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 Retail Rundown

Rachel Sokol
 
BECOME PART OF THIS EMPLOYEE POWERHOUSE, THE LARGEST PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYER IN THE U.S.
 
The word "retail" generally brings to mind an image of a brightly lit store playing cheery music, cash registers, and rows and rows of items for purchase. While there's some truth to that vision, today’s retail environment also includes a vast e-commerce network. Behind every sales transaction—whether it takes place in the store’s physical location or via the Internet, are “hidden” teams of corporate employees, engaged in public relations, marketing, business services, human resources, and more – who work hand-in-hand with the very visible sales managers and associates to ensure a succesful retail operation.
 
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of retail sales workers is projected to grow 10 percent from 2012 to 2022, about as fast as the average for all occupations. If you're a people-person, think fast on your feet, are creative, good with numbers, and even Internet savvy, perhaps you'll find a retail career quite rewarding.
 
Keep reading to learn more about this exciting industry.
 
OPI PRODUCTS (COTY, INC.): PART OF A CREATIVE TEAM
 
As public relations manager for OPI Products, Inc, Rebecca Brown, a University of Kansas graduate, helps to increase public awareness for the brand by implementing strategies to gain media mentions. “The thing I enjoy most about my job is the amazing team I work with,” she says. “It’s great to work in a role that you love, with people who feel the same way.”
 
Brown, who is based in Los Angeles, CA, says she’s always been a planner, “so the field of marketing and public relations was a natural fit for me. So many aspects of being a PR professional involve planning— product launch rollouts, events, pitching, and so forth—so public relations has very much felt like an organic role for me to be employed in.”
 
When working with nail care beauty products on a daily basis, and juggling administrative work, organization is a must. “I’m a pro at making checklists,” she says. “There are many events, brand activations, and cross promos for OPI. I write items down as a ‘to-do’ as requests come in. And when they’re done, I thoroughly enjoy highlighting the items to show completion.”
 
The longer her checklist, “the messier my desk is,” jokes Brown. “My ‘mess’ consists of stacks of papers, mainly decks I have to review along with product samples galore. Since we send out product samples to media and celebrities, my office is always full of an array of OPI products – everything from our Avojuice lotion to nail lacquers, to nail files, you name it.”
 
Keeping up with trends in beauty and fashion is important to Brown’s role. “I’m an avid reader of Women’s Wear Daily (WWD) and Pret-a-Reporter – which is how I keep up with all of the Hollywood highlights and upcoming projects,” she says.
 
The best career advice Brown’ received was from a former boss. “She said never waste energy playing the blame game, but spend it on finding a solution when something goes awry,” Brown recalls. “In other words, when you make a mistake, the world was never over. As long as you owned up to it and found a well-suited solution, the world would go on!”
 
For those interested in beauty PR, Brown tenders to “always take the better job” – the job that will garner the best PR results for the field you want to go in. “In your first few years of working, don’t let the pay completely dictate your decision to choose a job because experience always pays more in the long run and the right experience is priceless.”
 
OPI Products, Inc., a division of Coty, Inc., is the world leader in the professional nail care industry. OPI is committed to providing high-quality products and services with a focus on industry safety and innovation. Known for its exceptional formula, fashionable colors, and iconic names, OPI’s heavilypigmented lacquers are super rich, long-lasting, and chip-resistant offering an affordable luxury to consumers.
 
For career info: opi.com/salonsupport/ careers
 
AVON: AN INSPIRING WORK ENVIORNMENT
 
“In my role as the director of digital merchandising and site operations, I am responsible for assuring that Avon.com offers a world-class shopping experience,” says Mari Corella, who is based at the company’s New York City headquarters. “My team handles getting products onto the site, developing compelling promotions, and continually envisioning ways to improve the shopping experience with site enhancements.”
 
Corella works closely with the digital group, as well as the marketing, merchandising, finance, and legal teams.
 
The best part of my job is that I get to work with some of the best talent in the beauty industry. Every day I am wowed by the work that Avon Associates produce, from a new fragrance launch to a creative email design,” says Corella, a University of California, Berkeley, graduate. “Avon is a company that focuses heavily on work-life balance, so everyone has an interesting hobby outside of work. This lends to an inspiring work environment where we not only connect on a professional level, but on a personal one as well.”
 
It doesn’t hurt that Corella’s also a self-proclaimed “beauty junkie.” “So, being able to stay on top of beauty trends and try new products as part of my job makes it that much more enjoyable,” she notes.
 
Corella’s job requires a high level of organization, especially in today’s fast paced media world. “I am an obsessive list maker. I keep separate lists for items to do immediately, to follow up on, topics to cover in meetings, and personal tasks,” she says. “I keep these on Post-its and transfer to a new list as needed. I also splurge on cute and quirky office supplies to keep me motivated.”
 
