MANAGEMENT A SPORTING GOOD CAREER RETAIL MANAGEMENT

When she was still at school, CHELSEA PULLEN started working at Rebel Sport in Petone. Now, aged 23, Chelsea leads the Petone store as a member of their management team.

Her love of working with people and the leadership skills she’s developed have proved hugely beneficial in the seven years she’s been working for Briscoe Group.

When Chelsea was finishing Upper Hutt College, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do long-term, but loved working at Rebel Sport as a Retail Sales Assistant. So Chelsea took up the opportunity to move into a fulltime position.

“When I was at school, I didn’t know what I would do but having the job at Rebel Sport was good because it gave me security. I also knew I was able to go fulltime if I ever wanted to. It is definitely a career I want to stay in,” says Chelsea.

“Now as a manager, my passion is working with people’s strengths and opportunity areas and helping them grow, not just in the job but as people too. Most teenagers start off in retail and often find it is just a job, but I like to work with them to expand their skillsets and build their confidence to help them grow.”

writer PETER WHITE // photographer MARTY MELVILLE

When school leavers join her team, Chelsea looks for people who are willing to step out of their comfort zone and give everything a go.

“Bring ideas to the job you are in. Being a team player, punctual, having confidence, working well alongside others and making friends are all things that will help you as well.”

Although assisting the public can be challenging at times, Chelsea says the strong relationships you develop with your teammates make it much easier to resolve customer queries.

“It is all about creating bonds with the team and making sure they have support from their managers. “That was another reason I went into a management role – to ensure that my team have the support that they need to get through tough situations.”

In Year 13, Chelsea took English, Health and Food Technology, Sports Leadership and PE. She also took a Gateway course in Retail, which gave her hands-on experience one day a week. She finished top of her class and says the Gateway course has helped her advance in her career.

“The Retail course helped me in the job I was doing part-time. There were things I learned on the course that I was able to apply in my role at