assistant manager

store manager

assistant store manager

sales associate

retail sales associate

PacSun

If you like to wear what is sold at PacSun, this job is a great way to keep up to date with the current fashion trends. I was able to grow from a temporary Sales Associate to a Store Manager within 2 years, but that is not typical at all. 

Field management is very involved and available, but the corporate management and leadership is severely disconnected from the store level. Even after four years of store management, the corporate leadership does not respond to any form of feedback. 

PacSun was always a fun environment to work at. The music is loud, the clothing is always up to date and trendy, and the customer base is driven by loyalty. In the store I worked at, every employee was friendly or friends with one another. Store level management was never an issue for me since I was the hiring manager, but generally speaking, the turnover rate was a bit high in many locations. I believe this is due to limited growth potential, unattainable incentive goals, little to no bonus, and low pay compared to a competitor. 

The hardest part of the job was the disconnect between the store level and the corporate level. Some examples:
- Never asking for feedback, or ignoring feedback given
- Implementing new systems critical to operations without properly training, or with incredibly short notice
- Unexplained delays modernizing payment processing (Apple Pay wasn't implemented until last month, two years after competitors)
- Stable departments suddenly becoming unstable without solutions (Shipment processing fell apart in 2019, no way to track inventory, clothing sent to store that wasn't PacSun clothing, missing shipments)
- Very limited growth potential made it hard to find long-term management
- Lack of incentives for sales associates, little to no incentives for management excluding store manager
- Empty promises after meeting or exceeding sales goals (i.e. renovations, incentives for employees, bonus)

At the store level, the hardest part for me was payroll management. Other retailers at the same volume level as me in the same shopping center had double, sometimes triple the amount of hours available per week. PacSun runs on a bare bones payroll model in most locations besides flagship stores. Most locations only have one-two people working at a time, making it very difficult to function when the attention must be on the customer. 

The most enjoyable part of PacSun has always been the people. I loved coming in every day knowing my team was ready to go. I was a bit older than the entire staff by about 6 years, but it didn't prevent me from getting close with my employees and being able to establish a real connection with them. My employees always loved coming to work, never complained about the job, and exceled during their shifts. Seeing their success was the happiest and most fulfilling part of my time at PacSun. 

A typical day a Pacsun when provided decent coverage can be a good day. Each day has its usual weekly tasks that is provided through what is called the pipeline from the higher up management. Sometimes its reasonable snd other times it can feel very tedious or impractical due to the amount of payroll (man power)given to complete tasks. As a manager I learned how to operate and function the store properly through the work week, how to process payroll, how to create a proper work schedule, and how to operate a team properly. Being a part of my specific work team was a pleasure but this varies depending on the location. I noticed a lot of management turnover in other locations, but also moved up the latter a few times because of it. The hardest part about the job had to be trying to achieve the daily task and also achieve daily sales goal with the little bit of payroll available. Also maintaining decent LP numbers with the amount of coverage available at times. At times it can be almost impossible for what they expect from the management to balance during the day and that is the stress causer of this job and for what they pay it can seem not worth staying with the company at times. The pay could definitely be improved from the Assistant manager spot all the way down to the associates. It is sometimes almost impossible to motivate the associates at times because of the the amount of pay and the amount of pay roll. Most part time associates have to find another part time job and end up treating their other job as their primary because of how low we pay them and how many hours are available a week. Low pay roll is  understandable due the nature of retail but that a long with making the bare minimum with no hope a raise is a major deterrent for the associate team and leaves the management to pick up the slack of the un motivated workers, which in turn puts more stress on the management team and makes them question whether or not they are being compensated enough as well. I did enjoy the environment my team created through our family like nature and also the fun we brought to the store which in turn spread to our customers and made their experience pleasurable, but again I can only speak for my specific store.

A typical day at work includes following opening procedure and reading daily communication. From there following company and district manager tasks for the day, which may include transfers, markdowns, or shipment. These tasks are done while still making sure to give amazing customer service to everyone who walks in. The daily tasks may be split and delegated to associates to meet the needs of the store. To end the night closing procedure must be followed and a bank deposit prepared if necessary.
I've learned much from working as a manager, I have learned better leaderships skills to effectively lead a store. I also have been able to train for management positions within the store which is very rewarding to do. I have also improved on working independently as many times I may be on one part coverage.
Management can be very challenging deciding what tasks are priority and how to delegate those tasks to associates. Communication is another key in management whether it be with the district manager or associates being clear and straightforward is very important.
The culture in the workplace is a supportive and learning one, relying on other managers or associates to finish tasks given requires support and communication. Making sure that associates also feel appreciated and important to the store helps them to better by in to a single store goal and makes the store more efficient.
The hardest part of the job is the amount of tasks given daily, while still making sure to offer amazing customer service to customers. You may come in on a day with 5 different directives to do, but ultimately servicing the customer is the number one priority, so knowing how to organize other tasks is imperative.
The most enjoyable  part of the job is the rewarding nature of being able to help a customer find what they want, or finding alternatives for them. Another enjoyable part is being able to teach and train sales associates and get goals accomplished as a team. Finally being able to train and promote people into leadership positions is an amazing reflection on self and rewarding in its self.