She advises job seekers to be open to different roles. “Many recent graduates want to go for the ‘sexy’ retail jobs like fashion buyer or social media marketing. Though those are great options, they are very competitive and new grads quickly get discouraged in the job search,” she says. “Rather, think of the reasons why you want to be in that particular function or field and be open to other roles that fit the criteria. For example, if you want to be a fashion buyer because you like to be exposed to new trends and want to impact a business, consider a role as a planner. The experience you gain will make it easier for you to make a lateral move into the role you ultimately desire.”
 
To keep up with industry news and views, Corella turns to Women’s Wear Daily (WWD) and the National Retail Federation (NRF), which she calls, “my go-to sources for staying on top of retail industry news.” She also writes articles about the retail industry on her personal blog (maricorella.wordpress.com) and LinkedIn. “A friend of mine recently turned me on to darrendaily.com, which offers free mentorship advice from Darren Hardy in just a few minutes a day,” says Corella. “Always starts my day off with the right mindset.”
 
Avon is the company that for more than 125 years has stood for beauty, innovation, optimism and, above all, for women. Avon, with nearly $9 billion in annual revenue in 2014, has products that are sold through 6 million active independent Avon sales representatives worldwide. Avon products include color cosmetics, skincare, fragrance, and fashion and home, featuring such well-recognized brand names as Avon Color, ANEW, Avon Care, Skin-So- Soft, and Advance Techniques.
 
For career infoplease visit: about.avon.com/careers/
 
SEPHORA: ENCOURAGING THE NEXT ROUND OF EXPERTS
 
Jennifer Rivera is color specialist/ assistant manager for the busy, popular Sephora Times Square store in New York City. “As assistant manager, I work alongside our store director and general manager to oversee the sales and productivity growth in our store,” she says. “I manage 65 percent of the business in sales, client service programs, HR functions, and the career development of 45 cast members (employees) and three co-managers.”
 
Rivera was a full-time student when she started working for Sephora as a part-time cashier 10 years ago. “I fell in love with the company's values and undeniable energy. It was the passion demonstrated for both the client and the cast that made me pursue a long career with Sephora,” says the City University of New York graduate. “I have grown within the company by taking on various roles and have been offered many wonderful opportunities to advance in my career and personal growth.”
 
Through the company’s Partnership for Development program, Rivera and her colleagues have developmental conversations where they “establish one key strength that we can leverage towards our own, and the store’s, success; one area of opportunity to work on.” For each plan, says Rivera, cast members discuss and implement activities that can be put into daily practice that will encourage one’s strengths. “Through this program, we are able to grow and encourage the next round of Sephora experts and leaders.”
 
Over the years, Rivera has learned how to be an effective leader and coach at her busy Sephora retail location, and to be a savvy business owner, “challenging myself to strive for more.”
 
So much of what I have learned at Sephora I have directly applied to how I carry myself in my life outside work,” says Rivera. Attending the company’s Train the Trainer program, is “where I learned ways to becoming an effective facilitator and educator through Sephora,” she explains. “Once certified, I became an Education Product Expert and worked in conjunction with our Education Team. I was able to facilitate Science of Sephora, a program training Sephora cast on the fundamentals of makeup, skincare, and fragrance to utilize with their clients. I also assisted in facilitating district wide trainings for our launch of the Express Services program at the Beauty Studio, now called Mini Makeovers, where we offer 15 complimentary makeup lessons for our clients to learn.”
 
Additionally, Rivera and her colleagues built a partnership with the Make-A Wish Foundation over the past year. They granted wishes for six young ladies battling various ailments, “offering them complimentary custom makeover consultations with our experts. Giving the gift of confidence and beauty is extremely fulfilling and ties in perfectly with our new company philosophy of “Lets Beauty Together,” says Rivera.
 
Sephora is a visionary beauty retail concept founded in France by Dominique Mandonnaud in 1970. The company’s unique, open-sell environment features an ever-increasing amount of classic and emerging brands across a broad range of product categories including skincare, color, fragrance, body, smilecare, and haircare, in addition to Sephora's own private label. To day, Sephora is not only the leading chain of perfume and cosmetics stores in France, but also a powerful beauty presence in countries around the world. Sephora operates approximately 1,900 stores in 29 countries worldwide, with an expanding base of over 360 stores across North America.
 
For career info, please visit: sephora.com/careers
 
THE CONTAINER STORE: CONNECTING WITH THE COMPANY'S VALUES
 
“Before joining The Container Store, I was actually a customer,”’ says Kevin Postell, training manager for The Container Store’s Washington, DC location. “I was recruited while shopping at our Tyson’s Corner store several years ago. A few months later, I browsed the careers pages on the company’s website and connected with the company’s values and decided to apply.”
 
