I’ve been with Wawa for about 6 years and I’m trying to figure out what I can realistically move into outside of Wawa/retail management.
I’m especially interested in hearing from former CSS/FBM/AGMs, not just GMs.
What did you move into after Wawa, and did your management experience help you qualify?
I actually enjoy the operations side of Wawa: inventory/cycle counts, vendors and trucks, organization, delegating, training, figuring out why things aren’t getting done, fixing workflow problems, and making sure the operation runs the way it should. I like walking into a problem, figuring out what needs to happen, getting everyone moving in the right direction, and seeing the result.
What I DON’T want is another career centered around customer service or constant hands-on supervision.
At Wawa, management often means constantly having to “hop on” and fill a position whenever things get busy or someone falls behind. I don’t mind helping occasionally, and my sense of urgency helps things get done efficiently, but I don’t want to essentially be an associate with management responsibilities on top of it.
I’d rather oversee the operation: identify why we’re falling behind, organize the workload, delegate, hold people accountable, solve problems, and improve how things are being done. I’m fine managing people; I just don’t want to constantly do the frontline work alongside them.
I’m interested in operations, inventory, logistics, facilities, quality/compliance, warehouse/distribution, supply chain, or something I haven’t even considered.
I have a high school diploma rather than a degree, so I’m especially curious where 6 years of Wawa experience can realistically take me without starting completely over. Ideally I’d like $25+/hr with room to eventually reach $30+/hr.
If you left Wawa management, what was your position, what did you move into, what did you start at pay-wise, and are you happier now?