[EnzoF660]

So lately I'm getting sick of my current job. I'm very interested in trying to find a job at a local gun shop or dealer. It's been a hobby of mine for a while but I can't really find a way to get in depth to it yet (I'm 19 living in Jersey, you do the math =P ).

I feel like if I could at least find a job at a gun shop, despite my hatred of workin retail, this would be a huge exception and I would love doing it for the fact of being surrounded by something I love. Yes I do have shooting and weapons handling experince. I know my way around the weapons themselves pretty good. I just want something that would entertain my interests for the mean time and that would help me jump into and become more familiar with the firearms community and marketplace. I can tell you what gun shoots what, but I can't tell you which scopes or accessories would be best for which weapon, which is something I would love to know.

Now that the introduction is over, I'd like to know how to do this? I'm pretty sure it's not just as easy as walking in and asking for an application, but I could be completely mistaken. Do I myself need any licenses or any kind of particular training (bartenders are the most comparable thing that come to mind in this aspect) to be able to work behind the counter. Do shops look particularly for people with a number of years shooting under their belt? I'd just like some kind of information about it because I don't wanna walk into the shop looking like just some clueless joe from off the street.

Any responses for this would be greatly appreciated. My job's starting to eat away at me and I'd really like to do something with my time that I genuinely enjoy while I grind my way through school.

[Mark F]

Originally Posted by EnzoF660

So lately I'm getting sick of my current job. I'm very interested in trying to find a job at a local gun shop or dealer. It's been a hobby of mine for a while but I can't really find a way to get in depth to it yet (I'm 19 living in Jersey, you do the math =P ).

I feel like if I could at least find a job at a gun shop, despite my hatred of workin retail, this would be a huge exception and I would love doing it for the fact of being surrounded by something I love. Yes I do have shooting and weapons handling experince. I know my way around the weapons themselves pretty good. I just want something that would entertain my interests for the mean time and that would help me jump into and become more familiar with the firearms community and marketplace. I can tell you what gun shoots what, but I can't tell you which scopes or accessories would be best for which weapon, which is something I would love to know.

Now that the introduction is over, I'd like to know how to do this? I'm pretty sure it's not just as easy as walking in and asking for an application, but I could be completely mistaken. Do I myself need any licenses or any kind of particular training (bartenders are the most comparable thing that come to mind in this aspect) to be able to work behind the counter. Do shops look particularly for people with a number of years shooting under their belt? I'd just like some kind of information about it because I don't wanna walk into the shop looking like just some clueless joe from off the street.

Any responses for this would be greatly appreciated. My job's starting to eat away at me and I'd really like to do something with my time that I genuinely enjoy while I grind my way through school.

EnzoF660,

I'm going to help you out here. Forget working at a gun shop. Even "if" you did get a job there, you'd be working for chump-change selling stuff to people that you wished "you" were. So with that being said, you need to up-scale your ambitions.

You are the perfect age to start looking for a Sales Representative job. 99.9% of applicants fail here because it's difficult to break into this type of sales. I'm not talking "retail" Sales, I'm talking Manufacturer's Representatives Sales. It doesn't matter what the product is, because all products are learnable. If you stay with it through the learning curve and make those calls, you'll make a ton of money, well over 150K a year for the first several years. Some Reps. I know make over 300K.

You won't find this job in the newspaper, or on the internet on Monster.COM. You will have to walk into the place(s) you want to go to work for... and sweet-talk your way in. Keep doing this until you wedge your way into a Sales Rep job. It's not EASY, if it was everyone would be doing it. A newbie like yourself can expect to negotiate a: car allowance, base salary, commission, cell phone, laptop, matching 401K, etc... all of this is 100% negotiable.

So get up off your azz and start knocking on doors.

[EnzoF660]

I appreciate the advice but I really wasn't asking that. I'm still in school and need plenty of time for that so all I really can do is hourly. All I'm asking is if there's anything in the way of legality that would keep me from getting a job a gun shop. Do I need any kind of licenses for working behind the counter? Any experience that would be necessary, etc.?

[dynastyofnext]

Up towards these parts its hard, these gunshops are mom and pop shops. If you can find a chain store you might be able to find a job. You can always find a senile gunshop owner and tell him ur his lost son and work the story out from there.

[Bigcat_hunter]

Go to a gun shop and ask if they are hiring. You would work under there license so you don't need a license.

[CekingSDS]

From what I know (it may be different up there):

If the store sells Handguns, you will not be able to work there until you're 21. At least that's the way it is down here, and I believe it's nation-wide.

Some sporting-goods stores that sell rifles and shotguns, might be your best bet in that area however.