I am one of the few truly blessed people who can honestly say that they love their job. Being a Sales Associate at Victoria's Secret is an awesome experience. To me, it isn't simply selling bras and panties, but giving women the tools necessary to be confident in their bodies. This is worth so much more than words can describe.
I remember when I started working at VS 2 years ago. Within my first few months of working there, I had 2 of my most memorable experiences:
The first was with an older woman named Karla. She came in by herself on one of the busiest Saturdays I can remember working, practically in tears. She had just lost a LOT of weight (about 70 pounds!) as a result of a medical condition and was having a really difficult time dressing her new body. Karla insisted that nothing would fit her or make her feel good about herself - it just wouldn't be possible anymore, not after what she had been through. I reassured her that I was here to help change that and I promised that I would. I started her off with a bra fitting and we set out walking around the store so I could tell her about each product and find out what she liked. About 2 hours and a missed lunch break later, Karla was up at cash wrap (a.k.a. the cash register) buying 6 new bras and a bag full of new panties, glowing like a firefly on a hot June evening! She gave me a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek before leaving the store while she profusely thanked me for all that I did for her. As soon as she left, I sprinted into the back room and collapsed in the non-merch room, crying and shaking, trying to get a hold on all of the emotions I was feeling. My manager had to come back to make sure I was okay and assured me that these types of experiences were normal... and that I'd be having a lot more like it the longer I worked there.
And she was right! No more than a couple of weeks later, another older woman (I forget her name) came into the store with a similar problem: she had just undergone breast reconstruction after previously losing both breasts to breast cancer. Unlike Karla, this jovial woman was at peace with the journey that led her into VS that day, but was still confused on what to wear underneath her clothing. I repeated the process that I had begun with Karla, but had to alter my technique in the fitting room. As usual, I exited the fitting room as she changed into the first bra, but after I knocked softly and heard no response, I entered back into the room after and saw the woman was staring at herself in front of the mirror, wearing one of the new bras, but was silent. It wasn't until I was closer to her that I realized she was crying! I asked her what was wrong and she managed to whimper out, "I feel beautiful. I haven't felt this good since before the cancer. Thank you for helping me feel this way again." Back to the non-merch room I sprinted...
I guess I don't expect people who don't work at Victoria's Secret to fully understand why I love it so much. Sure, I deal with my fair share of rude customers and screaming children (DON'T get me started on the bratty kids/clueless parents I've witnessed...), but I'll take a year's worth of crappy customers just to have one experience like I did with Karla or the other woman. And my co-workers are incredible! I like telling people that I have 1 brother and about 10 adopted sisters.
I love Victoria's Secret. I am so passionate about every single product and know that the right bras and panties make all the difference... trust me! So, when someone asks me what I want to do after I graduate, the look on their faces when I say, "I want to work at Victoria's Secret!" makes it obvious that my answer wasn't what they were expecting from someone with a Penn State degree.
I've been struggling while looking for jobs lately. I'll be graduating soon, but nothing that dealt with my degree satisfies me. To be honest, no other job BESIDES a Victoria's Secret job has appealed to me, so I met with the store manager at the Nittany Mall today and BAM! I have a job at the Victoria's Secret here starting Friday! I'm so excited to be "back in black" and working at VS again! Although it isn't full-time like I desired, it's a job that I love and it could always lead into something full-time in the future!
I remember when I started working at VS 2 years ago. Within my first few months of working there, I had 2 of my most memorable experiences:
The first was with an older woman named Karla. She came in by herself on one of the busiest Saturdays I can remember working, practically in tears. She had just lost a LOT of weight (about 70 pounds!) as a result of a medical condition and was having a really difficult time dressing her new body. Karla insisted that nothing would fit her or make her feel good about herself - it just wouldn't be possible anymore, not after what she had been through. I reassured her that I was here to help change that and I promised that I would. I started her off with a bra fitting and we set out walking around the store so I could tell her about each product and find out what she liked. About 2 hours and a missed lunch break later, Karla was up at cash wrap (a.k.a. the cash register) buying 6 new bras and a bag full of new panties, glowing like a firefly on a hot June evening! She gave me a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek before leaving the store while she profusely thanked me for all that I did for her. As soon as she left, I sprinted into the back room and collapsed in the non-merch room, crying and shaking, trying to get a hold on all of the emotions I was feeling. My manager had to come back to make sure I was okay and assured me that these types of experiences were normal... and that I'd be having a lot more like it the longer I worked there.
And she was right! No more than a couple of weeks later, another older woman (I forget her name) came into the store with a similar problem: she had just undergone breast reconstruction after previously losing both breasts to breast cancer. Unlike Karla, this jovial woman was at peace with the journey that led her into VS that day, but was still confused on what to wear underneath her clothing. I repeated the process that I had begun with Karla, but had to alter my technique in the fitting room. As usual, I exited the fitting room as she changed into the first bra, but after I knocked softly and heard no response, I entered back into the room after and saw the woman was staring at herself in front of the mirror, wearing one of the new bras, but was silent. It wasn't until I was closer to her that I realized she was crying! I asked her what was wrong and she managed to whimper out, "I feel beautiful. I haven't felt this good since before the cancer. Thank you for helping me feel this way again." Back to the non-merch room I sprinted...
I guess I don't expect people who don't work at Victoria's Secret to fully understand why I love it so much. Sure, I deal with my fair share of rude customers and screaming children (DON'T get me started on the bratty kids/clueless parents I've witnessed...), but I'll take a year's worth of crappy customers just to have one experience like I did with Karla or the other woman. And my co-workers are incredible! I like telling people that I have 1 brother and about 10 adopted sisters.
I love Victoria's Secret. I am so passionate about every single product and know that the right bras and panties make all the difference... trust me! So, when someone asks me what I want to do after I graduate, the look on their faces when I say, "I want to work at Victoria's Secret!" makes it obvious that my answer wasn't what they were expecting from someone with a Penn State degree.
I've been struggling while looking for jobs lately. I'll be graduating soon, but nothing that dealt with my degree satisfies me. To be honest, no other job BESIDES a Victoria's Secret job has appealed to me, so I met with the store manager at the Nittany Mall today and BAM! I have a job at the Victoria's Secret here starting Friday! I'm so excited to be "back in black" and working at VS again! Although it isn't full-time like I desired, it's a job that I love and it could always lead into something full-time in the future!
No comments:
Post a Comment