Advice from my First Time Working Retail
During the first semester of my freshman year at Auburn I decided that I needed a job over winter break. I had only worked one job up until this point and I didn’t have a good idea of the kind of work I did or didn’t like. I had heard good things about a store in my hometown called Eagle Eye Outfitters, which also happened to be one of my favorite retailers, so I decided to apply for a seasonal position despite being unsure of if they were even hiring. A few weeks later, I received a call asking to come to an interview and before I knew it, I was starting as a sales associate!
Throughout my training, I learned a plethora of new things. As with most retail jobs, I did various tasks such as opening dressing rooms for customers, organizing the clothing racks, vacuuming the floor, and marking down items on sale. I even got to assist customers in their shopping and help them pick out new pieces and style outfits. The most important job I had though was customer service. Eagle Eye stressed the significance of being attentive and gracious to anyone who walked in. I believe this is a quality that was well developed during my time at this store and it is a trait that will carry over into any job I have in the future, especially within the fashion industry. This would have to be the biggest thing I preach– customer service is key! You have so many options for shopping in the world today to choose from, whether virtually or in-person, and customer service helps to distinguish you and your company apart from others.
Shortly after I worked in the women’s department, I was brought up to the register to be a cashier; this is where I really thrived. Interacting with the amount of people that purchasing from the store really helped to get me out of my shell. It pushed me to meet new people and form connections that I never would have made before. That is another thing that I will stress – make sure to build relationships! You never know where a connection will take you, so it is important to start forming ties now and maintaining them over the years.
The most important takeaway I had from this job was its introduction into fashion and retailing as a career. Until I started working there, I was an engineering major who was unhappy with her potential career path. I had always loved fashion, but I never knew I could make a career out of it until I spoke with Eagle Eye’s visual merchandiser and women’s buyer. They sat down with me and talked me through the wide world of fashion and all of its possibilities. This talk inspired a passion that led me to switch my major to apparel merchandising and I haven’t regretted it for a moment!
