Feeling at Home at HomeSense

By Annette Dawm, WorkStory Ambassador

If you have been seeking out the perfect item for your home and you need a friendly face to help you find it, Ashley Bryan is the sales associate for you! Ashley began working at the new HomeSense location on Fairview Drive in Brantford, Ontario in July2015. After graduating as a Medical Administrative Assistant, Ashley was unable to find a job in her field, so she used her previous work experience and her love of HomeSense to her advantage.

Prior to going to Fanshawe College, Ashley was employed at the African Lion Safari. Although Medical Administration, tourism and working in retail are all different, they have one thing in common: working with the public. Ashley has always looked for jobs where she “could interact with people”. She explained that the Safari taught her about working with cash as well as “how to work effectively and quickly in a busy environment” while working “in close quarters to other people”.

After finishing post-secondary school, Ashley began the daunting task of looking for work:”I was looking for some positions and nowhere was hiring. I saw the HomeSense store was opening and I knew how much I loved the store, so I figured I would try my luck and see if I could get a job!” Luckily, everything worked out and she secured the position!

Ashley is very enthusiastic about everything she does and has high praise for her customers, co-workers, and the store itself.  As she puts it “I love interacting with the customers and seeing how happy they are when they find a piece they've been searching for. The support given by management is fantastic and it is a very supportive and nurturing environment”.

For Ashley, “seeing all of the cool stuff first” is one of the best things about working in a store that she already enjoyed as a customer. She often thinks about where she would put the items in her own home if she were to buy them. “I also love hearing what people are going to do with the things they get. I love that you never know what you're going to find in there, so it's like Christmas every day.”

Ashley’s bubbly and upbeat personality is well suited for her job at HomeSense and people are noticing: “I've had a few customers tell me that I am ‘an excellent person to be doing this job’ because I am very friendly and make all my customers feel welcome. And another asked me, ‘are you always this happy, or do you have to be to work here?’ It was just nice to hear”, she recalled. With her kind and helpful nature, she is sure to hear many more compliments in the future.

If others are looking to apply at HomeSense or a similar position in retail, Ashley Bryan recommends wearing a good pair of shoes and a smile: “Some advice I would give is to make sure you have very comfortable shoes! HomeSense is a fantastic place to work if you enjoy dealing with the public. Having a bright smile is something that is a must because it makes your customers happy and they will be more likely to remember you and how nice of a store they are in.”

For more information about HomeSense, click here.