Her Story
About Amanda
Amanda Olson serves as a Sales Account Manager for Boar's Head Brand through Fred Meyer in Soldotna, Alaska. With five years of experience in retail, she has held her current part-time position for four months, where she manages inventory counts, ensures product freshness, unloads and stocks freight, and coordinates with the deli manager to maintain adequate stock levels. She also conducts sales events involving product sampling and preparation. Amanda graduated high school in 2007 and has pursued a bachelor's degree in psychology at Kenai Peninsula College, though she has placed those studies on hold. Her professional certifications include a Safe Food Handlers card, a pharmacy technician license, Western Union certification, and training in the Frank Stodd system for money orders. She attributes her success to determination and a focus on finding efficient solutions.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Amanda
01What do you attribute your success to?
Being very determined. I just know not everything needs to be difficult. So I like to find ways to make things easier, more efficient.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Don't settle. Know what you're worth. And keep pushing for something you love. You will find it. If somebody would have told me that 2 years ago, I probably would have just cried on their lap, because going from not working, and then starting back out in fast food, and then just the struggle to find a job that I don't know how else to say that, that you look forward to every morning.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't let the boys scare you off. Well, when you hear throwing freight, you just assume it's a bunch of big, stocky guys in the back throwing all those, and in fact, it's quite different. At Fred Meyers, it's a lady named Shirley who runs the dispatch in the back. Just keep pushing. Like, you got this, you can do it. It's intimidating at first, because it's a lot of big equipment, and it's loud, and as long as you're a safety-oriented person, you'll be okay.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Just making sure there's enough room for everybody. Personally, that store, the deli hasn't been updated in quite some years. The hardest part is just maneuvering, we kind of have to take turns around the equipment.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Being reliable, and finding people who accept challenges, they're not gonna just give up because it got a little stressful. Take the initiative. Initiative is 100% gonna get you a lot further in life.
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