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Summary

The transcript captures an engaging job interview between Chris and Kate Johnson at REI. Chris, a teacher transitioning to the Jacksonville area, expresses his passion for the outdoors and desire to align his career with his interests. He highlights his customer service skills from education, emphasizing patience and compassion as his strengths. The conversation explores Chris's adaptability, conflict resolution, and his vision for contributing to REI's growth, especially targeting the teaching profession. The interview concludes with Chris's questions about REI's culture and openness to employee ideas, reflecting his proactive approach.

Takeaways

• 😀 Chris S is in the process of completing his Master's in Education at Lake ER college and is transitioning to the Jacksonville area due to his wife's job relocation.
• 🏞️ Chris is interested in outdoor activities and is considering a career change to align his passion for the outdoors with his professional life.
• 🔍 Chris discovered the job opportunity at REI through their website, which led him to apply for a position in the Jacksonville area.
• 🏆 Chris is attracted to REI's long history, its founding by outdoor enthusiasts, and its consistent ranking among the top 100 companies to work for by Fortune Magazine.
• 💼 Chris aims to start in a customer service role to gain a comprehensive understanding of the company, from customer interactions to the production of goods and services.
• 👨‍🏫 Chris believes his background in education, where he developed skills in making students feel comfortable and helping them grow, can translate well to a customer service role at REI.
• 🌟 Chris considers his patience and ability to listen to customers' difficulties as his greatest professional strengths.
• 🚫 Chris acknowledges the risk of compassion being misinterpreted as being too lenient, but emphasizes the importance of setting clear boundaries and maintaining high standards.
• 🏆 Chris's greatest professional achievement is his work in education, particularly in helping young people improve their communication with the world around them.
• ❓ Chris is open to discussing how he would handle a potential job offer in his previous field of education if one became available in Jacksonville, indicating a commitment to his new career path.

Q & A

What educational background does Chris have?

Chris is currently finishing his Masters of Education program at Lake ER college.

Why is Chris moving to the Jacksonville area?

Chris is moving to Jacksonville because his wife's job is relocating there, and he is accompanying her.

How did Chris learn about the job opening at REI?

Chris discovered the job opening at REI while searching online for positions in the Jacksonville area that aligned with his interests in outdoor activities and working with people.

What does Chris know about REI's history and reputation?

Chris is aware that REI has been around since the late 1930s, was founded by people passionate about the outdoors, and is consistently ranked among the top 100 companies to work for by Fortune Magazine.

Why is Chris interested in the customer service position at REI?

Chris wants to start in a position that allows him to learn about the company from the ground up, including interacting with customers, the sales process, marketing, and production of goods and services.

What skills from Chris's teaching background does he believe would transfer well to REI?

Chris believes that his skills in making customers or students feel comfortable and helping them grow would translate well to a customer service role at REI.

How does Chris plan to market REI's products to the teaching profession?

Chris plans to use his background in education to market REI's stress-relieving outdoor products specifically to teachers, leveraging his understanding of their needs and downtime during summers.

If a position in Chris's current field of education becomes available, how would he choose between it and the REI job?

Chris is not pursuing further opportunities in education and feels that the customer service role at REI aligns with his interests and offers long-term growth potential.

What does Chris consider his greatest professional strength?

Chris considers patience his greatest strength, which he believes is crucial in listening to and helping overcome difficulties faced by students or customers.

How does Chris handle potential misinterpretations of his compassion in a professional setting?

Chris believes in establishing clear boundaries with customers, clients, and students to ensure they understand his compassion is interactive and earned, while still holding them to high standards.

What is Chris's greatest professional achievement to date?

Chris's greatest professional achievement is becoming a teacher and earning a master's degree, but he finds the most fulfillment in helping young people improve their communication with the world around them.

How does Chris approach workplace challenges or conflicts?

Chris approaches challenges by building professional relationships and overcoming conflicts with patience and by listening to the needs of clients or customers.

What is Chris's strategy for dealing with potential animosity from employees who were overlooked for his position?

Chris plans to listen, understand, and earn mutual respect by demonstrating his friendly demeanor and non-confrontational approach, focusing on the shared goal of company growth.

How does Chris envision his role contributing to REI's growth in the next 5 years?

Chris hopes to develop a market targeting the teaching profession, using his background to grow REI's brand and offerings within that specific client base.

What other companies is Chris considering for employment, and what interests him about them?

Chris is considering Bass Pro Shops for their similar mission and goals to REI, although their product line is more specific compared to REI's diverse offerings.

How does Chris prefer to engage with customers in a work environment?

Chris prefers to be actively engaged with customers, moving around, and helping them find products that suit their needs, rather than being confined to a cubicle.

Can Chris provide an example of disagreeing with a workplace decision and how he dealt with it?

Chris has dealt with disagreements in education by advocating for what might be best for the students, using research to support his position while also following the boss's directives.

How open is REI's upper management to hearing ideas from new or lower-level employees?

REI's upper management holds informal monthly meetings with a variety of employees at random to hear their opinions about products and marketing, although they may not frequently engage with certain groups like collections or customer service intake.

What does Chris believe is the best part about working for REI?

Chris believes the best part about working for REI is the welcoming work atmosphere and the treatment of employees, which contributes to high retention and a motivated workforce.