I’ve been pretty vague about my job. I’m sure people have wondered where the hell I’ve been for the past few months, that is if you’re still reading this thing haha. For privacy reasons, I’ve chosen not to name the company that I work for. The last thing I want is to have a private meeting with my boss about this website.

Unfortunately, I think it will be difficult for me to continue writing this blog without giving readers further insight into my professional life. As I’ve spent more and more time in my profession, I’ve found that it has become a significant part of my life. Even if I’m not in the office, I find myself reading industry specific articles and paying particular attention to news updates that can impact my company. In addition, the friends I have made here in Wisconsin are all my colleagues in the company. My work and my personal life are intertwined.

So what is it that I do?

My official title is District Manager. I work in the retail industry (yup, I work in retail) and manage a group of stores within my district. I hope those who know me in real life don’t reveal my company (hint hint), haha.

I’m sure many of you think I’m a lunatic for working in retail. Heck, I thought I was crazy for accepting the offer in the first place. I didn’t attend college with the purpose of working in retail, it just worked out that way. Nonetheless, after nearly 8 months with the company, I have been very happy. My job has far exceeded all expectations.

I’ll be honest, many of the stereotypes that plague the retail industry are true. I am a salaried employee, which basically means that I work until my project is done. Essentially, there isn’t a 40 hour cap on my work week. My daily schedule isn’t always 9 to 5. Some days may be earlier (6 AM), others may be later (8 PM+). (Hence my absence for several months). Like I said, it all depends on when I complete my tasks.

Surprisingly, the hours I’ve spent working haven’t bothered me. Now don’t think that I’m working 100 hours every week, that’s not the case. Most weeks I average between 40-50 hours. But there are times where I work 70-80 hours, both in individual retail locations and at home.

There are two things I love about my job, Independence and Responsibility. As a District Manager, I travel between stores everyday. I am not in an office with my supervisor watching my every move. Instead, I am given clear, measurable goals and am asked to achieve that goal over a specified period of time. Thats it. I love that!

I also have significant responsibility. I am responsible for the operation of all of my stores. This means that I hire people, fire them, and discipline them. I also monitor every store’s finances by controlling our expenses and driving sales. I feel like I’m running my own business.

Don’t be surprised if you find more articles about my job. There are tons of stories to come, :)

Happy Independence Day!!!

Today also marks my first month in the real world. In a sense, its been a month since I’ve declared complete financial independence from my parents. Now, I am responsible for my own health insurance and car insurance, on top of the rent and other monthly bills.

What a transition it has been! I can’t believe that waking up past 7:30 AM feels like sleeping in. And, if I don’t get to bed by 10 PM it feels like I’m up late. Just a few months ago, it was common to not sleep until 2 AM in the morning and wake up the next afternoon.

Since moving to Wisconsin, I haven’t had the social interaction that I was accustomed to in a college environment. Most drastic is not dining out everyday. Back in Gainesville, I use to eat at a restaurant everyday, literally, with my buddies or my girlfriend. Now that I’m on my own, I’ve been cooking a lot more and dining out less frequently (only with co-workers or catching up with friends in the region). A lot of money has been saved!

Another major milestone was becoming accustomed to a new career. On my first day a month ago, I was given a huge crate with several 2-inch binders full of information that I had to read and understand within two weeks. Yikes! The pressure was on. In a very short amount of time, I also met a bunch of new people and did my best to memorize there names. It was like the first day of class… in middle school… when you knew no one, haha.

The next thing I will need to accept is that my life no longer resolves around semesters. There are no breaks in between with time to recuperate. Dang…