Hello everyone, my name is Liana and I joined Gap a few months ago as a Market Analyst Assistant. Everyone has made me feel so welcome and given me a tremendous amount of help; I can’t believe how much I have learned in just over five months.
Last summer, I graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where I earned my degree in Agribusiness Marketing and learned a lot of skills that I feel helped accelerate my transition into the company. I am also glad I was able to live in and experience a town like San Luis Obispo, where you can go the mountains and the beach in the same day, or spend time shopping and eating at incredible restaurants downtown. But I couldn’t be happier to be back in my hometown where I get to spend more time with my family and friends.
Currently, I work as the analyst assistant for the PC group, and mainly assist in identifying new products in e-commerce channels, verifying advertised retail promotions, and writing industry updates. Since I have begun to learn so much about the market, I have found myself identifying different products that I see everyday outside of work. I also really enjoy writing about industry news and staying informed on what is happening across different markets; little pieces of what I write have even begun to slip out while I am having conversations. Overall, I love the fast pace of the PC industry, and the position exactly aligns what I pictured myself doing when I decided I wanted to go into the market research industry; it has become the perfect blend of spreadsheets and word documents.
As for me, I was born and raised in San Diego, and loved growing up in a small, north county town where spending time outside was encouraged. My high school (and some college) days were largely dominated by three things I will always enjoy: soccer games, track meets, and cheerleading/competitions. My childhood also helped shape my love for the outdoors and activities like camping and surfing. My sister and I were raised to love hiking and mountain biking, and just about a year ago, we conquered the Mount Whitney day hike, which was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life.
When it comes to indoor activities, my creative side enjoys things like scrapbooking, drawing, and food. I always enjoyed cooking and baking when I was young, and my favorite time of the year for both is the holidays, when the family gets together and spends time in the kitchen cooking, helping, or tasting. After work, much of my time is spent cooking or baking, though my favorite experimental item is cupcakes. I would probably bake them every night if I could physically eat that many cupcakes. I am also one to make themed dessert any chance I get. Finally, aside from kitchen activities, I love to spend time with a good book. When I find one that I can’t put down, I can read for hours. Most of the books on my shelf are novels, but I also find market research articles fascinating (though my two favorite categories are food –surprise, surprise– and technology), which is why I think I fit in well at Gap.
During my post-college job search, I received a lot of encouraging comments from family and friends, but the one that stuck with me was that the right job was out there waiting for me. It turned out that they were right, and I can’t wait to build myself and contribute to the growing need for market intelligence.
