YEP visits Whole Foods Market Charlestown

Question: What’s a job skill that you’ll need regardless of where you are working?

Answer: Knowing how to make eye contact with customers.

That’s one of the skills Nora Daniels, the Marketing Team Leader and Community Liaison for Whole Foods Market Charlestown, shared during a “job shadow” visit for our Young Entrepreneurs Project students from Charlestown High School.

Daniels talks about her experience working for Whole Foods.

Job shadows are a critical component of the YEP experience. Students hear firsthand from experienced professionals about their workplace and career journeys. They also get behind the scenes tours of workplaces and learn more about career options. The trip to Whole Foods Charlestown was a great experience since students got to meet employees of diverse backgrounds and ages, and see how they work together to make an effective team in the store.

Daniels explained how she started at Whole Foods as an assistant in the grocery department and eventually worked her way up to her current position at the Charlestown store, which opened last year. She said that hard work, coupled with a love of food and community, propelled her into her current position within a few years of starting at Whole Foods. We hope that our students were inspired to understand that it’s not where you start out, but how you work toward your goals that matters!

Daniels also talked about the mission of Whole Foods Market, shared some healthy eating tips, explained employee benefits, and even told students how they could apply for a job at the store! After Daniels’ talk, students took a tour of the store and met with employees from other departments. Each employee talked about their particular role in the store, their professional journey, why they enjoy their work, and shared customer service tips—including the importance of making eye contact with customers because it shows that you care and are paying attention to them.

All in all, our visit was a wonderful opportunity for students to learn more about a company in their community and a variety of job options. Thank you to the employees of Whole Foods Charlestown!

For more information about YEP, please click here.

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