Wawa is a recognized leader in the industry, and they are on a journey for boundless convenience. Joining their team means joining a group of customer-centric, passionate individuals who support Wawa’s mission of Fulfilling Lives, Every Day.
And that’s why Campus Philly is thrilled to be joined by Wawa for our upcoming (and final!) career fair of the spring semester, JobFest, taking place virtually on March 29 from 3-6pm EST. You can learn more and sign up for the event here.
At JobFest, you can connect directly with Wawa’s recruiters to hear more about their open roles, learn about the company culture, and ask any questions you may have about joining the team.
A great way to prepare for the fair? Check out our below interview with Tiffany Wong, Assistant General Manager (AGM) at Wawa! Tiffany shares a little more about her “Philly” story, her journey with the company, and her passion for what she does.
Read more below, and register for JobFest today!
It’s great to connect with you, Tiffany! We are so excited to be joined by Wawa at our upcoming career fair, JobFest. First off: tell us about yourself.
Hello! My name is Tiffany Wong, and I am from Bensalem, PA. I graduated from Temple University in 2019 with a B.S. in Human Resources Management.
When I’m in Philly, I love spending time in Center City exploring different restaurants—my favorite must be Fogo de Chao Steakhouse!
Tell us a little about your role. How did you launch your career at Wawa?
My current role is Assistant General Manager (AGM) at store 8047 in Northeast Philly.
I joined the Wawa’s CGL program in 2019 and started as a Customer Service Supervisor (CSS) where I was trained and learned all about the Wawa basics at store 276 in Fox Chase. From there, I was transferred to store 181 as an official CSS for about two years. I was then promoted to Food & Beverage Management (FBM) for about one year. After that, I was transferred to store 8047 as the FBM, training for the AGM position. I was promoted to AGM and became the AGM of the store 8047!
As an AGM, I supervise and perform day-to-day tasks ensuring the store is providing the safest and welcoming environment for our customers. I also love to develop our associates everyday as they are the people who interact with the customers 24/7!
Plus, I always knew about Wawa’s amazing benefits, such as ESOP, and so I was just looking through their website and found out they have a College Graduate Leadership program—and then I just applied!
Can you walk us through your day-to-day on the job?
Yes! Some of my day-to-day tasks include…
- Ordering supplies for the store
- Coaching and developing the store team
- Ensuring each area of the store is clean and stocked
- Ensuring the food service area is clean and meets the standards required by the Board of Health
- And the best part: making hoagies and brewing the freshest coffee for the customers!
That’s awesome. It sounds like you’ve had a great experience so far! What are some key lessons you learned throughout this journey?
Throughout my time at Wawa, I learned a few key things:
- Always be open-minded.
- Communication is key! Never be afraid to ask questions—you will be surprised how much you will learn.
- Adapt to your team; everyone’s learning style is different!
- Do not be afraid of change! Even if it did not work out at the end, at least you tried. Plus, there is always room for improvement.
Such great advice! Can you share a little more about how your education prepared you for your role, too?
My education at Temple University laid a foundation for me about what it would be like to work in the “business world.” From managing employees and compensation, to overseeing a store and more—I learned different aspects of running a business.
However, what really prepared me for this position is everything I participated in during my time at Temple. I was part of the Phi Sigma Pi Fraternity and was a VP of the Asian Student Association, all while working two part-time jobs. It taught me how to prioritize different tasks, time management, communicating with different groups of people, and work/life balance.
Do you have any advice for college students or recent grads looking to expand their professional network?
My advice for college students is to set up a good portfolio and create a LinkedIn profile to showcase your unique skills and experiences.
Also, it never hurts to show up to any networking events in the area (like Campus Philly’s JobFest on March 29!), because you will never know who you will meet!
I am building my network by connecting with other managers from the stores around me. By connecting with different managers and associates, I have gained new perspectives on things that I would have never thought of!
That is so great! Last question from us: What’s some advice you’d give a student seeking a job at your organization this upcoming spring semester?
My advice would be to go into a Wawa store and just ask a manager for a short interview! I would also learn about the company’s mission and read some articles about it to see if you align yourself with what the company stands for.