As training manager, Postell works closely with the general manager to run the business. “I also plan, execute, and oversee all training for new and veteran ‘1 Great Person = 3 Good People’ employees. The way we recruit and hire truly sets the standard in the retail industry. We’re always looking for that one GREAT employee – the one who can be as productive as three GOOD employees.”
 
New hires at The Container Store receive a week of intensive Foundation Training. “This includes information on our company history, Foundation Principles, safety, selling, merchandising, and much more,” explains Postell. “In their first year, full-time employees receive 266 hours of training; our training is never-ending. We provide product, selling, and operations training to all employees – both full- and part-time on an ongoing basis. In addition to Foundation Training, a new store manager completes five additional weeks of training to cover topics such as leadership, people, operations, and running the business.”
 
Postell is currently participating in the retailer’s Leadership Development Program, which includes leadership development topics with training and development assignments as well as follow- up discussions with his manager.
 
“My favorite project at The Container Store was being selected to participate in our Thrive campaign last year for Conscious Capitalism,” says Postell. “The project consisted of photography and video and my role represented thousands of our employees.”
 
Postell was recently featured on the retailer’s culture blog, standfor.containerstore.com, where he stated: “I love working at The Container Store, because I don’t just sell products. I’m prepared to solve problems by helping our customers get organized, which I know will improve their lives!”
 
As an employee of The Container Store, Postell has participated in many community relations projects, most recently as a volunteer for the non-profit organization Dress For Success. He helped redesign and configure their donation room utilizing The Container Store’s best-selling product, elfa! (A modular shelving and drawer system.)
 
“I’ve enjoyed the various roles I’ve held at The Container Store and the training aspect has always been an enjoyable facet,” he says. “I love to see my team’s face when they learn something new. It also excites me when I see team members and colleagues utilizing and sharing their newfound knowledge to not only better our business but enhance their self-awareness, commitment, and ownership. During my time at The Container Store, I have learned to be collaborative within a team and a gracious leader.”
 
Headquartered just outside Dallas, TX, The Container Store is the nation’s leading retailer of storage and organization products and the only retailer solely devoted to the category. The company originated the concept of storage and organization of retailing when it opened its first store in 1978. Today, the retailer has 77 store locations nationwide that each average 25,000 square feet. The Container Store has over 10,000 products - many of them multi-functional - to help customers save space and, ultimately, save them time.
 
For career info, please visit: containerstore. com/careers/index.html
 
NORDSTROM: TAP INTO YOUR SOCIAL PERSONALITY
 
Zulaika Lopez is Chantecaille business manager at Nordstrom South Shore Plaza in Braintree, MA, Known for its uniquely high concentration of natural botanicals, Chantecaille is a preeminent luxury brand for serious skincare and beautifying cosmetics.
 
“In my position, I work to achieve selling goals and counter volume; create a positive customer experience; maximize merchandise presentation; execute events, promotions, and business plans; and build a strong team of sellers,” says Lopez, who is employed by Nordstrom as an exclusive Chantecaille representative. “The high-end product lines found at Nordstrom, including designer items, in addition to a commitment to customer service is why I was initially drawn to the international retailer,” says Lopez.
 
“Additionally, Chantecaille’s pure ingredients—made from the highest quality all-natural botanicals— in addition to the company’s stringent cruelty-free aspect, and its international philanthropic stance, aligned with my personal and professional values.”
 
Lopez loves meeting customers, and getting to know them beyond skin-deep. “I get to know the person in front of me first and create a friendship,” she says. “After we connect, I help them to find the products that will enhance their natural beauty. I love introducing my customers to quality skincare and watching them enjoy the results year after year.”
 
An artist and an educator, she recently conducted a Chantecaille master class that she hosted alongside Constance Widener-Malott, Chantecaille North America’s head trainer. “It was a two-day event and we hosted 40 women. We wanted to create an unforgettable experience for our customers,” says Lopez. “The class taught customers more in depth product knowledge and they were pampered with facials and hand and arm massages.”
 
Lopez advises job seekers to “stay humble. No matter what level of success I have achieved I always remind myself to stay grounded.” And also, if you’re social and enjoy helping others, tap into that aspect of your personality. To that Lopez adds, “Work for a company that you are passionate about. If you want to work in customer service and management, you need to be a people-person.”
 
Headquartered in Seattle, WA, Nordstrom, Inc. is a fashion specialty retailer, founded by John W. Nordstrom. The company began as a shoe store and has since expanded to offer clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, and fragrances. Select Nordstrom stores also have wedding and home furnishing departments. There are 323 stores operating in 39 states, including 121 Nordstrom stores in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico; and 194 Nordstrom Rack stores, two Jeffrey boutiques, and one clearance store. Additionally, customers are served online through Nordstrom.com, Nordstromrack.com, and HauteLook. The company also owns Trunk Club, a personalized clothing service serving customers online at TrunkClub.com and its five clubhouses.
 
For career info, please visit: about.nordstrom.com/careers/
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