What I Learnt Working at The UT Dallas Bookstore

I was always fascinated with the idea of working on-campus. I did not want to take a risk in the first year of my education at The University of Texas at Dallas as I was back to school after a decade. It made sense to get into the groove with assignments and exams without any distractions. I did however get involved in theatre and cultural activities. Then came my internship which also kept me occupied and taught me a lot. So it was only in my last semester that I actually got an opportunity to work on-campus, thanks to a reference from my friend Sandeep. And it was none other than the UTD bookstore, one of the most beautiful and lively places on campus. And it was here that I learnt some invaluable lessons of management and operations.

To start with, this was my first time working in retail. I have a lot of experience working summer jobs at call-centres in India but I had never done anything related to retail. So, right off the bat, I was amazed by the daily functions of the job. I was also extremely impressed with the way my co-workers excelled at everything they did. Almost all of them were undergraduate students working part-time. But they had mastered every aspect of the job and were kind and humble enough to patiently teach me all of it. Thanks to these lovely kids, I now know a good deal about managing the sales floor, operating the register, packaging merchandise, shipping out online order and also processing returns. It was also interesting to spend time in the warehouse and understand inventory management.

My time at the UTD bookstore (run by Follett Higher Education Services), although short, taught me how you can have a ball and learn a lot at the same time. It also has an emotional value as the bookstore is the place on campus where you find all the official UTD merchandise and souvenirs. When you work there all day, surrounded by UTD shirts and sweatpants and key chains and hats, you feel a sense of belonging. It is where you truly feel proud to be a comet!

I have fond memories with each and everyone of the bookstore employees – Amanda, Jessica, Heidi, Rosa, Bella, Tiara, Chirag, Brijan, Nicole, Rhea, Lynn, Antonio, Jaret, Graham, Akena, Gisele, and Catherine – what a beautiful bunch! The UTD bookstore is the very definition of a happy workplace with music, and smiling workers (some of whom are huge fans of The Office), and colorful backdrops. And the person responsible for making sure this place has such a great vibe is the store manager, Rawn Johnson.

Right from the day I met Rawn, I knew he is this wonderful human being who is such a positive influence for everyone around him. He is extremely warm and affectionate towards all his employees. Of course, there are days when you want to make sure you don’t do anything that might piss him off. But mostly, he is just a humorous, fun-loving, story-telling, coffee-drinking boss who wants everyone to have a great life. Whether it is buying cup-cakes for people on happy occasions, or making everyone read “The Energy Bus” when they are on-the-clock, Rawn does a great number of things to ensure that the UTD bookstore is a workplace people want to come back to every morning. He also throws a little “You’re now dead to us!” party when someone is leaving (yep, he did that for me!).

If you are reading this Rawn – it’s been a true pleasure to know and work with you. I have learnt a great deal from you about how to build a strong, efficient team while making sure its members are happy and healthy. I shall strive to become a manager like you.

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This is the eighth post of my #10DaysToGraduate series where I share 10 key lessons from my Master’s degree in the form of a countdown to May 8, my graduation date.