Musings of Me

PART-TIME EMPLOYMENT

There is a time in all our lives when we encounter the part-time job. Perhaps it is to fund college spending, pay for housing, or (in my case) to simply eat. I think a red flag indicating I needed ANY source of income during my search-for-a-real-job came when I found bulk cereal on sale buy one get one free. I stocked up (meaning I bought all I was allowed, then begged my brother-in-law to go back for more). I have enough budget cereal to last 8 weeks if I portion it carefully.

Moments of clarity like this one (realizing that Life cereal made me ecstatic) are what placed me in the Lenox mall to turn in job applications (I will starve rather than return to fast food. Well, no, but I really hated it). After a week of rejection (apparently a BS degree in Biology makes me unsuitable even for retail), I received a phone call for an interview at an upscale women's clothing store (which shall remain nameless). I was optimistic that I could be friendly enough to acquire the job.

This is where I made some key judgment errors. Seeing as this is the fashion industry, and I was in the South, I tried to dress nicely -in brighter colors (did you know they wear COLORS in Georgia?!).
I think that flopped, but I may have earned points for self-expression.

I also tried to be funny. This can be hard; especially if your fashion expertise is based off which flannel pattern is the most cheerful for lining your jeans. At one point I was asked if I read fashion magazines ("does Glamour count?") followed by an explanation that it is important to keep current with celebrity trends (Like Demi Moore.... If someone wanted an accessory like the one she was wearing in Glamour, I would be expected to know it). I commented how her best accessory at press time was currently Ashton Kutcher.

If you have ever internally cursed yourself after doing something you realize is probably incredibly stupid, you know how I felt. My interviewer did laugh... 45 seconds later. I am sure the Career Center at my university would have loved videoing this interview to show ways not to behave.

To summarize this experience, I practically ran into the women's bathroom to be mortified in private, then drove home (there are many reasons women excuse themselves to use the restroom. Familiar ones include to gossip about her date, to leave her date, to actually use the facilities, or to throw a tantrum to any other woman who is also currently getting screwed).

Amazingly enough, I did get the job. Since then I have had some great stories, which I will share with you (well, parts of them).

Job training is fun. They pay you to watch videos that are on par with "And if you get any chemical on you, please report it to the TA. Neutralize the chemical with baking soda, then rinse with water. If the chemical is in your eyes, remove contact lenses before rinsing with water...." Goody. After training, they actually let you loose to wreak havoc.

My first assignment was Zone 4. Denim (and none of it flannel-lined). After locating Zone 4 (in the far back corner) I went to assist customers with excellent customer service in any way I could. This includes hunting for sizes, checking for sizes in the back, and developing a nervous tic when anyone completely messes up the pile of clothing I spent 45 minutes folding. Then there are the walkies. If there are any problems, like shoplifting, getting into a fitting room, or gossiping about anything, we can use our walkies. For the first week Juanice and I were flitting about answering queries with "Roger that," and "Over."

Come to think of it, we still do.

We did get Jephreda, Sharie, and Brandy in on it as well. The managers need some work.

The walkies are great because communication really helps us serve our customers. When we can identify their fashion tastes and needs, we can serve them better and make a positive statement with our brand. An example is the girls who came in and asked if I knew of any slutty see-through clothing. I radioed back for a response.

"Cecilie, do we have anything red, see-through and slutty?"
"Girl, what the hell are you doing out there?!"
"We have some customers who are going to a strip club with their men. They want to keep all eyes on their... assets instead of the strippers'."
"That is NOT going to work. Besides, do we look like Wet Seal?"
"I'll direct them to Wet Seal, then." --- "Ladies, I am sorry. We are a wear-to-work source for sexy, career-oriented modern women. As we no longer carry sheer items, perhaps you would find what you are looking for at Wet Seal. Victoria's Secret has some good tops too, and Try BCBG."

More examples:

"Oh my god, Jill, is that girl making out with that boy by the stone-wash super low rise flare-leg jeans?!"
"Margaret.... eeeww. Yes they are. Yuck!"
"Kim, are you watching this?"
"My god, they think that because they are behind a pillar we cannot see them."
"How can we not see them? They are sucking face in front of a wall-sized mirror!"
"Nasty! Get a room!"
"Margaret, don't you dare let either of them into a fitting room. DON'T YOU DARE!"
"Somebody should go over there. They are freaking out the other customers."
"Who is in Zone 4?!"
"Hey, watch those girls in Zone 3; I overheard one of them talking about taking something."
"Roger that. Over."
"Oh my god, neither of them has come up for air yet. Seriously, people!"

I also stink at advising men which jeans suit them (think hips). In a women's clothing store, I never thought I would have to do anything of the sort, yet I did find myself in this position. He ended up being a size 8, and his boyfriend thought he looked sexy. Thank goodness for the walkies, otherwise it could have ended very very badly (if any men reading this care for my opinion, skintight denim does not have the same effect on you. DON'T).

A different sort of experience came when my manager was watching me try to build rapport with a customer, to identify her needs. As my manager discreetly watched from a distance, my customer began sobbing. That looked great.

What happened was she came in, told me she wanted something to wear to a wedding at 5:00 that day, and then proceeded to burst into tears. She was from the Bahamas, Hurricane Frances was blowing away her home, and she hadn't seen her friends who were to be in the wedding since they graduated college. She didn't want to look frumpy and was having a very bad day. It didn't help she was completely alone and unfamiliar with Atlanta.

I am still the most satisfied with helping that one customer than with any other goal I have reached in that store. I took care of her clothing problem, gave her some information about Atlanta, and let her vent. She was feeling much more optimistic when she left, and it still amazes me how something simple like a hug can make everything seem okay (I do not normally hug my customers, to let you know).

There were many refugees from Frances lately. They clogged I75 so badly, golf carts were distributing water and gas. Hotels were booked solid, and people were flocking to malls to get off the expressway and to try to gain some levity or a mini-holiday from an otherwise bad situation. In an unfamiliar area, I guess malls are a safe bet for some familiarity.

It is amazing what you experience in a different region. I should note that most people have stated they prefer hurricanes to snow. They told me so when they found I was from MI.

Besides the people portion of fashion, the clothing is pretty interesting as well. Most items are quite nice, but some are hideously ugly. There is a luxury coat that looks like somebody skinned a Wookie and repeatedly ran over it with a tank. The remaining hide and fur was irregularly sewn together with dental floss to create a coat so revolting that NOBODY has even considered purchasing it. In a city of 6 million, this is a failure (there is always somebody out there with eccentric tastes, or taste worse than mine).

In any case, I enjoy my job. It isn't what I will do with my life, but it provides 8-12 hours of learning experience weekly. My coworkers are great, they feed us during staff meetings, and when we have product launches, we always find ways to enjoy them. Juanice even set up a rating system for the male models in the videos (the managers prefer us to remain focused). Those girls make me laugh.
-I think we just hired our second male employee (the poor man). There are over 20 sales associates.

To all of you reading this who work part-time jobs, I salute you. Raise your cereal bowls high! For those of you working real jobs.... I don't work on commission, but come buy from me anyway.

posted by Jill @ 10:36 PM