J. Crew

This year when school got out for summer break I left New York City to spend some time at home.   I loved being back in the South with my family and dog (a Chocolate Lab named Hershey!) And it was so great to hang out with high school friends and share stories about our first year in college.  While I was home I had the opportunity to work as a sales associate at my local J. Crew.  In addition to selling the clothes, I also got to help put together the window displays, and unpack new merchandise when new collections would come in!

{I helped create these beautiful windows - not as easy as it looks!}

I applied for the job at spring break on a whim, figuring I would need something to do this summer in order to stay busy.  This was the first summer I had a job and I honestly had so much fun. I worked retail previously in high school at a local shop, so I did have some experience. I quickly picked up on the computer systems and the different types of folds we use to display the clothes.  (If nothing else, I can fold things REALLY well.) I enjoyed interacting with the customers and the entire staff was fantastic.  Working with fun people and having great managers really helps the time go by.

Working retail is fun because every day is different.  What I loved most about working at such a popular store was getting to catch up with family friends I had not seen in a while. Friends that I had lost touch with, elementary and middle school teachers, friends of my parents - it felt like everyday someone from the past would walk in! Working there was a great way to (accidentally) get back in touch with some familiar faces.  

{Walking J. Crew Ad #sorrynotsorry}

My favorite (and most the challenging) part of the job was creating the window displays.  They took a long time to put together; we stayed after closing, hot gluing and nailing things into the wall for hours.  I have so much respect and appreciation for window displays now - I can't even imagine doing some of the big Christmas windows in New York! In the end, it looked so good and I was very proud of the work we had done.  It was rewarding to know that I helped create something that would work to draw people into the store. 

Retail is entertaining, if nothing else.  From helping people find the perfect outfit for a special event, to having a woman try and set me up with her "adorable son" - there was never a dull moment! I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed working at J. Crew, it was a great experience and made my summer one I will never forget.

♥ Caro