting confidently in the office, especially if there's been a gap in work. This is why it's necessary to brush up on speaking skills and more by taking up a communication skills course.

   With each class, you gain confidence to keep a conversation interesting and get the right points across to colleagues.

   Communication courses will teach you to find the right words to say and take control of a conversation. If you are interested in jobs linked to sales, media, or even teaching, you should definitely take communication skills courses.

   Most of these online courses also give importance to non-verbal communication skills. You get to practice maintaining eye contact and posture when you speak. All of these are equally important for good communication.

3. Learn To Use Excel For Book Keeping And Accounting

   Do you love keeping a budget, tracking your income and expenses at home? Then you may have a passion for accounting. So why not take up a course on it to understand the basics of accounting?

   The knowledge you gain from such an online course can help when you land well-paying jobs in the finance industry.

   Microsoft Excel is a very useful tool for roles like professional accountants, where you have to look at data and make a financial strategy. This is why we also suggest taking an Excel course to know the proper use of it.

   Once you learn Excel, you will be able to do quick calculations and organize the numbers in neat spreadsheets.

4. Do A Preschool Teacher Training Course

   Would you enjoy being a teacher to children in the age group of 2 to 6? Then we suggest that you do an online Preschool Teacher Training course. Teaching nursery kids is interesting because you get to make a huge impact on their lives.

   Besides taking a training course, you can also apply for short tutorials that help teachers to make lesson plans. Once you have the certificates, you will have more value in the job market. After that, you can apply to different preschools for a teaching job. There are several websites, like WONK, where you can work as an online teacher too and earn a good salary.

   Teaching is a rewarding profession and if you are interested in it, we highly suggest registering for several free teaching courses online. When you attend good quality courses, your teaching qualities increase too.

5. Online Personality Development Course

   Like we said when there's a gap in employment, it takes effort to get outside your comfort zone. This is when many people take up online personality development courses.

   Personality Development courses prepare you for speaking in interviews and sharing your thoughts in groups.

   You also learn basic etiquette (manners) and tone of voice to use when you write emails or make phone calls. Knowing these small things can make a huge difference in the workplace.

6. Pursue A Digital Marketing Course

   Digital marketing courses are in demand because technology is now present everywhere.

   When a new brand opens, the owners want the products to be visible to their potential customers. For this to happen, a lot of work goes into making a brand's potential visible on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and more.

   If you would like to be part of the team that builds brand awareness for a company, you should pursue a digital marketing course.

   The things you learn from a digital marketing course will also help you get ideas for when you feel like running your own business. Overall, digital marketing is a vast field and there are various interesting job profiles you can consider.

   Also Read: 10 Simple Ways To Start A Career In Digital Marketing

7. Beautician Course

   Have you always wanted to work at a beauty salon, spa, or clinic but never felt qualified enough? Then try a beauty therapy course to learn the basics of managing a salon and its jobs. You can take lessons on nail art, haircutting techniques, makeup, skincare, and more.

   The beauty of such courses is that you also get to meet other passionate people who also love the beauty industry.

   There are many self-taught makeup artists in India. But if you have a certificate from an online course, you are at an advantage. You will have a better chance of getting work.

8. Basics Of Marketing

   Most big companies always give plenty of value to the marketing department. This is because the marketers take the responsibility to educate interested customers about the products. Without marketing employees, a company can even fail.

   The job of a marketer is to also generate leads (interested customers) for the salespeople. Now, this is not an easy task unless you have some knowledge about it.

   In a Marketing course, you will learn strategies used by companies to gain leads, manage them and bring profit to the company. If you are interested in marketing, take a free online course that introduces you to its basics.

9. Human Resources Certification Course

   Human Resources is one of the many departments in a company. This group is usually always searching for new employees to fill open job positions. Their role involves finding the right candidate for the company and having an eye for detail.

   A person working in HR studies different profiles and sorts through resumes to find that one talented person who can become a part of the company.

   This is a very interesting job for many and the scope here is endless. You manage various administrative tasks for the company and you get to interact with new faces.

   You also get to welcome new team members and organize fun activities for the company. If you would like to learn more about this field, consider taking up a free HR course online.