From starting as a cashier and working his way up to the role of district manager for Walgreens in Illinois, Mario Figueroa gives us an inside look at his career and how “coming to the realization that retail is a big part of everyone’s life” led him to his career.
Why did you pick retail for your career?
I never had retail in my line of sight for a career, it's just something that I grew passionate about, coming to the realization that retail is a big part of every person's life. It's an evolving industry, and the consumer demand evolves and changes throughout time. It's very important that us as a business understands that and meets that customer demand at all times.
What training or support prepared you for this role?
Number one, be as knowledgeable as possible with every position in the store. I started off as a cashier and progressed over through several positions at store level. Number two, the courses offered by the company assisted me to have a business professional mentality. Number three, the mentorship programs offered by the company and all the mentors that I had to help me progress.
What are some careers offered within retail that people might not be aware of?
People are not aware of the ability to transition to the support center or other regional roles after gaining store experience. It opens you up to different career paths that you could take. We have our logistics department, a distribution center, an IT department, and regional roles we offer like regional finance manager, the regional merchandiser, the regional implementation manager, and the pharmacy scheduler.
What is one misconception about retail that you would love to debunk?
The misconception that there is no career advancement within retail. There are several career paths that a team member could take, and there are always leaders willing to help develop new talent.
How does Walgreens and the retail industry overall impact people in every community every day?
Walgreens provides easy, accessible healthcare across the United States, and has several partnerships with healthcare providers to do the same. As I’ve progressed my career with Walgreens, I’ve grown more passionate about the convenience and health services that we have to offer our customers and patients. And I can serve a bigger purpose to close any gaps in healthcare and convenience for our patients and our customers.
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