Ana Gonzalez started working at Hollister in July. She applied online, got an interview the next day and was hired as a stock associate within the week. “Now I mainly do brand rep, but here and there I do stock,” she said.

While this is her first job, she had some great advice for job-seekers. “I remember when I got the call. I was thinking to myself, ‘What am I going to wear? I need to buy an outfit.’ I was going to show up in some slacks and little booties but that’s just not me. I ended up wearing something I’d normally wear and I was confident while talking to the manager. Be extremely confident, especially if you’re having a group interview, which is what I had to do. Be the best you!”

Her wardrobe choices are made every day at work since the employees do not have a required uniform. “We are free to wear whatever we want, which is one thing I love about Hollister,” said Gonzalez.

Having a job helps her in a lot of ways. “I felt like I needed the experience in customer service because it would benefit me in the long run,” she said. “It would be a source of money for my future needs, such as a car, college, etc. Lastly, I needed to humble myself. I am so used to being handed everything, what I want and whenever I want, by my parents and I needed to become more independent.”

Benefits and drawbacks exist in any job. “My favorite thing about my job is the environment in the store. The employees and managers are beyond friendly. The majority of the employees are teenagers as well, which is great because it makes the job more fun,” she said.

“The most difficult part was learning how the stock room worked. We have these things called bays, which is where all of our extra jeans and clothes go. At first it was very confusing. It may sound easy just putting away jeans, but there are specific numbers that you have to look at and the bays go in a certain format. Over time I got the hang of it.”

Gonzalez is an asset to the company for many reasons, but one of the most important is because she is bilingual. “I have the ability to communicate with my Hispanic folks,” she said. “There have been countless of times where customers come in not being able to understand English and it really helps that I can communicate with them.”

While working at a clothing store provides good work experience, her career goal is to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA).