blog #4

Brand Rep to Store Heads

 Store manager of the popular young teen apparel store Hollister shares her 12 year journey with the company.

When most people start at a part time job, they start with no intentions on keeping as a career. That’s most definitely not what Bahia Elamm thought.

As the store speaker blasted its signature pop music. The store manager of Hollister’s international location recollects her experiences with the company, what she plans, and advice for anyone else who is contemplating to pursue those full-time positions.

Whist folding down the stores new shipment of florescent colored bikinis, Bahia talks about her start with Hollister “I started with the company in 2008. And when I first started, I wasn’t sure I was going to be here for long. I did like the marketing aspect of it though. That’s what kept me going.” During this time, she was a freshman attending Hillsborough Community College going for a nursing degree that didn’t exactly go as plan. She specifically recalls not liking anatomy and not staying. In the end she received her AA in business at HCC and then transferred to the University of South Florida, earning her bachelor’s in marketing and minoring in international business.  

Her education plan was a result in her drive to earn higher positions with the company. “The process was I interviewed for the manager in training that the first step after graduating. Back in the day we had to have a four-year degree. So, I got that, went in for my interview was an AM [assistant manager] for a year in a half almost two years and then I became my first SM [store manager] in 2016.” She explained the benefits of going from part time to full time. “basically, we got paid vacations just like a full time we had a salary at the time paid vacation. They offer dental insurance and stuff like that for a full-time position.”

But Bahia doesn’t just want to stop there. She does plan on going after even higher positions within the company. “My goal Is to be a DM [district manager]one day for the Florida region. I would like to go up so, my next step after this for this location would be to GM [General Manger] in the Orlando area and then from there become a DM.”

She also encourages part time employees to follow in her footsteps and do the same. “So, what we look into from our part time staff is someone who can grow with the company like myself. I grew with the company for 11 years so, it’s exciting when we see people started from the bottom and basically moved our way up. So, that’s who we want to encourage for our future brand.”

Bahia offers advice for part time employees who might not be sure what their next move is. “Be patient, always keep your potions open, and, it’s not always about the money. Everyone always goes for something big in pay and stuff like that but at the end of the day you’re not always happy. So, do something your happy whether it’s here if its anywhere else. Like at the end of the day it’s what you want don’t listen to anyone else.