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Gaurav, Assistant Store Manager at Amazon: Advize Career Interview
An interview with an Amazon Assistant Store Manager reveals a dynamic career path paved with diverse experiences, highlighting the importance of experimentation and self-discovery during college.
This role, comparable to managing a large retail store, demands strong interpersonal skills, critical thinking, and the ability to balance company needs with employee well-being.
The position offers "executive liberty" to make impactful decisions, a privilege and learning experience found fulfilling.
While challenging, particularly regarding work-life balance, the opportunity provides invaluable skills and resilience, emphasizing the need for understanding how people work, business acumen, and a customer-first mindset.
Aspiring professionals should prioritize people skills alongside critical thinking and be prepared for demanding hours, while recognizing the abundance of entry-level opportunities within Amazon Operations, including management roles and internships, that can be acquired with relevant college experiences.
College is a time to explore opportunities, build relationships and say "yes to everything", and this will set an individual up for career success.
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Gaurav Chintamneedi
Assistant Store Manager
Amazon
Chapman Unniversity
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Advertising, Public Relations, Political Science, American Studies
Retail
Sales and Client Management
First Generation College Student
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Career Path of a College Student Exploring Careers
Gaurav, an Assistant Store Manager at Amazon, used college as an opportunity to experiment with various courses, internships, and on-campus experiences to discover career interests, even stating that internships taught them "what you don't wanna do in your career". Through diverse experiences, from an unpaid real estate internship to a radio internship with the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, they gained clarity by balancing internship work experience as well as on campus leadership experiences.
Main Responsibilities Of An Assistant Store Manager At Amazon
As an assistant store manager for Amazon Fresh, Gaurav is essentially a "four walled manager" responsible for overseeing all aspects of store operations, similar to managing a Costco or Walmart. A key focus involves ensuring associates are diligently performing their duties across various departments like customer service, produce, and center store, while also looking at metrics like sales and associate engagement to keep the business running smoothly.
A Day in the Life of an Assistant Store Manager at Amazon
As an Assistant Store Manager at Amazon, Gaurav focuses on maximizing the customer experience through associate engagement and efficient task delegation, especially when receiving "thousands and thousands of dollars of shipment every single day" with limited staff. Balancing the demands of the job, which can be "very, very mundane" and impact personal life, with motivating associates and improving interpersonal skills is a key challenge in their role.
Most Important Skills For An Assistant Store Manager At Amazon
Gaurav believes interpersonal communication is the most important skill, emphasizing the shift from being a manager who delegates tasks to a leader who inspires and uplifts their team to "get the best out of their ability." Patience and critical thinking are also vital, especially in a demanding environment where understanding perspectives, resolving conflicts, and strategically assigning tasks based on individual strengths are key to maximizing team effectiveness.
Favorite Parts of Being an Assistant Store Manager at Amazon
Gaurav enjoys having a management position "straight out of college" as it provides "executive liberty" to make impactful decisions, particularly when acting as the sole manager on duty. The ability to enact personal visions for improving the store, rather than simply being told what to do, is a privilege and responsibility that makes the managerial role fulfilling, and a great learning experience.
Biggest Challenges Faced by an Assistant Store Manager at Amazon
Gaurav finds the biggest challenge of being an Assistant Store Manager at Amazon is balancing company requirements with the needs of the employees they manage, understanding that "you can't be liked by everybody" while still striving to be a good leader. Gaurav believes the skills and experience gained in this role will be invaluable, teaching them a lot and "take you afar and a long way throughout your career."
Favorite Parts of Working in Retail as an Assistant Store Manager at Amazon
Gaurav enjoys the hard work and the understanding it provides, particularly dealing with diverse people and learning the "struggles of different people", which builds a crucial perspective on the average worker's day-to-day that will be invaluable when moving into higher management roles, as well as the benefit of developing resilience in the face of future challenges. Being in Amazon and being in the industry is beneficial as "it requires you to put yourself second and prioritize the customers first" allowing an understanding of people collectively.
What Type Of Person Thrives In The Retail Industry, According To An Assistant Store Manager At Amazon
According to Gaurav, thriving in the retail industry, especially at Amazon, requires "understanding of how people work" combined with business acumen, where one is constantly seeking initiatives to improve sales and overall business performance. Thinking outside the box and demonstrating dedication by putting in extra hours are also crucial for career advancement, as this dedication is recognized and valued, ultimately contributing to success as a leader and driving business growth.
What an Amazon Assistant Store Manager Wishes They Knew Before Retail
Gaurav wishes they knew the importance of balancing people skills and critical thinking, as retail requires one to be a "people's manager" and think about the bigger picture beyond just the role, such as considering how to maintain profitability when unexpected events occur. Aspiring assistant store managers should also be prepared for demanding hours, including early mornings, late nights, weekends, and holidays, understanding that it can significantly impact one's work-life balance.
Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring Assistant Store Managers At Amazon
Entry-level opportunities within Amazon Operations are abundant for undergraduates and graduates, ranging from assistant store manager roles in retail like Amazon Fresh to positions in warehouses or Amazon Air. Gaurav highlights the "wonderful privilege" of starting as a manager right after graduation and emphasizes the breadth of roles available, including merchandising, data science, and marketing, plus internships are always available.
Significant Career Lesson From an Assistant Store Manager at Amazon
The most significant lesson Gaurav learned is the importance of developing people skills, emphasizing that while AI may dominate industries, the ability to "really understand people" distinguishes humans. By building relationships and understanding others' experiences, one gains an open mind, recognizes the strengths and weaknesses of individuals, and ultimately becomes a more effective manager.
College Experiences That Helped An Assistant Store Manager At Amazon Succeed
Gaurav emphasizes that college success, leading to career success, stems from actively pursuing opportunities, intentionally building relationships ("it should want to have a conversation because you genuinely want to get to know them as a person"), and saying "yes to everything" to discover passions, highlighting that leadership roles on campus can be just as valuable as internships in shaping a well-rounded and passionate candidate, crucial for landing a job, like the one they landed at Amazon, after graduation. They additionally note that having built connections with professors during this time in college ended up being a vital factor that allowed them to consult for advice and ultimately made them confident to take on a management position at Amazon.
Advizer Personal Links
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