Even a Florist Uses Digital Tools
Ivan Fernandez
BEFORE YOU READ:
What digital tools do you think a florist might use?
Not Just Flowers and Scissors!
You might think that florists spend their time working with flowers, scissors, and vases to create beautiful bouquets. And we do! But since I started working for a florist a year ago, I have discovered that digital tools are also a big part of my job.
The Computer: for Ordering and Pricing
As a floral clerk, I use a computer for ordering flowers. Then I check them in when they are delivered. I also answer the phone and take customers’ orders. I type them in on the computer.
The hardest part of this job is matching the customer’s order with the right flower. I have to know the cost of different flowers. Each arrangement has a price, and I have to match the flowers to that price. I need to search our records for how much we paid for certain flowers.
The Internet: for Learning about Flowers…
I often search the internet to look up information about flowers. I learn where they come from and how to take care of them. Learning how to care for different types of flowers is very important. Not knowing how to treat the flowers could cause the flowers to die.
…and about Mechanics
I use the internet to search for ideas about how to make bouquets. Having an image lets me know what size vase I need. It also gives me ideas about how to manage the “mechanics.” Florists use different structures to keep the arrangement from falling apart. For example, we tape or wire an arrangement to a structure that holds it up. Proper mechanics help an arrangement look good.
More Technology Means More Opportunities
In conclusion, technology has helped me be more productive and more knowledgeable. The great thing is that I am always learning something new. My next goal is to learn how to use the computer to be a better floral designer. I want to get better and more efficient at searching the web. I hope to get promoted at my job, so I have more responsibility. Even as a florist, I can see that technology is the future. The more I learn it, the more opportunities I will have to be successful.
AFTER YOU READ:
1. Study the structure of this essay. Name its components. How does the structure support the reader?
2. If you can, bring to class a vase or a jar, and grasses, flowers, vines, branches—whatever would be easy to pick. Everyone can pool their contributions and then create their own unique bouquets. Discuss what makes a bouquet or an arrangement beautiful.
Ivan Fernandez is a student at Long Beach Adult Learning Center in Long Beach, New York. He has three children, and he has been working at the flower shop for a year. He loves it. He says, “My co-workers are amazing to work with. I have learned so much from them.”