Carpet/Furniture Store Employee
Description:
The employee did whatever was necessary in the store, including cutting, shipping, and delivering carpets; dabbling in the yard; and thinking of a better display system. He also set up furniture in arrangements, painted walls, and set out rugs to make displays. He even once installed wood flooring and finished the open-rafter ceiling in the store. Later, after his first year of college, he became the manager of the company’s wholesale warehouse.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
The owner of the store happened to be a long-time friend of the employee’s family. Because of this, the employee was able to get the job through his father who made arrangements with the owner.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
One day, while driving a van with carpet a long distance, the employee found that the oil had been drained at his starting place. Subsequently, he burned up the engine and was sure he would be fired. The owner told the employee that if he never made any mistakes, then he would know the employee wasn’t doing anything. The reason the employee made mistakes sometimes, he said, was because he was actively trying to do a good job. The owner was not that upset, and taught the employee that if you don’t take any risk, you’re never going to improve anything.
Another challenge was cutting carpet with a tape measure. It was very inaccurate, so the employee devised a system with parallel lines on the floor that was much more efficient.
What I learned:
In addition to learning about taking risks, the employee also learned the basics of retail marketing (profit margins, advertising strategies, etc.). He also learned the power of using computers, how traveling sales people were managed, and how the inventory was controlled. He learned the motivational plusses and minuses of various compensation systems such as flat salary, commission sales, and others.
The employee later went on to own many retail businesses. The experiences he had were very useful in helping him make realistic decisions regarding those businesses.
Cashier at Manassero Farms
Description:
I worked in a produce stand that was next to a few acres of farmland. We provided fresh fruit, vegetables, other food products, and even some crafts to customers. My employment provided me with many responsibilities because I had to run the stand by myself at times. The farm workers would bring in produce for us to sell, so we had to organize it and present it nicely for customers. I was responsible for keeping the whole structure and the surrounding land clean and inviting. Of course, as a cashier, I answered customers’ questions and took care of transactions. I learned how to use a cash register and improved my math skills through handling money and doing it quickly. The most difficult responsibility I was asked to do was some of the bookkeeping. I was expected to count whatever produce was brought into the stand and then count it all again when we closed each day. We would call in the numbers each day in order to keep a good inventory. I learned a lot about sales by carrying out this task. It was a rigorous job, but a fulfilling one.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
I actually found it through my mother. I was job hunting for the first time and I was not finding much success in my own efforts. My mom often visited Manassero Farms to buy their popular strawberries, and she just happened to ask the woman working at the stand if the business was looking for any additional help. The owner of the farm was actually at the particular stand where my mom was shopping which was an advantage because he actually talked to my mom right there about hiring me. Mr. Manassero gave my mom an application for me to fill out so that I could start working. Thanks to my mother’s simple inquisition, I was able to finally get employment.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
One challenge I faced was that of just finding employment. I filled out applications for restaurants and retail stores all over the place with no luck. I was trying places where every teenager would try getting a job which was my problem. The way my challenge was overcome was through inquiring somewhere not so common, somewhere out of the way and unique. Another challenge that I had was working by myself and taking on so much responsibility. I struggled to figure out how everything was supposed to be done. It took me a long time to learn how I was supposed to carry out each step of the job, but I did learn eventually. I overcame this challenge by just being diligent and not giving up on my work. Focusing on the task at hand, one at a time, helped me to overcome my overwhelmed feeling. The last challenge that comes to my mind was working efficiently. I never realized how slow I was until working at the produce stand. I had a hard time helping customers and getting inventory counted at the end of the day because I had never had a job that required me to work fast. I overcame this issue by observing other employees and asking them questions when I would work with them. I got a lot of little hints that helped me know what I should make a priority and what was most important to the employer.
What I learned:
The most important thing I learned is the importance of working hard and learning skills quickly. I came to see how challenging tasks can become easier as you become more experienced. Focusing on your responsibilities and becoming efficient in your employment are great qualities of an employee. Learn what your boss is most concerned about and focus on those areas of your job. I learned to ask questions that would make me a more effective employee which helped me become more trusted and useful to those I worked with. My employment at Manassero Farms was a useful experience because it taught me work and life skills. I learned about myself, what I am good at and what I struggle with. The greatest benefit that I have seen from this particular employment is the confidence I felt. I became more confident in accomplishing tasks at home, at school, and in other jobs. The final benefit of working for Manassero Farms is that it broadened my horizons. I got to see different aspects of commerce and what it takes to run a successful business. It gave me a better idea of what interests me and what kind of careers I should look into.
