My New Job

All week I knew there was something from work I was going to write about, but in the end, I forgot it, and wrote down the basics of work.

Specifically, here's what I thought was interesting:

We spent an entire couple days merchandising. Everything had already been set out, at the appropriate tables, and then we re-worked the areas, over and over. We had basic, obvious rules on how to organize merchandise so that everything is balanced and easy to get to. Other than that, it was up to us to make things look good.

I was partnered with one of our managers to fill an armoire. She was very critical about exactly what we would use in our area, and about what should go where, but I didn't mind one bit. My personality is more the type to not care so much about how the earrings are placed, but I knew these high standards would be good for me. I may not have cared, but I still could understand why, and I was often able to suggest much better alternatives.

This isn't at all new to me. In college, my art professors were very good at what they did. They were laid back artists themselves, but they understood that creativity shone best in strict, critical environments. We held weekly critiques about our drawings. Half the time, we may have talked about correct proportions and perspectives, but a lot of our time was devoted to composition. I may have drawn an awful looking shoe, but they would spend more time focusing on why I chose to replicate that particular frame of vision. Why did I put the subject of my picture where I did on my canvas? What I did wasn't as important as why I did it. They constantly challenged us to make defenses for our compositions. "Balance" and "contrast" were always on our tongues. It was important that our work "felt right" to the viewer.

Once again, I found myself in the same environment. This time, instead of canvases, I was given tables, shelves, and fixtures. I no longer had to create objects to put in the space, but I had endless possibilities of combinations of merchandise. My manager and I were constantly asking each other, "What can we put next to this piece to bring out this particular color?" We also had a grid of cubbies to fill with a variety of contrasting merchandise, while still paying attention to its visual balance.

Afterwards, the district manager (who worked alongside us all week to get the store in shape) wanted to come see what I'd done. He was very impressed. I felt embarrassed receiving praise, when I knew it wouldn't have looked as nice without my manager's help. When he pointed out one particular thing he liked, that I knew was all her, I was quick to give her the credit. Later, when my manager returned, she said, "Hey, make sure you're getting credit for the work you do. You should be like, 'Hey! Check out that table; I did that!' Be proud!"

While most girls were hired by our general store manager for their retail experience, I had the chance to interview with the district manager, who was very interested in the concept of visual merchandising. I was lucky to have been hired without experience, but for my studies in the visual arts. I also feel fortunate to have a manager who feels there is money to be made in visual merchandising, and that I can go far.

How likely that may be, is questionable, but it's great to be encouraged, and to know that I'm doing okay at a new job!