Getting hired at a grocery store or pharmacy

Grocery stores and pharmacies hire many people with no work experience. They are open long hours, often seven days a week, so they need staff for mornings, evenings, weekends, and sometimes overnight. Most of the training happens on the job.

These jobs teach skills you can use anywhere: customer service, handling money, teamwork, and staying organized when it gets busy.

Common entry-level roles

Cashier. You scan items, take payment, bag groceries, and help customers. You may also watch the self-checkout area, process returns, or answer the phone.

Grocery clerk or stocker. You unload deliveries, fill shelves, rotate stock so older products sell first, and keep aisles clean and tidy. Many stores do a lot of stocking at night. Our warehouse and stocking guide explains what night shifts are like.

Department clerk. The produce, deli, bakery, meat, and seafood departments hire clerks to prepare, package, and display food. These jobs come with food safety rules, and some involve knives or slicers.

Online order picker. Many grocers fill online orders. You walk the store with a list or a handheld scanner, pick items, and pack orders for pickup or delivery.

Front store associate. In a drugstore, the "front store" is everything outside the pharmacy counter: snacks, household items, personal care products, and the cash registers. You stock shelves, help customers find products, and work the till.

Beauty or cosmetics advisor. You help customers choose skin care, makeup, and fragrance products. Employers look for friendly people who enjoy helping others. Product training is usually part of the job.

Pharmacy assistant. You help the pharmacy team with tasks such as serving customers at the counter, taking payments, and keeping the area organized. Duties depend on the pharmacy and the province.

A pharmacy assistant is not the same as a pharmacy technician. Pharmacy technicians are regulated health professionals:

• In Ontario, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians must be registered with the Ontario College of Pharmacists. The College says other staff, such as pharmacy assistants, cashiers, and stock people, work under their supervision and must keep patient information confidential.
• In BC, you must be licensed with the College of Pharmacists of BC to practise as a pharmacy technician.

So you can start as an assistant with no experience. Becoming a technician later takes accredited training and registration.

How grocery and pharmacy chains hire

Every company is different, but here is what you will usually see:

• Online applications. Large chains post jobs on their own careers websites. You choose a store, upload your resume, and answer questions about your availability. Some applications include a short questionnaire.
• Hiring at the store level. Even when you apply online, a store or department manager often does the interview and makes the choice. It can help to visit the store at a quiet time, introduce yourself, and ask whether they are hiring.
• Busy seasons. Stores may hire extra people before busy times like the December holidays.
• Union jobs. At some grocery stores, workers belong to a union. In a union job, a contract called a collective agreement sets things like wage rates, raises, and how shifts are given out. Union dues usually come out of your pay. You can ask in the interview whether the job is a union position, so you understand how hours and raises work.

What helps you get hired

• Open availability. Evenings, weekends, and holidays are when stores need the most help. The more of those shifts you can work, the better your chances.
• A friendly attitude. Smile, make eye contact, and be patient. A manager can teach you the register. Kindness is harder to teach.
• Reliability. Come on time to every shift. If you are sick, tell your manager as early as you can.
• Languages. In Metro Vancouver and the Greater Toronto Area, many customers speak languages other than English. List every language you speak on your resume.
• Comfort with physical work. Many of these jobs mean standing for hours and lifting boxes. Be honest about what you can do.
• Attention to detail. Counting change, checking prices, and reading best-before dates all matter.

Age rules to know

BC. The general working age is 16. If you are 14 or 15, you can do "light work" with written permission from a parent or guardian (Hiring young people). BC's light work list includes cashier, stocking shelves, bagging customers' orders, and price marking. It does not include operating machinery that could harm you, or lifting in a way that risks injury.

Ontario. The minimum age for work is 14 in stores. For produce and meat preparation in grocery stores, it is 15.

If the store sells alcohol

Some grocery stores sell wine, beer, or other alcohol. Extra rules apply to the staff who sell it.

• BC: In grocery stores that sell wine on the shelves, the person who makes the sale must hold a Serving It Right certificate and be at least 19 (Who needs Serving It Right?). Learn more in our guide to FOODSAFE and Serving It Right in BC.
• Ontario: Staff who sell alcohol in grocery and convenience stores must be 18 or older and must complete an approved training program before they sell any alcohol (AGCO). Our Ontario certificates guide explains the options.

Your first weeks

Starting a new job can feel overwhelming. That's normal. A few tips:

• Ask questions. Nobody expects you to know everything in week one.
• Write down codes, procedures, and names in a small notebook.
• Count your cash drawer carefully, and follow the store's steps for refunds and voids.
• If a customer asks something you don't know, say, "Let me find out for you," and ask a coworker.

Next steps

• Grocery jobs in Metro Vancouver and the GTA
• Cashier jobs in Metro Vancouver and the GTA
• Pharmacy and beauty jobs in Metro Vancouver and the GTA
• Get ready with Your first job interview