This is for all of my peeps working a retail job for that college tuition, or anyone working a retail job in general. I understand the struggle - however, there is more to a retail job than just the surface impressions, so let's dive in!

Last October, during the era of unemployment, I decided to pick up a part-time job and became a sales associate at OfficeMax. It’s convenient in terms of location, I knew a few people who already worked there and I was quite pumped about trying something new. Many of my previous jobs had been centered around tutoring - it is something I love, enjoy and learn from. Thus, this was quite a significant personal transition and being that I have worked a set of a polarized jobs, I’ve decided to analyze retail jobs in general.

To start off, there are, of course, many moments of frustration when it comes to working in retail. Sometimes you have to deal with a customer that doesn’t agree with what you’re saying. Sometimes you’re the only person working the floor or the register. Sometimes you will stay past your set hours because customers just never put things back in their respective spots and now you have to recover the aisles. These are indisputable moments of frustration.

However, let’s look at retail jobs from a different lens. There are a number of positives that come from working in retail as well. Personally, the greatest asset I’ve gained is mental composure. Retail jobs require mental composure to an extreme level, so much so that even if you know you’re right, the customer is always right. You may get stopped at any time and at any place by a customer and have no idea what this customer will ask, but you have to be ready. Sometimes your co-worker won’t be on the same page as you are, but you both have to bridge the gaps in order to keep the customer service alive. That requires supreme mental composure.

Retail jobs also depend heavily on punctuality and time management. Although, I must admit, I haven’t been up to par with the punctuality lately, I do have a different perspective on what it means to be punctual. Punctuality is a responsibility and if you work in retail and you’re late, you will generally be held accountable for this in a strict manner. Hence, I’ve taken punctuality more seriously as something that is more than just showing up on time - it is a reflection and confirmation of your character and dedication. Also, punctuality in retail has allowed me to manage my time better. If I have to be at work by a specific time, I will budget the hours of my day accordingly.

Now, you’re probably wondering, “Well obviously, bro. Any job requires that you have be there on time. You learn that with so many other things, like class, like an athletic schedule, etc” - and I completely agree. However, the experience was more personal in that as a tutor, I had the absolute privilege to set appointments according to my own schedule. When working in retail, there are moments where your hours do not completely complement your daily schedule - you do not have the absolute privilege to set appointments according to your suitability, and this difference has allowed me to understand the concept of time management and to manage my time better. In addition, time management is essential for the job itself - throughout the day, there are a number of tasks to be done and they must be done in an efficient manner. I’ve learned to prioritize and to understand that fully committing to a certain task at a time will greatly help me mentally move on to the next one, allowing for an efficient and productive shift.

Lastly, working in retail has allowed me to understand and gage the needs of someone else - a concept very similar to that of tutoring, but in retail, it must be done in a quicker manner. When a customer requests certain information, it is yet another opportunity for a sales associate to communicate in a productive and healthy manner. This means understanding exactly what the customer wants by gaging the customer's word choice and body language and doing everything in your power as a sales associate to assist them. This interaction allows for the synthesis of business and personal interaction - it is an interaction of professional assistance in a comfortable environment within the context of business. It is an interaction that I can always learn from and one that will hone my professional life interactions as a physician and have already honed my social life interactions in general.

I would like to state that, as a part-time worker, my retail experience is quite limited. Also, retail jobs depend heavily upon the managers and the environment of the store, and I’ve been blessed to work under a group of welcoming managers that strive to create a comfortable environment for their employees. Working in retail is something I don’t plan on doing for a significant amount of time, but it has been, along with many other descriptions, a very interesting and thought-provoking experience so far. Because my excerpt is personal in nature, there may be retail workers who cannot relate to what I’m saying, and I completely understand that. However, I do hope some positive aspects can be taken from my excerpt, so we can thrive as a community of efficient and jovial professionals!