If I had a dollar for every time I was asked “So..what exactly do you do?” I could quite literally be debt free and own a very, VERY nice house. After college I was all over the place career wise, I felt like nothing was a fit and I was just trying to get a job to pay the bills. Many people were telling me to just stay where I am even if I am unhappy, so it didn’t appear I was “job hopping.” Well – I said screw that, I am not the type of person who will ever be okay waking up miserable because of a job. I felt like God was telling me that I needed to get out of my comfort zone and keep trying.
Before I accepted the job I am currently at, I applied for probably over 70 different jobs. Most were in real estate, because I was so drawn to the relationship building aspect, but I was questioning myself because it is a very hard gig to start and become successful in. If I ever wanted kids, that would most likely have to wait many years. I then saw my current job posted “Associate Merchandiser” and dead in my tracks said “no freaking way this is real..” I can shop for a living??? I fixed my resume to make me look like the baddest, most trendiest person, and applied! I got a call for an interview/received an offer and I quite literally cried. I prayed for something like this my entire life, but I knew if I wanted something in the fashion industry, I would most likely have to move to Chicago, LA, or NYC. Never in my dreams, would I think an office like this would be so close to where God has already taken me..to the middle of the midwest, in a frozen tundra. But hey! – Worth it right? Im still trying to decide on that!
So to answer your question of “Lauren, what do you even do?” Well, I do quite a lot as a Merchandiser but my main job is to go through submissions of designer pieces and offer a quote to purchase them from people all over the country, if the item seems to be a good fit of what we are looking for. This is a whole lot of research and looking at designer websites/blogs/resale comps all day looking for prices, comparing competition, and seeing if this item is risky or not (the best type of research if you ask me!!) I then authenticate the items we have purchased, this is the hardest part of my job because there are SO many fake items out there. Pretty scary if you ask me! Would you like a separate post on how to tell if an item is fake? Let me know! There is a long process of true authentication, which takes up most of my day but I will not complain one bit because this is all I have ever asked for. This is the spark notes on what my everyday looks like and I enjoy every second of it!!
My advice to you, if you are feeling stuck in a career path is to create an Indeed and Linkedin account and apply for EVERYTHING that peaks your interest even if it is something you think “there’s no way they will hire me” (this requires you to change your resume a bit to match what they are looking for) and don’t give up. I watched probably every Youtube video there is about interviewing, the key is to sell yourself even if you don’t have the experience! Keep trying, stay confident, and remember your time is coming. I promise.
Xo, Lauren
dailylaurenmarie.com 