My store manager had hinted at me for some time that he thought I might make for a strong assistant manager, if I was interested. After a week or so of deliberation, I agreed that I would interview with both him and our regional manager, separately.
The interview with my store manager was quite brief. He asked me about my background, education, future goals, etc. He then suggested that when I interview with the regional manager, I present a cover letter and resume, and be fully prepared to talk about what I could bring to the company through this promotion.
I prepared my documents and interviewed successfully with our regional leader, though in all honesty she was hesitant, at least on the surface, to hire me because my degree is entirely unrelated to the fields of retail or agriculture. Everything I know about those two fields I have learned simply by listening to customers, working with the products, and putting in lots of time with as much patience as I could muster.
In the end, she decided to offer the job to me, and I accepted it. Immediately, I was sent out on the road to help remodel and set up a number of stores to aid in the company's insatiable expansion in the Midwest.
