"Reverse Career Syndrome — and What I Learned From It"

It has officially been one year since I completed my Master’s degree in Fashion Business and Marketing in the UK. Hitting this one-year mark made me pause and reflect on my journey so far.

And honestly?

It has not been the journey I imagined. But it has definitely been one of the most interesting learning curves of my career.

Before coming to the UK, I spent several years in India working as a Visual Merchandiser. I started as a VM intern and gradually grew into roles where I designed store windows, created visual merchandising manuals, prepared endless presentations, and spent hours making sure every display looked just right.

I absolutely loved it.

Visual merchandising, for me, has always been the silent language of retail.

A good display can whisper “buy me” without saying a single word. It’s the art of turning browsers into buyers and making products look so irresistible that customers suddenly feel they need something they never planned to buy.

Retail magic behind the scenes.

So when I decided to pursue my Master’s degree in the UK, I was quite confident. Sixteen years of experience, a postgraduate degree, strong retail knowledge… I thought I would smoothly slide back into a similar role.

Well…

Plot twist.

That hasn’t happened yet.

Now if you ask me:Was I disappointed?Yes, a little.

Did it make me question things?Of course.

But I have always believed in one simple rule of life:

If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

And in my case, life gave me something unexpected — the opportunity to experience retail from the front line.

For the first time in my career, I started working as a Customer Sales Assistant in airport retail.

Now here’s the funny part.

Usually people begin their careers on the shop floor and later move into visual merchandising or management.

For me, the journey went completely backwards.

Let’s call it reverse career syndrome.

For years I worked behind the scenes designing displays and telling staff to always smile at customers.

Suddenly… it was my turn to stand on the shop floor smiling for ten hours a day.

Karma works fast.

My airport retail journey began at Manchester Airport, which turned out to be a great introduction to the world of travel retail.

And the very first lesson I learned was this:

Passengers believe anyone wearing a uniform is airport staff.

It doesn’t matter if you work in duty free, a perfume store, or a luxury boutique.

To them, you are basically Google Maps with a name badge.

Typical questions include:

“Where is the nearest toilet?”“Where can I refill my water bottle?”“Which way is Gate 32?”“Where is the information desk?”“Am I going to miss my flight?”

So in airport retail, sometimes you sell perfume…

…and sometimes you become a human navigation system.

And occasionally, someone will hand you a pair of sunglasses and say:

"Can you try these on? I want to see how they might look on my wife."

Retail at the airport definitely keeps you on your toes.

For someone like me—who proudly believed I was a product-driven retail expert—this meant going back to school.

I had to learn the entire airport layout:

• toilets• water fountains• food courts• gates• flight information screens

Basically, everything except the product I was hired to sell.

But something interesting started happening.

Many passengers I helped with directions actually came back later to buy something.

Not because they needed perfume.

But because they remembered the person who helped them when they were stressed.

And that’s when I realised something very important:

Airport retail is emotional retail.

Think about it.

Before passengers even reach the shopping area, they go through a whole emotional journey.

Packing bags.Checking passports five times.Leaving home while wondering:Did I turn off the stove? Did I lock the door?

Then comes the famous airport obstacle course:

Check-in queues.Security checks.Removing laptops.Removing belts.Removing dignity.

All of this happens while people are experiencing pre-flight panic mode.

By the time travellers finally reach the duty-free area, they’ve survived several mini heart attacks.

And suddenly…

Everything changes.

The chaos fades away.

Now they’re surrounded by bright lights, luxury brands, beautiful fragrances, and shelves full of travel exclusives.

It’s like stepping into retail therapy before take-off.

Passengers who were stressed ten minutes ago are suddenly browsing perfumes and chocolates.

Some people say:

"I’m just going to have a quick look."

We all know what that means.

A “quick look” often turns into a full shopping adventure.

Of course, not everyone has time to shop.

Some passengers are still in the classic airport rush, running toward their gate like they’re competing in the Olympics.

But those who slow down actually enjoy the experience.

Airport retail is fascinating because every passenger brings a different story.

In one shift you might meet:

• someone going on their honeymoon• someone returning home after years abroad• someone travelling for business• someone travelling for difficult family reasons

Working on the shop floor sometimes feels like live theatre.

Every person has a story.

Every conversation is different.

And sometimes even a small conversation can make someone’s stressful day a little better.

Many of my colleagues ask me why I’m always smiling.

The truth is quite simple.

During my visual merchandising career, I spent years training staff and reminding them how important it is to greet customers with a smile.

Now life has given me the opportunity to practice what I once preached.

And strangely enough… I enjoy it.

Recently my journey moved from Manchester Airport to London Heathrow, one of the busiest airports in the world.

If Manchester was busy, Heathrow is next-level busy.

The pace is faster.The crowd is bigger.The diversity of travellers is incredible.

And the focus here is very clear:

Service, service, and more service.

At Heathrow, great customer service is not optional — it is essential.

Because sometimes the person asking you for directions might be tired, stressed, lost, or confused in a country where they don’t even speak the language.

Helping them find their gate might seem small to you, but to them it means everything.

Interestingly, this entire experience has also changed the way I think about visual merchandising.

Many years ago I designed a VM concept inspired by airport retail and traveller behaviour.

Back then my focus was mostly on product placement and display strategy.

But if I could redesign that concept today, I would add something much more important:

Human connection.

Because airport retail is not just about selling products.

It’s about understanding people at a very specific moment in their journey.

They are not just customers.

They are travellers carrying excitement, stress, expectations, and sometimes even sadness.

And the role of retail in that moment is not only to sell — but also to create a small moment of comfort.

This past year has taught me something I never expected.

Retail is not just about beautiful displays and clever layouts.

It is about people.It is about emotions.

And sometimes the most valuable lessons in retail are not learned behind the display window — but right there on the shop floor.

My career path may not have taken the route I originally planned.

But every experience is teaching me something new.

And when I think about it now, I realise something quite poetic:

Every airport has departures and arrivals.

And this year of my career has been a little bit of both.