Journeys

I started my first job at Journeys in 2018 at the age of 17. I quickly became aware of how to sell and market shoes to gain sales for my daily goal. Working for Journeys taught me a lot about how to read people, how to market to certain people, and how to swindle people into making unnecessary buys. In one year I went from being a part-time seasonal associate to the co-manager of the store. Learning my way to becoming part of the management team while being the youngest in the store helped me learn a lot of communication and leadership skills. 

Journeys is owned by Genesco, an independent brand that specializes in brand name shoes. There are almost 2,000 stores in North America and one in every state. In 2011 they implemented a program called “Attitude that Cares,” which helps employees reach out in their community and service. In 2014, Journeys became partners with Vans Warped Tour and invites top employees to festivals that are sponsored by Vans. Each holiday, different brands sponsor Journeys and give free shoes and shirts that must be worn at work for promotions. The company focuses most of their extra time for community service such as cleaning beaches and giving back to the community.

My personal experience with Journeys is a little different. As my first job, I poured my heart into learning everything that I could and helping anyone I could. Each day we had goals on how much money we had to make a day and a ratio that counted how many socks, shoes, and accessories were sold. On top of that, we had to organize our stock room and accept the weekly shipment of inventory. We were expected to do all of this within a four-hour shift as a part-time associate. As I climbed the ladder, I was trusted with more important jobs such as scanning shipments, closing the registers, taking the deposit to the bank, and decorating the store. After a year of being with the company, my manager was suddenly being investigated by corporate due to one of my coworkers emailing them about her lazy attitude and her slack with her job. I had to be interviewed and write corporate an email about my experience with her and how she handled her job. She was quickly fired and I was chosen to become co-manager. 

After a month of being co-manager, I transferred to the Chico store and became a sales lead. The stores had two completely different vibes and I did not feel appreciated by the company anymore so I decided to leave the company. Overall, I believe that the company has good intentions, yet they do not live up to them. I have sent a letter to corporate about how much I loved the company and try to help them create a good environment for their employees. I am grateful for the things Journeys has taught me and how I can use those skills for the rest of my life. 

works cited

“Genesco.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Feb. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genesco.

“Journeys (Company).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Feb. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journeys_(company).