-The first thing that is stressed is not to clock in or out a MINUTE early or late or you'll be written up. Then, you'll find out three people called out for valid reasons (Still in class because they're in high school/college, don't have transportation in the morning, sick with a doctor's note.). Then, you'll have to check a clipboard to see what the assigned tasks are for the day. Then you check email to see what the assigned tasks are for the day. They are usually two different set of tasks that both need to be done at the same time, both of which you are alloted roughly half of the time to do the job they expect. If you miss anything at all, you can expect to have a meeting about it.

-With PacSun, I learned "Not everything that glitters is gold." I was promised a good team, quick promotions, and a solid training experience. I was instead handed a team that was literally hired with a five minute chit-chat (theft was also rampant in the store), a constantly rotating upper management  (I had 4 different Store Managers, 2 District Managers, and 2 Loss Prevention Managers), constantly being addressed on my shortcomings more than praised on my success, and my training devolved down to "Why isn't this done yet? Get it done now, figure it out!"
-Workplace culture is very confusing and ill-communicated. Information would come from three different sources, and one of the three had the right method to do it. Sales would change three times in a week, causing employees to re organize shoes, product on the floor, etc. multiple times and burn hours. Frustrating, high turnover, and an overall sense of defeat and feeling trapped were common among managers.
-The hardest part of the job was maintaining a positive attitude and keeping employees happy throughout the day. I learned very well to maintain composure under unrealistic levels of stress.
-The most enjoyable part was some of the people I met through the company. Many of the Managers from other stores are extremely intelligent, capable employees that could do wonderful things.

A typical day at work would consist of making sure that every customer in the store is being helped to the best of your ability. If a customer looked like they were looking for something in particular, an employee would make sure that they found what they needed. Other aspects of a typical work day included making sure the store was clean and organized, completing transactions at the cash wrap, updating inventory, and creating displays for new products.
While working for Pacific Sunwear, I learned about customer service and how to make sure that our customers were taken care of. It is very important to make the customers happy and comfortable while shopping. I also learned how to be a team player and work with a team of employees to accomplish certain tasks. I learned responsibility by always coming into work on days I was scheduled and never being tardy.
My management staff was very fun but strict when they needed to be. They spoke to us like co-workers and not like they were our bosses which made for a better experience. They were also understanding when certain things in life came up and we needed time off such as important exams at school or a death in the family.
My co-workers were good employees. Most of them would show up for all of their shifts and give 100% while on the sales floor. They were also fun people to spend time with outside of the store.
The hardest part of the job was selling to customers who did not want your help. It was also hard sometimes to talk with customers who were angry or rude. Whenever someone came into the store that was unhappy or rude, I made sure that I never raised my voice, remained polite, and tried to resolve the problem the best that I could.
The most enjoyable part of my job was talking to customers about our products. I was very enthusiastic about what we sold and I loved to engage in conversation with customers about our products. I also enjoyed working with the people that worked at the store.

Pacsun has daily tasks that need to be completed through out your shift. It could range from markdowns, floor sets (movement of product) , visual updates, inventory on shoes/denim walls, and etc. During your shift shipment can be delivered and that needs to be completed along with your daily tasks. Up to 2-3 times a week promotions and price changes you have to adjust every time it changes. The big issue at Pacsun the store ran on a one part coverage. It made it hard for managers to get their daily tasks done because they have to ring up customers, work on go backs, fold down the store, check dressing rooms, and etc. I found myself stressed a lot of the times and working over 50 hour weeks just to get things done for the store. The store I was working at also had a lot of restricted workers (high school/only can work for the summer) management wasn't there but we had a lot of store visits. It made it hard to keep up with the stores guidelines and standards when working with 2 full-time employees. 3-4 days we get monthly visits to the store by upper management and it has to be very clean to the tee. Another thing that was really big for me was the pay. The amount of work I needed to complete and do didn't compensate for the work that I was dong. We didn't have a store manager when I first started for a couple of months and I took over the responsibilities of the store manager as long with my duties as assistant manager. I never got compensated for taking on the store manager responsibilities. I even asked for a raised but management just brushed it under the rug. I wouldn't recommend working at Pacsun for a career but if you're in high school looking for a part-time job you should apply.

