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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.

Retail Management, People Management, Critical Thinking, Work-Life Balance, Adaptability

Advizer Information

Name

Job Title

Company

Undergrad

Grad Programs

Majors

Industries

Job Functions

Traits

Gaurav Chintamneedi

Assistant Store Manager

Amazon

Chapman Unniversity

​

Advertising, Public Relations, Political Science, American Studies

Apparel, Beauty, Retail & Fashion

Sales and Client Management

First Generation College Student

Video Highlights

1. Balance people skills with critical thinking: Success in retail management requires strong interpersonal skills to manage diverse teams and resolve conflicts, combined with critical thinking to address challenges like supply chain disruptions and staffing shortages, always considering the bigger picture of the business.

2. Importance of people skills: The role involves constant interaction with a diverse range of people, from customers and associates to superiors and peers. Understanding and empathizing with their perspectives, especially those of employees working minimum wage jobs, is crucial for effective conflict resolution and ensuring tasks are completed.

3. Commitment to hard work and flexibility: The job demands a willingness to work long, irregular hours, including early mornings, late nights, weekends, and holidays, which can significantly impact work-life balance. Being prepared for these demands and maintaining motivation is essential for managing the role effectively.

Transcript

What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered the industry?

When I entered this role as an assistant manager, I had no idea how retail or retail operations worked. I would suggest anyone in this job in retail to have a balance of being a people's manager, with those people skills.

At the same time, you have to be a critical thinker and want to grow. The reason I emphasize these two things is that when you are a critical thinker, you have a perspective that is not limited to your role. You're thinking about the sales of this store, but also how Amazon can build their business to have more groceries across the US and the world.

You have to have that critical thinking. If a truck doesn't show up today and your store looks empty, what steps do you take to ensure your store is full and you're still able to make a profit? If there's a snowstorm the next day and everyone is in your store buying items, and you don't have enough staff, how will you navigate that conflict?

Being a bigger-picture thinker is super important and what I would recommend to people. Have an open mind and understand that you have to think from a bigger picture that is more than just limited to your role.

Number two, those people skills are super important because every single day you are interacting with a bunch of people in the store. Whether that is a customer, an associate, your boss, or your co-manager, you're interacting with all sorts of people. You're interacting with average Americans working minimum wage jobs.

You have to be open-minded and have that perspective of where people are coming from. If they are complaining, how can you talk to them and resolve that conflict to ensure the work your store requires is still getting done?

The final thing I would add is you have to be willing to work hard. You have to be willing to wake up at 3:00 AM and be at work at 4:00 AM. You have to be willing to work inconvenient hours, like a 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM shift. You have to be available and prepared to take that on.

You have to be prepared to work on holidays and weekends. That's going to take a significant toll on your work-life balance. But if you are prepared about the timings you're going to work and you're aware you'll be working these times on weekends, and you're motivated by that, that's perfect. You can still manage a life outside of these inconvenient timings.

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