Working at Men's Formal Wear Store (M and S)

DONE BY: Ayesha P | Stanford U. '21

HOW OPPORTUNITY WAS FOUND: Applied to a bunch of jobs in the area at the ned of senior year. Found out through a friend who was working there part time that they were hiring.

LENGTH: 4 months

LOCATION: Aberdeen, Scotland

DESCRIPTION OF WORK/ACTIVITIES DONE: Worked primarily as a menswear suit advisor (fit men for suits and provided customer service) and as a cashier

TOP TIPS:

Even if you don't have to work, I would try working at a place like a local retail store. I personally grew up in a "bubble," and having an exposure to the world outside of that was a valuable experience for me to meet people that I never would have had the chance to get to know otherwise. Be open to having experiences that aren't necessarily pleasant the entire time. Stick it out, because I thought about quitting almost every day--but it was very valuable. There's no right way to do a gap year. Do whatever you want.

MOST MEANINGFUL LESSON TAKEN AWAY:

I got to learn how to make a boring job feel more interesting, and become creative in that sense. I also came to really appreciate my education.