Sales Associate/Assistant Manager
(Male, Age 23) from Portland, OR
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Male aged 23 who works as a Sales Associate/Assistant Manager in Portland, OR. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
| Job Title | Sales Associate/Assistant Manager |
|---|---|
| Salary | $20,000 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | Portland, OR |
| Years Experience | 5 years |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
| Years in Career | 0 |
|---|---|
| Education | (not answered) |
| Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
I work for a large scale import vendor company, which specializes in international ethnic goods from east asia and the middle east. The company recieves goods from numerous third party sources and importers.
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
My duties include customer assistence, cashier duties, unloading frieght, and stock managment. Assistant managerial duties are also included.
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
Partial Health Insurance
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
No.
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
I generally enjoy the company of my co workers but customer interaction becomes a bit abrasive at times.
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 1
Benefits: 3
Hours: 2
Co-Workers: 4
Supervisors: 5
Job Title: 8
Level of Responsibility: 7
The Actual Work: 6
A day in the life of…
Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:
| 5am to 6am | |
| 6am to 7am | |
| 7am to 8am | Drive to work at 6:00am and clock in on the computer terminal. I do a rundown of the expected hours of store associates to see if we have sufficient workers during the rush hours. Began unloading freight if it has arrived. I cut open boxes and shelve items in order of product types. |
| 8am to 9am | While co workers continued to unload freight, I did a thorough inspection of the sales floor. All surfaces were dusted, one burnt light was replaced, floors were swept. I turn on all cashier computers and log on with the manager’s password and get them all running. I make sure that all cash registers have sufficient bills in all of them. |
| 9am to 10am | Attended the cashier stand. In the early hours of the day, we seldom get more than five people. However, someone must always be on the floor, and I was that person. |
| 10am to 11am | Again, not very many people arrive until about noon. I am still on the floor at this point. Time is spent here sitting on the counter staring outside. |
| 11am to 12pm | I am assisting customers more frequently at this point. Many came in with a specific good in mind and I pointed them in the right direction. Two customers needed something specific, but the rest were simply there to browse. |
| 12pm to 1pm | My lunch break is usually 12-12:30 so thats how this time is spent. I clocked out for my half hour lunch break and went across the street to a cafe. Afterwards, I returned to the sales floor and resume customer assistance. |
| 1pm to 2pm | A customer returned a van filled with wicker furniture so I assisted them in unloading it all and refunding their purchase. A coworker made a mistake in adding up the total so I had to re-do the transaction. This process took a great deal of time due to the sheer volume of the return. |
| 2pm to 3pm | Since many associates were on the sales floor, I moved to the stock room and resumed unloading freight shipments. Many items needed to be unwrapped so I busied myself with that. I had to take several trips to the dumpster due to the large amount of trash debris from unwrapping everything. |
| 3pm to 4pm | I complete most of the freight and unload it onto the sales floor, and organize it accordingly. A few goods are broken in the unloading process so I write them off on the inventory. Knowing that my shift ended at 4, I hustled to make sure that everything in my work area was cleaned up so I wouldn’t be blamed for a huge mess after my shift was over. |
| 4pm to 5pm | I hastily unwrap and stock the last of the freight and take out the excess garbage and cardboard. By 4:30, my shift is over. I clock out and hang up my apron. At this point, I drive home and take a nap. |
| 5pm to 6pm | |
| 6pm to 7pm | |
| 7pm to 8pm | |
| 8pm to 9pm | |
| 9pm to 10pm | |
| 10pm to 11pm | |
| 11pm to 12am |
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
I saw a help wanted sign outside.
What was the application process?
A simple pen and paper application, no resume or cover letter.
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
The interview I did was one on one and consisted of some straight forward questionarres combined with some role playing between myself as an associate and a hypothetical customer (which was actually sort of cheesy).
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
The questions were standard: “what are your strengths?”, “describe a situation where you overcame something difficult” etc.
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
Not at all, I was sort of thrown in and expected to know everything. Luckily I learn quickly.
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
No. I learned as I went.
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
My math knowledge in high school was helpful a bit. Otherwise, no.
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
N/A
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Inquire in person, on location. Make eye contact. Be assertive. Smile.
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
Strong interpersonal skills, ability to calculate numbers fast, a strong work ethic.
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Math and cultural anthropology are a plus.
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Arrive on time, get a full nights rest, and be nice to everyone you meet.
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
No. It’s honestly a bit dead end and I do not intend to spend the rest of my days in retail.
What are your current career goals?
I want to be a professional photographer, travelling the world and being creative (and getting paid for it). Thats my holy grail.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
Retail is good consistent income for students and young people, but shouldnt be used a long term career path (in my opinion).
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | Cashier/Clerk | Three Months | 7.25 /h | General grocery store clerk. Cashier duties and stock management. Some minor customer interaction. |
| Prior Job 2 |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:2
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
3.2 | Lewis and Clark | Fine art |
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
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