Informational Interview
Sanaa North
Coastal Carolina University
CBAD 290
Carol Borisuk
The purpose of these interviews are to expand my network. Business professionals need a broad network within their chosen industry to locate and secure jobs, conduct business, and add value.
Interviewee #1
The first person I decided to interview was Mr. Christian Cooper. Mr. Cooper is a 23-year-old assistant manager at Finish Line. Finish Line is an American athletic retailer that sells athletic shoes and sports apparel. I was interested in his story because of our similarities and my interest in the sports apparel industry. Mr. Cooper is in the same age group and we’re striving for the same things in life; success and generational wealth. This young man graduated from Coastal Carolina University in the year of 2019. He is now in graduate school striving to become a doctor. Mr. Cooper uses the money he earns from his assistant manager position to fund his schooling.
Question 1:What is your job position?
Response:Assistant store manager for Finish Line at Coastal Grand Mall.
Question 2: What are your main responsibilities as an assistant manager?
Response:Relaying messages from the general manager to regular store associates & supervisors. Things such as the store’s upkeep and incoming shipment.
Question 3: What is a typical day at Finish Line?
Response:Mondays are very slow and you get a lot of paperwork done. My district manager gives us an overview of last week’s sales. Weekends are the busiest time and you have to address every customer’s need.
Question 4: What kind of accomplishments tend to be awarded in this field?
Response:Accomplishments at Finish Line are things such as cleanliness and conversion. Conversion gives you an overview of your sales and inventory
Question 5: What was your biggest accomplishment at Finish Line?
Response:When I stepped into the store it was a 1.3 million store, even during the COVID pandemic, I managed to turn them into a 2.2-million-dollar store.
Question 6: How does your job affect your general lifestyle?
Response:I love shoes, so working at a sneaker store makes me spend a lot more money on shoes now. It also affects studying for grad school, but that’s where sacrifices come in, so I have to move accordingly.
Question 7: What common problems do you face at work?
Response:Customers always think they’re right. You can always deal with people bringing their personal problems to work and taking them out on you.
Question 8: What do you like the most about working at Finish Line?
Response:I like the hand-to-hand selling and interacting with customers.
Question 9: What do you like the least about working at Finish Line?
Response: Hard to see family during holidays during peak season.
Question 10: What kind of education or job training does this job require?
Response:At a minimum, you need a high school diploma or GED.
Takeaways:This interview taught me the importance of customer service and time management.
Interviewee #2
The second person I interviewed was Mr. Ricus Askew. Mr. Askew is a 25-year-old business owner. His business name is “The Private Shop.” The Private Shop is a vintage apparel and athletic shoe store. Mr. Askew started this business after he dropped out of college. He attended Coastal Carolina University for two years while he found himself not interested in any majors. He always had a passion for sneakers but he wanted to find a way to make money from them. Finally, Mr. Askew came up with a game plan and started his business in 2018. Since then, his business has been booming with exclusive sneakers and high-dollar t-shirts. Mr. Askew now has two store locations; one in Myrtle Beach, SC, and the other in New York.
Question 1: What is your job position?
Response:I’m the owner and CEO of The Private Shop.
Question 2: As the owner, what are some of your main responsibilities?
Response:Sales, monitoring employees, inventory, maintaining the website, and retail.
Question 3: How did you become interested in this field?
Response:I went ot Coastal Carolina for a little bit and didn’t know what I wanted to do. I knew I could always go back to school, so I wanted to start something I was very passionate about.
Question 4: How did you begin this career?
Response:In December 2018, I started finding stuff I could resale. I had a big name at Coastal Carolina and I wanted to sell stuff I knew people needed. So, I started selling sneakers and clothes for an affordable price.
Question 5: What trends and issues do your experience right now?
Response:Having product and size runs. People come in and they want a certain size and its hard to just have the size for them. This is because the product is either sold out or we just didn’t get it in the size.
Question 6: How do most people get into this field?
Response:You could use social media platforms or enter a sneaker raffle. By entering the sneaker raffle, you could win a shoe for an inexpensive price and sell it for a much higher one.
Question 7: What are some common entry-level jobs for this type of career?
Response:Sale associate jobs for companies such as Nike, Under Amour, or Adidas.
Question 8: What do you like most about your work?
Response:I am able to create my own hours. I also get to make my own items and put in the products I want to put in.
Question 9: What do you like least about your work?
Response:Honestly, working seven days a week has always been a struggle for me, but the outcome has always been a great one.
Question 10: How many employees do you have?
Response:I have two employees and three interns.
Takeaways: From the interview, I learned that it is never too late to change your mind. I also learned that consistency and dedication will help you succeed in the business industry.