Hanna Heinänen learns department store operations bit by bit
Hanna Heinänen started her K-trainee programme working in K-citymarket Nummela last summer. She completes the big picture bit by bit and personal experience gives her an understanding of why even the smallest details are important in achieving a good result. This is how Hanna describes the beginning of her K-trainee path:
"I stopped to seriously think about a career in retailing after a short experience of working life. I had ended up in IT towards the end of my economics studies, but I soon came to the conclusion that at that stage, it was still easy to change the course. Admission to the K-trainee programme was a perfect start for a retail career. I was also lucky in the sense that I had the opportunity to start as a K-trainee in K-citymarket Nummela.
If the progress of my studies for a Master's Degree in economics and business administration did not follow the manuscript, the beginning of my K-trainee programme was not too ordinary either. On the second day as a K-trainee, I was present at the meeting of the sales management team of the Southern Finland District. The specialist terminology and concepts, such as 'carrying at fair value', or 'measurement', 'impairment' etc. were not at all clear to me. But since then, I have found out their actual meanings in practical work.
Small things are not insignificant
The beginning of my K-trainee path has been full of different but also very interesting things. Plans have sometimes changed on the fly, but the colourful days have gone quickly. The beginning of the trainee period was like completing a jigsaw puzzle, trying to see the big picture. Only the massive number of pieces has been a surprise.
A department store consists of a multitude of operations, invisible to outsiders. Their smooth combination is an absolute necessity for a successful result. The concrete reality reveals itself gradually when you work in different parts of the organisation. A seemingly minor example is the cash office work after the shift at the checkout, which made me realise why payment card receipts do have to be systematically arranged in the till. Optimum efficiency cannot be achieved without uniform practices and willingness to follow them.
At this stage of the K-trainee programme, there are still many pieces of the department store operations puzzle to be found. But if learning new things continues as well as until now, I'm confident that by the end of my K-trainee programme, I will have gained a solid foundation to continue on my retail career path."