Adriana Paz-Lopez

Responsibilities

The other intern and I come in everyday and check in with either the store manager or assistant store manager to see what they want us to do. Sometimes the store really needs help with markdowns so we help occasionally. More often than not though we are told to check in with the visual merchandisers. The visual merchandisers usually have a list of things for the other intern and I to do. We change letterings, move racks to create different layouts, make small displays, and follow directives in some areas of the store.

Accomplishments

The other intern and I were tasked to redo the Kurt Geiger display in the handbag department. The visual merchandisers gave us complete creative control. We redid the main table display so that the highest focal point was in the middle and things got smaller going down the side. We balanced out the wall display, so it wasn’t so top heavy. For the smaller table display we put all the neutral-colored handbags there since all the other merchandise was rainbow colored. We also added and styled mannequins with clothing and accessories that matched the brand image. The end result was amazing! The visual merchandisers and the other managers loved it!

Learning experience

First of all I learned how to communicate better with coworkers and superiors. A lot of communication skills come from purely just listening. I had to stop being in my head while superiors were talking to me and just listen and really hear what they were saying. I also learned that a part of communication is also asking questions! At first I was afraid to ask anything in fear of seeming incompetent but asking questions shows that you were listening. Lastly, I have learned how to manage my time better. The trick that works for me is to write down everything I have to do and rank which one is the most important and go from there.

What advice would you give?

First I recommend having somewhat of an idea of what you want to do so you can choose your internship accordingly. Also research the companies you are interested in interning for, specifically research what their internship is like! I also recommend getting started early no matter how much you don’t want to. Just start looking and researching early so when application time comes around you are prepared to just submit applications. Once you get your internship I recommend carrying around something to write with and on! You learn so much throughout your time there that it’s difficult to remember sometimes. Having something to look at at the end of the day is helpful to remember what you learned.