My New Job!

Hopefully, you will believe me when I say it has been a wild last two weeks. I went from eighteen and unemployed to nineteen and employed. I know that doesn’t sound that crazy—everyone has birthdays, and a lot of people have jobs. It all started when I moved into my dorm last year and began my life as a college student. I knew that I wanted to get a job to get a bit of a kickstart to my career and to make some money on the side. I applied for a few different jobs and never heard back. I kind of gave up and just let myself have a year of school with no extra commitments. I was totally okay with that because I felt like I needed a transition year. I wanted to get used to classes and college life. When I got the RA job, I thought that would be a great thing to keep me responsible and to learn a few things about accountability and work ethic. The RA job has been great for me, but I still wanted to get a small headstart in my professional life. My end goal has been to eventually work at Ralph Lauren in some capacity. For me, Ralph Lauren is the pinnacle of the fashion industry. I wasn’t quite, and still am not quite sure, what I want to do for the rest of my life, but I knew I wanted to work there. At the end of my second semester, I went to the Ralph Lauren store in SoHo and asked if they were hiring. The manager gave me his card and told me to shoot him an email when I was back in the fall. They weren’t hiring at the time. I was slightly disappointed, but I wasn’t totally let down. I had another summer at home with my friends and family. When I started my third semester, I again wasn’t sure if I wanted something on top of my RA duties. For my birthday, my dad, Violet, and I went to the Ralph Lauren Mansion to look around and shop. I ended up having a conversation unknowingly with a floor manager. We talked about the store, its interior design, the brand in general, Cooperstown, and baseball. He later informed me that with the holiday season upcoming, they were doing a career day to hire people for their busiest season. I was very excited. I was hoping this was my chance to get a foot in the door, even though it was a temporary job. I ended up going to the career day and thought it went pretty well. I got a callback shortly after to meet with another store manager. That callback went very well, and I got called in to come back the next day. I met with the head of the building and wasn’t quite sure where it left me. A few days later, I got the official offer to come onboard their team! I applied for a seasonal position and was offered a permanent position. I was (and still am) very excited! It has been a dream of mine for so long to work at Ralph Lauren. My first real job is at their flagship store. I still can’t believe it. I don’t care how entry-level the position is, I’m just excited to be there! Today was my first day, and it went super well. I am a greeter, which means I welcome people to the store and hold the door for guests. I love the ability to talk to so many different people; it's one of my favorite things to do. Does taking on this job mean I will be very busy? Yes, very. I don’t care, and I know it will be hard. I get to wear a suit all day too. I’m excited for what possibilities will come from this. Sorry for a late post, I was busy at work! Woohoo! Happy Friday, everyone!