Sales and Distribution Jobs
Selling doesn’t just happen in shops. There are careers in advertising, sales and distribution where you could be outside for much of the time.
Bill Poster/Fixer
Bill posters put up advertising posters on hoardings or billboards, or in glass-fronted display units. They are sometimes known as bill fixers or advertising installers. Bill posters usually drive a van to transport the posters, ladders and equipment to the advertising hoarding sites.
They strip old posters from the hoardings and put up the new ones. As they work from ladders, they need a good head for heights.
Builders’ Yard Assistant
Assistants mainly work outside at a builders’ merchant’s yard. They check in, unload, move, stack and display goods, and keep the yard tidy and safe. They move goods in and out of storage, sometimes using trolleys, ladders, fork-lift trucks and other aids.
They might have to check deliveries against order lists, and make notes where items have not been sent correctly. They sometimes have to measure, weigh or cut articles to the size or quantity that the customer wants. After this, they might help to package the order and load it on to a van, a lorry or the customers’ own transport.
Market Stall Trader
Market stall traders sell goods to the public. They spend most of their time standing at a stall, dealing directly with their customers. Market stall traders buy their goods from a wholesaler or manufacturer; they rent a market stall or space, and display the goods to attract customers.
Sometimes they have to set up their own stalls. Most markets have rules that traders have to follow, usually about the range of goods being sold. Casual traders travel around from market to market on different days.
Milk Roundsperson
Milk roundspeople drive milk floats, delivering and selling dairy produce and other types of food and drink to people at home and at work.
They start their day very early in the morning at a central depot, where they load the float with goods. Milk roundspeople deliver these from door to door, keeping careful note of products sold and collecting money regularly.
They collect empty bottles every day, and return them to the dairy together with any unsold goods. Then they write up their daily records of stock sold, returned, and ordered for future deliveries.