Rebecca Dux

Major: Apparel, merchandising, and design
Company/Organization: The Funky Zebras
Company/Organization website: http://www.thefunkyzebraspella.com
Destination: Pella, Iowa
Timeframe: Summer 2020
Advisor/Coordinator Email: briaj

Responsibilities

While working at The Funky Zebras, there is not one day that is the same. From receiving new merchandise to working on visual merchandise, there is always something to do. My responsibilities while working are helping customers, steaming and pricing new merchandise, and helping with the visual merchandise displays such as the mannequins throughout the store and front window displays.

Accomplishments

Throughout my time working at The Funky Zebras, I have definitely accomplished a lot. One of my greatest accomplishments from my experience working here would be designing the front window display for the store this summer. I had to brainstorm ideas with my boss about what we thought would display the brand of the store as well as making the store stand out. Some of the places I looked at for inspiration were Anthropologie and Dry Goods. Both of these stores have similar aesthetics to The Funky Zebras. One image we saw was a jungle-themed window display. We decided to take that inspiration and create our own display. It was a lot of work but I am very proud of how the display turned out. This display is so far my greatest accomplishment.

Learning experience

As I have been working at The Funky Zebras, I have learned a lot and experienced a lot. One of the greatest lessons that I have learned from my experience would be my personal skills and communication. Just like in any retail job, you are always working with others. Whether it is a coworker or a customer visiting the store, it is very important to have great communication skills. Retailing requires you to be vocal. You always should check on your customers, listen if they need help, and problem solve if there are any issues. Personal skills and communication are the greatest lessons I've learned from my experience because retail forces you to reach out of your comfort zone and communicate with others around you.

What advice would you give?

My advice for future students would be to always be open to new opportunities. I will be honest, when I first started working I was a bit hesitant to dress the mannequins and design the window displays. It made me nervous because not everyone has the same style as me. It was important for me to communicate with my coworkers and boss to brainstorm ideas to decide on something that we all liked and for them to offer ideas that I may not have thought of without others. Being open to new opportunities has allowed me to broaden my personal aesthetic while still being true to myself as a designer.

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