Williams-Sonoma a Part Time Job

An era has ended for me and a new one has begun. After 2 years with Sur La Table I decided to take my knowledge and my experience a few doors and a floor below to Williams-Sonoma. It wasn't as hard a decision as I thought it would be but was made with careful consideration. Many things factored into that decision to make a change. What had been a fun and enjoyable experience was now more frustration and stress then the benefit it provided. I had gone back and forth between no longer having a part time job at all or finding a new opportunity elsewhere. 

That opportunity came quicker then I had planned or expected. After some encourage ment I submitted my application at Williams-Sonoma in a moment of "now is as good a time as ever". I didn't have to wait long for a response the store manager Cynthia called me promptly the next day and we made an appointment for an interview a few days later.

I know its just a part time job but I still had a twinge of nervousness as I arrived. What if she didn't like me or didn't think I was a good fit where the thoughts going through my head.

I immediately scolded myself for my lack of confidence and went into the store ready to impress.  I introduced myself to one of the staff who greeted me and was led into the back stock room to meet the manager. it was then I knew I was in a better place. The stock room was immaculate. Everything had its place which was a breath of fresh air compared to the chaotic stock room upstairs which at any given time you were worried might all collapse and bury you alive.

I was then introduced to Cynthia who I spoke with for a good 35-40 minutes and she was very personable and I knew we would get along great. At the end of the interview she told me she would be happy to have me aboard and with that we began the paperwork. Everything was done digitally and in less then 15 minutes I was an new employee at Williams-Sonoma.

My first day as a sales associate was a Wednesday. I arrive ready to work and was greeted by a few of my new coworkers. Everyone couldn't have been nicer. The manager on duty for the night was Sandy who I had gotten my application from. She would also be my trainer for the night.

After teaching me how to clock in we started in the stock room where she explained where everything is and where it should be. It didn't take long for us to click and I knew we would get on perfectly. After the nickel tour of the stock room we moved out to the sales floor.

Here she went over the daily agenda which is a guideline of what they expect from each person. It was pretty straight forward. Next we walked the store and talked about the product and she coached me one some selling techniques she has found successful. After that we were on our own as the other employees were off. She let me do my thing and shadowed me as she also helped other customers.

When it came time for me to ring my first employee she guided me through the login process and what to do and where to do it. Capturing e-mail addresses, receipt by e-mail & paper options as well as tender types. It all was very straight forward and I felt confident to proceed.

My biggest challenge is going to be learning where everything is. The store is so much more organized I felt feel confident that it wont take me long to do that. As the night progressed we had many customers and Sandy was pleased with my interactions and competency with the product and the POS system.

She taught me a little bit about the wedding registry and how it operates and soon I'll be able to do those on my own too. the night flew buy and before I knew it the mall was closing and we shut our doors. She then went thought he routine closing procedures with me for trash, dishes, sweeping and restocking.

I didn't get out until about 10:30 but normally she said that we would be out sooner but that she wanted to be sure she covered everything with me.

All in all I had a great evening and was happy with my new surroundings. I am looking forward to being there for a long time. Sandy has been there for 8 years and that there are people at the store who have been there even longer. That is an encouraging statistic that demonstrates that they take good care of their employees and that its a great place to work.