Little did I know what I was getting myself in for when I accepted the job at Penney's. In those days, to be in the management training program, it didn't matter what your experience was. You started out as a sales associate and had to complete a 90 day evaluation of your selling skills and ability to complete relevant tasks. Then you were promoted to the trainee program. During this time you had to work at each different job, whether it be catalog, credit, stockroom, sales audit,etc. You had to learn each one and master it and then go on to the next. You had to know that each one was important and the success of each one depended on the other. There were no prima donna's, you either made it or you were out. We were supposed to work 40 hours a week, period. We had paper time sheets posted on the wall that you had to sign in and out on. Needless to say there were some strong words when the auditors showed up and wanted to know how we could have been so punctual, in and out, day in and day out. Someone else had to answer that question.
I survived the trainee program and was promoted. That was the beginning of what was to be a total of almost 30 years with the company. I'm getting a little ahead of myself though, since after 5 years we decided to relocate to Georgia.
Monday, October 5, 2009
My resume 8
From a life at sea, I became employed at Seven Seas. It was a gift shop with things from all over the world. Many of these things had been purchased by the owners as they travelled. I really looked forward to the arrival of new merchandise as it was always unusual. Setting the displays and decorating the front window was my forte. We also imprinted Christmas cards and did napkins and matchbooks for parties and weddings. The manager came from one of their stores in Ohio. She had worked for them for a long time and it turned out she was pregnant and not married. They sent her down to Florida to protect her so that it would not be common knowledge that had happened. Hard to believe when in this day and age being pregnant does not preclude that there should be a husband. I used to sew a lot of my clothes and so I had made maternity dresses for her. We became very good friends and to this day still exchange Christmas cards every year. She decided to go home before the baby came and recommended that I take over as manager, which I did. Around this time, I remarried.
The Mall had a management meeting every month and all the store managers, big and small, would attend. Always one to make my opinion heard, I was elected president of the Mall Merchant's Association. This was no small feat as ours was a very small store. Not only had I beat out all the major department store managers, but I was the first woman ever to be elected. We were a very strong and vocal group and tried to always do things in the best interests of everyone. We got into a row with Mall management in regard to trash collection. We were all very satisfied with our service provider and we were being told that we had to change to a different company. One day I was asked to lunch by the owner of our service. I thought it was a bit unusual but agreed. He asked me to go along with the change. It seems his trucks and other equipment had been vandalized to send a message. He said he didn't want me to get hurt and I just needed to convince everyone to go along with the change. So, there I was again. Who controls waste management? Me versus the Mafia. No contest.
Regardless of that episode, I was re-elected president. At some point, the manager of Penney's asked me to come to work for them. They wanted to promote women into management positions since it was a strictly male environment and they wanted to change that. So I packed up my gavel, a gift from the Association, and moved on down the Mall.
The Mall had a management meeting every month and all the store managers, big and small, would attend. Always one to make my opinion heard, I was elected president of the Mall Merchant's Association. This was no small feat as ours was a very small store. Not only had I beat out all the major department store managers, but I was the first woman ever to be elected. We were a very strong and vocal group and tried to always do things in the best interests of everyone. We got into a row with Mall management in regard to trash collection. We were all very satisfied with our service provider and we were being told that we had to change to a different company. One day I was asked to lunch by the owner of our service. I thought it was a bit unusual but agreed. He asked me to go along with the change. It seems his trucks and other equipment had been vandalized to send a message. He said he didn't want me to get hurt and I just needed to convince everyone to go along with the change. So, there I was again. Who controls waste management? Me versus the Mafia. No contest.
Regardless of that episode, I was re-elected president. At some point, the manager of Penney's asked me to come to work for them. They wanted to promote women into management positions since it was a strictly male environment and they wanted to change that. So I packed up my gavel, a gift from the Association, and moved on down the Mall.
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