New Bookseller:

Searching for Balance and Opportunity
Raquel Hernandez, merchandise manager
Forth Worth, Texas

Driving home from work under the flickering street lights, Raquel Hernandez’s thoughts sidetracked.  She started thinking about how she was missing the best years of her life.  Having recently gotten married and purchased a new home, Raquel and her husband, Jovan, were considering starting a family.  Even though Raquel loved her job as an area manager for La Quinta hotels in Arizona, it demanded her time at all hours of the day and night, seven days a week.  She needed balance.  She didn’t want to be receiving calls at 3 a.m. anymore. 

In June 2007, Raquel left La Quinta, and, three months later, joined the North Richland Hills, TX, store as a bookseller.  This will just be a temporary position to allow me time to figure out what I really want to do, Raquel thought.  But after a short while, Raquel found that she was “hooked” on bookselling.  Barnes & Noble proved to be exciting and challenging without taking over her whole life. 

Raquel especially enjoys the customer service aspect of bookselling.  She says, “I want to make the customer feel at home and have them wanting to come back because I’ve personally given them the best service I can give.  It actually warms my heart to see repeat customers.  I let them know that with a simple phrase, ‘Nice to see you!’ ”

Another key reason Raquel chose to stay is the ability to advance.  She says, “Working for a company like Barnes & Noble is an excellent way to start a career – the opportunities are endless.”  Raquel expressed her interest in additional training and advancement opportunities to her store manager, Melinda Moses.  Melinda showed Raquel the listing of current job opportunities posted in the break room and promised to notify Raquel of any other openings that came her way.    

Less than four months later, Raquel’s hard work and motivation resulted in a promotion to merchandise manager at the Fort Worth, TX, store.  Her new position gives her greater responsibility and a chance to learn more about the business, while leaving her plenty of time to spend with her husband as they plan the next steps of their lives together.