Buyer
"There are a lot of other companies that participate in community service but none that are as dedicated to it as Macy's South. You can see this in how the company supports and encourages its employees to get involved. I've seen entire divisions take a day out of the office to work in a soup kitchen or help out at a Special Olympics event."
 | Why did you join Macy's South and why have you stayed? |  |
I enjoy working in the retail industry. Before I joined Macy's this past December, I had worked for a number of different department store and specialty retailers. I feel that Macy's has the right agenda going forward. They are definitely moving in the right direction. The company knows what customers want and they know how to provide it for them. Macy's priorities are in line with my own. They feel that people are the most important part of their business and they value growth in terms of sales and opportunities.
| What do you enjoy most about what you do and what are your overall job responsibilities? | |
My job is very exciting because there's something different happening every day. I am never bored. Being a buyer, I get to do a little bit of everything. I work to build great relationships with vendors, I work on advertising and even some negotiations every now and then. That is really the most appealing part of this job - no day is ever the same. I feel that Macy's South challenges me in a lot of different ways and allows me to use all of my talents.
| What contribution do you make to your division and how does this contribute to the company's overall success? | |
One of my greatest strengths is my people skills. I find that this really comes into play in training my assistants, working with vendors and in the partnerships I build with the sales support divisions. Relationships are very important in this business. I feel that the relationships I've established have been essential to my success here. Working closely with your vendors is especially important. My vendors know me and how I work and they have come to trust and depend on me as much as I do them. Having that good relationship helps the business run smoothly.
| Is community involvement important to you, have you been involved in any projects in your division and was this something you considered when joining the company? | |
I will be working with my division on a children's carnival through Partners in Time. Something that has really appealed to me is Macy's South's commitment to community service. There are a lot of other companies that participate in community service but none that are as dedicated to it as Macy's. You can see this in how the company supports and encourages its employees to get involved. I've seen entire divisions take a day out of the office to work in a soup kitchen or help out at a Special Olympics event. In the future, I plan on getting involved in support for victims of domestic violence. I am definitely excited about the opportunity to get involved through Partners in Time. Community involvement has always been something that I've done on my own. I've never worked for a company that's supported it as much as Macy's does.
| What do you like best about your work environment? | |
The friendliness of the people and the open-door policy are two of the biggest things I enjoy about this work environment. We are very team-oriented here. Within my division there's a real team in place. It almost feels like a family here. Another great aspect is that Macy's South allows you to be an independent thinker. As a buyer you have the freedom to run your business the way you feel it should be run. I like the fact that creativity is encouraged. I have relied on different people within the organization to guide me along. Everyone here has been very open and warm in helping me adjust to the systems we use. Other buyers in my division and senior management have all been open to any questions I have asked. You can tell that the company cares about its employees and wants them to grow and succeed. That attitude filters down to every person working here. When I relocated to Atlanta for this job everyone was really sensitive to the fact that I had just moved from another state and they were very helpful in the transition to another company and another culture.
| What personal interests/hobbies do you have and how do you balance them with your work? | |
Right now I am just trying to get acclimated to my new job so I have been working a lot. But I know that Macy's South is supportive of a balanced work and personal life and they work with their employees to help them attain a good balance. It is something that this company strives for.
| What advice would you give to a new employee joining the company in a position similar to yours? What helped you establish yourself and move ahead with your career goals? | |
Being visible is very important. I make sure that I am vocal about my goals and objectives here. I talk to my managers about where I want to go and what I want to do. Because it's also important to find a good role model, I'm involved in the mentoring program here and it has been great. My mentor has helped me to figure out how the company works, who I need to know and what I need to do to get through the system. You can't be afraid to ask questions. People are always willing to help if you ask.
| What do you see in the future for Macy's, Inc. and specifically for Macy's? | |
I see Macy's, Inc. being the number one player in department stores. I think that is the philosophy and mindset of this company. We are going to be the leader for department stores for the foreseeable future. Macy's in particular has tremendous opportunities for the future. With the Macy's nameplate attached to us now, we can be the dominant force in our market. The new structures that we're implementing in the reinvent strategy are really going to help us make a statement in this industry. We're focused on being the best and that's going to make a difference to the customer.
|
