Tag Archives: manager

Summer Transitions

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As I’m writing this, I’m facing my last week at my internship. The summer feels like it’s gone by in a blip. I’m doing a lot of wrap up—documenting the processes I’ve used so they can be continued, teaching a new analyst how to use a tool, creating slide decks for my two final presentations. The transition will be pretty abrupt for me. This Friday at 5 or so, I’ll leave work. Sunday morning I’ll drive down to southern California to visit with relatives, and then I’ll move back into Scripps on Tuesday for RA training. These last few weeks have been super busy, since I’ve been trying to cram in seeing all my friends and family around my normal work schedule. (I’ve had to sacrifice my daily workout, but hopefully Tiernan will be open when I get back).

I had a great, lengthy conversation with my manager yesterday about life choices and grad school and career options. She’s been tremendously supportive and appreciative of my work, and I was happy that she validated some of the unusual choices I’ve been making.

1.       Taking lots of math and economics, even though I’m all humanities on the inside: My manager got her MBA (while getting an MSW) for the same reasons — people who have quantitative or technical knowledge have power. I don’t want to let anyone mansplain why a policy I support isn’t economically feasible without the tools for refutation.

2.       Not returning next summer to my current internship, even though it’s well paid and at an organization I eventually want to work for: My manager (and my mentor, and my mom) stressed that internships are about exploration, and while they’d welcome me back, they understand that I want to figure out where I fit best.

3.       My semi-secret, maybe-probably-won’t-do it-but-maybe-I’ll-try-anyway dream of becoming an economist: My manager actually just assumed that path might be on my radar, since I’m interested in being a research assistant after graduation. It feels too big for me, and there certainly is a chance that I won’t make it all the way. I’m no math genius, and economic research is heavily math-based. Six years in a PhD program is a long time, and might conflict with babies and other life things. But there’s no danger in trying. It’s not as if I’ll be unqualified for any other jobs because I’ve taken too much math and econ. I can still go into policy, tech, teaching, or anything else, because of the magic powers of liberal arts education. At the moment, being an economist seems pretty appealing, because your work can involve theoretical research, policy focused research, and teaching. We’ll see if I survive multi-variable calculus!

I’m excited to switch gears next week for RA training. I’ve missed Scripps: the sunshine, the people, the beauty. I’m hoping that as much as I’ve stretched my analytical thinking at my internship, I’ll stretch my interpersonal intelligence in the next few weeks.

Everything I Learned From My Summer Working Retail

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I had my first retail job this summer. It was at a well-known women’s chain that recently opened a new store near my house. While I went into to it just happy to have a job (and glad that it happened to be at a store I LOVE), I left having learned much, much more than I ever thought possible.

Here are five things I took away from the experience:

1. Ultimately retail workers are hired to sell clothes. This is what I have found most retail managers look for in interviews. They will often have you pick out an outfit for a specific occasion. Instead of telling them why you chose it, sell it to them. Make them WANT to buy it.

2. “If you’re not doing something, you’re doing something wrong.” My manager told me this on one of my very first days at the store. A retail business makes money off of the productivity of their employees. If the store looks like a mess, nobody will want to buy anything. Therefore, even if you think the store looks eat-off-the-floor-clean, I’m sure there’s a t-shirt somewhere that’s not perfectly folded. This situation can be applied to nearly any work environment. Employers always love employees who go the extra mile.

3. Work-appropriate doesn’t mean uncomfortable. The store I worked at had a pretty specific dress code about what brands we were allowed to wear and how we were supposed to present ourselves. In an attempt to look nice, I showed up to my first few days in wedges that were perfectly brand-appropriate and not at all conducive to comfort after an eight-hour shift. Ultimately, I realized that uncomfortable shoes and clothing interfered with my ability to perform at my job. I quickly invested in some comfort-flats and some nice, dark-wash jeans.

4. The customer is always right. In retail, especially, employees are providing a service for the customer. When representing any company you are working for, it is always important to leave a good impression.

5. Talk to your manager when you have concerns. For example, during slow periods in the month, managers had to cut shifts in order to make payroll. It took me a long time to realize that I had a right to let my managers know that cutting my entire shift on a regular was not only an inconvenience but also an interference with my expected income. In any work situation, it is okay to speak up if you feel there is a problem. Just make sure that you are approaching the problem appropriately and respectfully.

Well, clearly this isn’t everything. Maybe we’ll have part two in a few weeks…

Have you learned anything particularly useful from your summer jobs?