Andrea: From In-Store to HQ

The moment someone new joins our team, something magical happens. They become part of a legacy of team members who grow in more ways than one while making a difference for our customers and their communities.

When you start a job in our family of retail stores—Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, or Athleta—you’re joining a team growing some of America's most loved brands, a team contributing at the frontlines of our meaningful purpose, and a team provided a number of opportunities to build processes, learn the retail business, and grow as a leader.

For many, a job in our stores is the start of a long and fulfilling career, with opportunities to develop skills, earn more over time, and try your hand at different roles. Andrea Draper is one of many who has grown her career in unexpected ways here at Gap Inc. Take a glimpse at her journey from part-time seasonal associate to analyst on our Old Navy headquarters team.

10+ Years.  8+ Roles.  1 Incredible Career.

When Andrea walked into an Old Navy store to start as a part-time seasonal sales associate, she was looking to work alongside some of her closest friends while earning extra cash for the holidays. She didn’t realize that her decision to join our team one holiday season would be a gift that would keep on giving years later.

After joining as a part-time seasonal associate in high school, Andrea transferred to a different store in her college town so that she could work while getting her degree. In that store, Andrea managed markdowns and signage during her morning shifts prior to heading to her afternoon class. 

“I loved the flexibility my managers provided that allowed me to work around my school schedule and extracurricular activities. The leaders were willing to work with me to make sure I prioritized my education and still had time to work.”

Andrea

Stepping into Leadership

In her last year of college, Andrea’s asset protection manager encouraged her to consider an open leadership role, and shortly thereafter, Andrea became a pricing specialist at Old Navy.  It was in this role where she discovered her passion for retail and leading teams and began imagining what a long-term career in retail could look like for her. 

After her first leadership role, Andrea moved into an operations manager role and managed the scheduling, hiring, and compliance at Old Navy while learning the ins and outs of running the store.  She continued her quest to learn more and take on new challenges and became a senior merchandise manager followed by an assistant general manager.

Exploring Our Family of Brands

When Andrea knew she was ready for a new and different challenge, she set her sites on a role and brand change with Athleta. She went on to spend nearly five years working  general manager where she had the unique opportunity to open a brand-new store, hire and develop teams,  and build Athleta’s community presence new locations. When reflecting on that chapter of her career, Andrea shares, “It was a defining moment in my career because I grew as a leader and a person.”

From the Stores to Headquarters

After an amazing chapter with Athleta, Andrea joined our headquarters team an analyst participating in Old Navy’s Inventory Management Training Program, a 90-day immersion and training program that led to a role within the Inventory Management function at Old Navy to guide financial and inventory investment decisions.

Throughout her career, Andrea was eager to learn as much as she could and faced every stretch opportunity head-on —attending conferences, assisting in new store openings, and leading district volunteer events—all preparing her for her evolving career in retail.

"I learned how to be comfortable being uncomfortable! I became confident in asking questions and approached every new encounter with a customer, teammate, or leader as an opportunity to learn."

Andrea

Not only did her career in our stores provide her with career opportunities, she also built lifelong friendships, including one with her now husband who she married in 2020 after meeting at Old Navy volunteer event.

Andrea continues to grow with Gap Inc. and our family of brands because of the endless possibilities:

"I am now doing a role that is completely different from anything I have ever done. I am going from a lifetime of being in stores to working at headquarters. I feel safe to learn and to fail at times, and I know there are resources to help facilitate my growth if I am willing to put in the work."

Andrea

One of Andrea’s favorite things about working with us is our Employee & Belonging Groups.  She joined PARENTS@Gap Inc. after having her son and leveraged the community of parents and available resources as her role grew from store leader to mom and store leader.

Today, Andrea looks forward to leaning into her new role in inventory management while harnessing her store experience to help our teams do better business.  For those considering joining our team for the holidays, Andrea encourages you to not limit yourself because starting a career in stores can be exactly what you need it to be; a part-time job or a life-long career with many different pathways.   

"Don’t limit your career journey to a defined plan. You evolve so much over the course of your life so allow your career journey to evolve with you."

Andrea

We're kicking off one of our biggest seasons yet and hiring for seasonal, part-time, and full-time roles across the country at our warehouse distribution and stores. Whether you’re looking for a part-time job to earn extra cash for the holidays or a job to jump start your career, our seasonal opportunities offer flexible schedules, merchandise discounts at our family of brands, and many chances to learn and grow. 

Join our distribution centers and store teams this holiday season! Search and apply to a role near you at gapinc.com/careers. 

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