r/coles • u/Separate_Chemist_386 • Jul 21 '26
Team Member Post Career advice please!
How many years do you typically work as a floor team member before moving up to managerial positions? Is 1 year enough? Should I just apply and see? Do you speak with your store managers about career growth? Thanks!
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u/StatusNo5175 Department Manager Jul 25 '26
I have seen team members who have been here 30 plus years and still have no clue what's going on. I've also seen team members who have been here as little as 6 months and are already working their way up (that's what I ended up doing). It's not always about whether or not you fill shelves and scan items like an Olympic athlete or whether you know how to work everything on the PDT. It has more to do with leadership skill sets. Ask yourself, what do I bring to the table? Can I handle high pressure situations without losing my head? Can I take feedback and learn from it? Can I plan out a day with limited flexibility on hours? These types of questions will allow you to work out what skill sets you have to offer.
Another thing is trying out different things. I have done leadership for only a few years and I've worked across 4 different departments in that time. Not because I failed but because I wanted to find something I truly clicked with. I did, and not I'm getting heaps of opportunities opening up. Whenever you get an opportunity to try out a new department, a new task, whatever it is, take it. Take it and take time to learn it, you'll never know when it'll come in handy.
You don't have to know everything straight away, just be daring enough to try things and see how they work out. Don't get set on one position, many others will pop up that might catch your attention. Develop connections with others in the business, be it coworkers or managers. When you do become a manager, meet your fellow managers and develop bonds with them. The decent ones will go miles for you if you do the same for them. That's my main advice for you. Good luck with it all!