About a month ago, I started a new job at Target. I love Target and since I needed to get a second job this summer, I thought it was a great idea. I have never had a job in retail before and they still hired me, so I felt confident I could handle it.

Working this job has taught me a lot so far, so I thought I would share with you some lessons I've learned and ways I've changed the way I shop.

One thing I will never do again is put something back in a place where it doesn't belong. I now understand the frustration. Specifically, I work on what is called the flow team at Target. That means I come in at five a.m. and stock the shelves before the store opens. Other members of the flow team come in at 3:30 or four in the morning to unload the trucks. When I am rushing around to get boxes off the floor before the store opens, it really helps if products are in their correct place. It takes me twice as much effort if I have to move the product to its correct location before I get to start my original task of stocking the new product. Now, I will never put something back in the wrong location.

When I help a guest, I really appreciate when they thank me for helping them. To me that says that they are grateful for making their experience at our store better, which is what I aim to do. Now, even more than before, I try to be as pleasant and un-demanding as possible when I am the guest. For all I know, this employee has been working for six hours and is struggling to put a smile on their face and help me. They are taking time in the middle of their task to help me and I want them to know I appreciate them.

It honestly comes down to this: be nice to people no matter what. We have no way of knowing what they are going through outside of work, so it makes all the difference to be extra nice.

I am working this job as a seasonal employee and may or may not work past the end of this summer. I have so much respect for those that continue to work in this industry despite undoubtedly having some bad experiences, so I want to thank retail workers for everything they do.