After mulling it over a couple of days, chatting about it to friends and my cousin, and even long-distance calling my sister in the US of A, I decided to explore the home furnishing retail industry with Freedom, Australia's leading homewares and furnishing store (www.freedom.com.au).
I've always been a fan of Freedom (my last leather lounge suite was from Freedom) and have often joked about how I'd make a great sales consultant for Freedom. I mean, if I can't afford to own my house and furnish it with Freedom products, then I can at least have the pleasure of helping someone who can... and get paid for it!
Admittedly, I was a little unsure of my decision. It's been a while since I worked in a retail environment, and while they had a decent commission scheme, I would be taking a pretty hefty pay cut if I were to just survive on the base salary. I began to doubt myself... can I actually do this? Have I made the right decision? There were moments I felt like calling up the other employers to ask for the offer back because I was so scared I had made a terrible terrible mistake. Thankfully I had friends to remind me of why I came to Melbourne in the first place: to have a go at a career change. So I stayed put and stuck to my decision.
Two weeks on and I have to say my fears were unfounded. Of course it's been a huge learning curve, having to build my knowledge on the extensive range of products and getting my head around the point of sale system to put through the sale. I also quickly learned that standing around for pretty much 7-8 hours a day isn't as easy as it seems. Oh, and believe me, smiling and always being cheery and ready to serve a customer even when you don't feel like it is even harder. Nevertheless, it really helps when you have a fun crew to work with and interesting customers to deal with... like the gay couple who bought a bed that was more fit for a 16-year-old princess (look for the Priscilla range on the catalogue!), or the many Asian customers who want a discount because they plan to buy several items ("What do you mean no discount? But I buy so many things!"). By the end of week one, I was getting a hang of things and actually sold a couple of beds. But my feet ached, and my legs were tired and I suddenly missed having my own office and desk.
Week 2 ended yesterday and you know what? Yours truly sold over $32,000 worth of furniture and I'm thinking "maybe this isn't so bad after all..." Yes, my legs are still a lil tired, but my body is adjusting to the new routine and for now, I think this will keep me going for a bit. I'm not sure if I want to make this a career so I am looking out at other jobs. In the meantime, I'm enjoying Freedom while it lasts...
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