REVIEW FOR ANY MANAGER POSITION:
As a manager, it’s stressful and quite honestly the managers who were in that same district as I was, would be so stressed about what they “need to do”, that they could never be proud of what they accomplished. Many times people would be doing tasks above their pay grade simply because it was either expected, or there was no one available to get the job done. Many staff members worked for hours off the clock just to finish floor sets, inventory, transfers, markdowns, etc. Managers being forced to commute to other Pacsun stores near by because of their lack of staff to even open/close their store, which meant leaving their own stores to struggle. District managers (went through at least 4 in two years) are overwhelmed and constantly confused with not only repeated district changes, but also miss communication with store managers and their expectations/deadlines causing even more chaos during weekly tasks. Payroll is a nightmare due to a lack of funded hours for a full staff and often causes associates to work a single 3hr shift for the entire week, even though managers would desperately need their help to complete midweek tasks. The shift in store tiers would cause managers to struggle to meet LY goals due to a lack of adequate shipment of full price items and an overwhelming clearance section causing ADS to fall drastically. There was always potentional for Pacsun to nurture and create some amazing and well rounded managers, but the company’s unrealistic expectations and negative reinforcements caused many of them to sacrifice too much time, money, and stability to stay onboard.

The overall environment is relaxed and employees and management are approachable. A typical day would require signing in, running the cash register, assisting customers, keeping the sales floor clean, folding clothes non-stop (especially at the end of the day), and rearranging displays according to a black and white, poorly printed image in a booklet that doesn't have any kind of information to help identify items whatsoever. The spotlights used in the store were very uncomfortable to employees constantly moving around as it became extremely hot and uncomfortable in the store.

Management was very nice and professional, however, the job itself gave my manager serious anxiety issues and that particular store I worked at had issues finding management that could turn the place around. Training for new employees could have been far better as I never received proper cash register training. The workplace culture was very laid back, however, it could become very hectic at times without the necessary amount of help needed. 

The work hours I received were very strange and I never felt like I was given enough and the pay itself was not worth the amount of effort I was putting in. Placing sensors in specific clothing items was tedious and annoying, especially in the backroom where it felt like a sweat shop. The company seems to have lost touch over the years with what their audience is interested in and the costs of items. Their sales seem to lack strong appeal as a result of this. Our store never seemed to meet sale goals and it eventually closed down shortly after I left. The people you get to work with was the best part about this job, but that is about the only positive I can pull from the position.

A typical day at work began at 9AM, and consisted of fixing everything that might be out of order, to include, but not limit itself to cleaning all glass and smooth surfaces, sweeping for whatever dust and debris may be lurking around, checking/stacking/folding/ordering clothing, and generally making sure the store was ready to go by 10AM when we'd open. After 10AM, I'd spend most of my time refolding clothing as customers browsed, helping our customers find items, informing them of deals and sales we'd offer, and returning items from the dressing room. Lunch began at 12:00, and at 12:20 I'd return to the store, to continue the historical routine. Work ended at 3:00 for me.

I learned quite a bit about how to help customers who might not be sure about what they're looking for exactly, how to instruct newer interns and get them caught up quickly, and how to maintain a shop in general.

Management was great. My manager was very clear and consistent in what he wanted from everyone, was a good at demonstrating to where he'd never need to do it twice, and was never unfair in any of the choices he made.

Coworkers were a good bunch. Some needed a little more guidance than others, but everyone was about business. No dillydallying, no drama.

The hardest part of the job was keeping focus even when it can get tempting to daydream through some of the less exciting tasks for which I was responsible.

Most enjoyable part of the job was the customers, some were just customers, but every once in a while tourists would come in with the greatest stories they just insisted on sharing.

A typical day can ranges from a variety of things. It could be a operations heavy day filled with transfers MD visual updates and shipment all in one, or it could be a sales focus day not to say all days aren't a sales focus day but operation work load can vary day to day.  While working there I've learned many skills in regards to constructive conversations with associates to explain what is expected as well as having the same conversations with sales leads and assistant managers. I've also learned great time management since as I said you can have many ops in one day and it's important to be able to plan and execute those ops to the best of your ability. The basic of professionalism is another thing I've learned as well as ways to approach each type of interview in regards to the position wether it's an associate or manager.  When it comes to likes and dislikes, I love the  atmosphere  they managed to create laid back but an understand of your here to work so be on your game, the districts also are close in the sense of everyone in the district is willing to help when needed and give advice and answer questions, dislikes would be the way the prompt people and move them around. The company can have the tendency to say one thing and do the opposite at the drop of a dime when it comes to that.  The hardest part of the job can sometimes be the fact that they expect you to complete X Y  and Z in the quickest amount of time with no hours for extra help and they can say this at any point in the day. The most enjoyable part would be the customer interaction I love selling to the customer and helping them when they have a question.

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