What I Learned Working in Retail
By: Kevin Lao
Tags: Job Search, Retail, Self Development, Lessons Learned

Courtesy: A.T. KEARNEY | The Future of Shopping Centers, March 2018 (via The Robin Report)

In 2002, I discovered a life truth: Kevin Lao is a horrible restaurant waiter, bus boy, and host (yes, I was that bad.)

After just hitting the legal age in Michigan to work in retail, I put on the only suit I had in the closet, drove over to the mall, and asked for an application at the men’s Express. Holiday season was just around the corner, and I thought maybe the store could use additional staff (and maybe the discount could be a nice perk!?)

That’s when I met Tammy Harp, the store manager.

Tammy and I at her new store in Partridge Creek Mall in Michigan

While her store didn’t have any open positions, she referred me to the women’s Express down the concourse, which kicked off a four year retail career through college at Express and New York & Company.

Eventually, Tammy became my manager, and throughout the four years, I learned so much:

How to properly hang, fold, steam & iron clothing (a skill that benefits me to this day)

How to give my first sales “pitch” (“Have you considered opening a credit card and saving 15% today?”)…and how to not take rejection seriously

How to implement new retail floor sets (yeah, it’s not all made up “on the fly”)

Understand that the retail environment during the holiday season is extremely challenging (especially during the weekends), but you need to dig deep and stay calm

“Working hard” and “having fun” don’t have to be mutually exclusive

Just because you’re a manager doesn’t mean you’re a leader — don’t just sit in the backroom while the sales associates run the floor, fitting rooms, and cash registers — you need to be there with them

If you take care of the people above and around you, they will run through walls for you (reminds me just now of a Simon Sinek leadership talk I recently watched)

In those four years, I worked with Tammy and moved from “stock associate” to “Brand Sales Lead” to “Assistant Co-Manager.” In that time, I also ditched the baggy jeans and oversized hoodies, and turned them in for button downs, ties, and slacks (To this day, I always look for an excuse to SUIT UP!)

I still keep in touch with Tammy, and today, I stopped by to see her at her new store at the Partridge Creek Mall in Clinton Township, Michigan.

She greeted me with a huge hug.

We reminisced about those “good ol’ days.” We played the “Where are they now?” game and talked about former colleagues. We talked about family. We talked about career. We talked about travel. We talked about what’s coming up. I ended up buying something in her store!

Before I left, I asked “Tammy — why did you hire me? I didn’t have any retail experience. I just turned 18. I had no business applying for that job.”

Tammy replied, “Kevin — who wouldn’t have hired you? You showed up in a suit, and you had energy. You were confident, and I could just tell you would be great.”

**

In those four years, I got my act together, and while I didn’t know it at the time, during that first holiday retail season, I was building a foundation for where I am today.

Every job you have (good, bad, or ugly) has its benefit.

Don’t discount a job or opportunity just because it may not be the “dream job” from day zero. You can learn transferrable skills, meet and understand all types of people and viewpoints, and maybe leave a lasting impression with someone that could refer you to an even greater opportunity.

If your current job isn’t what you were expecting, you’ll understand what you really desire, and then it’ll be up to you to make the changes to place you in a better position to succeed. (I mean, what better way to find out what you really want than to do something that you absolutely hate, right?)

All your career experiences (temp jobs, seasonal jobs, part-time jobs, internships, full-time jobs, side hustles) all add up in making you an asset for the “future you.”

Reset your mindset. The “future you” will thank you.