Comic Bookstore Employee
Description:
The Comic Bookstore provided comics, various collector’s editions, video and computer games, figurines, movies, and other knickknacks. There was a total of 4 people that worked there (all were within the family) but we also owned two other businesses so never were all 4 working at the same time. Helping the customers was key priority and that meant you needed to be knowledgeable about the merchandise. Every couple of months we did a Comic Fair sort of thing which took weeks of preparation. It is a very demanding time but provided a great amount of income because so much went into it and so many people knew about it.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
Because it was a family business not a lot was done to look for the job. I was sort of forced into the position and had a responsibility to handle the responsibilities that came with it. We began the business however because it is something we know a lot about. Comics is an area we have experience so it made it convenient to manage and help the customers when we knew about it. People were more apt to come to us since we could give them quality assistance.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
The most challenging thing was managing time. There was always a lot to be done around the store in terms of organizing the merchandise, unloading shipments, helping customers, etc. It was very demanding and the list never seemed to shorten. Also, as a teenager I also had a responsibility to homework, so at the end of each workday, which was everyday, I would get home late and begin homework.
What I learned:
It is very important to have assignments for people so that things are done more effectively. If you hire people that are skilled in a certain area it will ensure that things are done correctly and proficiently and it allows more time to care for the customers, bringing in more money.
Firework stand/tent
Description:
Every Summer in my elementary school years my family would, obtain a modest amount of fireworks from a company and sell them at a stand we obtained in a parking lot of a local strip mall. This venture would last 3-4 weeks starting in June and end a week after the Fourth of July. In my family�s experience, the firework market would later favor tent selling firework operations rather than stands.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
My dad was in charge of a scout troop fund raiser which was the firework stand. The Scout troop had some help from a father in the troop in acquiring the site to put up a temporary stand in a strip mall parking lot. The scout troop contacted the firework company and made the arrangements necessary to run the firework stand including licensing and ordering the fireworks. Due to political matters in 1989 the church that supported the scout troop was not allowed to fund raise anymore and our family bought and ran the stand for several years.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
The firework company was Freedom Fireworks and one of the challenges my family faced was obtaining the fireworks to sell. In order to buy from the company the person interested would need to be old enough (21 and older) and have enough money to be able to pay off the fireworks that were sold. Also since my family had only six children, compared to the several boy scouts before that ran the stand, to run the stand, make the stand schedule, do inventory, reorder fireworks, and set up and take down the fireworks was a challenge for the family. The family worked together and each individual made sacrifices in order for the business to succeed including taking turns running the stand setting up and taking down the stand each day. We also helped in taking inventory and assignments given to us from our father. Two challenges that we decided to overcome by getting out of the firework stand business was a law that made it illegal to sell fireworks to kids under 16, and the emergence of large tents that housed the fireworks. With the area saturated with competition from the bigger, more convenient tents and the law that took most of our customers away from the stand the family decided to get out of selling.
What I learned:
Location had a big effect on how the business performed. The foot traffic at the mall would bring younger people who would buy fire works and then bring their parents back to buy more in the evening. I learned also family business can help the family grow closer together, help the younger children to work hard and cooperate while working.
Small Business Employee, Retail
Description:
I worked as an employee at my manager's self-owned children's clothing consignment store. Because it was such a small business, my position allowed me to oversee and participate in all aspects of the store. In this position I stocked shelves and worked with back stock. I worked directly with customers at the cash register as well as with their personal consignment accounts. I also did book work to keep the accounting accurate and up to date. My responsibilities while holding this job included price, tag, and display merchandise, organize and manage customer accounts, operate the register, open and close the store, open and close out the till and deposit sales from the day, explain products to customers, and accepting or rejecting potential merchandise from clients.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
The summer of my sophomore year of high school, I was looking for a way to earn some extra money while I was off from school. My neighbor owned and managed a children's clothing consignment store and offered me the job as one of her employees. Finding this opportunity and working for a small business provided me the opportunity to participate in many aspects of business that many people do not have the opportunity to do until they have more training and/or have their own business because of the variety of duties I had with this employer.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
One challenge I faced while working in this position was the difficulty of making improvements to the business. If I observed something that I felt needed to be changed for the business to be improved, there was only one person who made all decisions related to all policies. Thus, nothing major was changed unless the owner/manager agreed. There was no board of directors or even a large enough group of employees to impact her decisions, it was purely up to her and sometimes that meant decisions were made to benefit her more than the business as a whole. To overcome this, I worked to make small changes that would improve the business. My boss was much more accepting of these and it was easier to present them. Eventually, lots of little changes added up to some significant improvements to the business.
What I learned:
I was able to learn a lot about interacting with people as I was often the only employee at the store. This taught me the importance of customer service and I learned about how to communicate with people different from me. From watching the actions of my boss, I learned about the importance of honesty and integrity. There were times when I think the business would have been more prosperous in the long run if she had acted with more honesty and integrity. Learning these "people skills" has helped me and will continue to help me throughout the rest of my life in every job setting as well as in my personal life. Also, I learned a lot about how retail works and about accounting procedures. These skills will help me with future employment opportunities as well as with my own money managing. As I reflect on the things I have learned from working for a small business, I have recognized that I would not have had nearly the same opportunity to learn these skills if I had worked for a large corporation. I would strongly recommend that, if possible, teenagers become involved with a small business. I know this opportunity will help them develop a variety of skills that will help them be more competitive when applying for future employment and will help them to better fulfill future employment responsibilities.