Intern—a mystery-cloaked word we hear constantly throughout college, and in popular culture through hit movies like The Internship and The Intern. While a job requiring getting coffee for everyone in the office and getting paid next to nothing (or, quite literally, nothing), comes to mind, we wanted to explore what it really means to be an intern. We already take you into the morning and nightly routines of successful women, and into the day-to-days of employees across the country. Now, say hello to Intern Diaries. Below, a twenty-year-old working as a buyer co-op tells us about her experience.
Age: 20
City your internship took place: Framingham
College and Major: Design & Merchandising at Drexel University
Industry: Fashion
Internship Title: Associate Buyer Co-op
Salary: $18/hr with an $1,000/month housing stipend
Duration: 6 months
What does your internship title mean?
It means I work under the buyers in my department. My role entails helping them prep orders, going over our selling, and attending vendor meetings, whether they are at the office or require travel.
Were you close with any of your team members?
I was close with my entire team and am so grateful to have been placed with them. These people inspire me because they all come from very different personal and professional backgrounds, and have many different strengths. Some are parents, some are not. Some are outgoing extroverts and some are focused introverts. However, all of their strengths come together to create an amazing & strong buying department. They are very knowledgeable about the area they buy for and I loved learning about their experiences and stories.
What were your favorite parts of the role and why? 
My favorite part of the role was vendor visits because nothing can compare to actually being in market and having a sales rep or the CEO of a company give you a tour around the showroom. You get to touch and feel the product, see works in progress and really get a feel for what the company and/or brand stands for. It was also so interesting to travel with different buyers and see how their buying and negotiating styles varied from one another. I learned how to read body language and how to interpret conversations in a new way.
What was your morning routine? 
I woke up around 6:00am every morning, showered, got dressed and then usually had a bowl of plain Greek yogurt with strawberries, honey and coconut cacao superfood granola. Sometimes, I would add a delicious omelette from the company cafeteria or a morning glory muffin on the side. I would also have a medium coffee with almond milk to get myself through the day!
What was the most shocking thing that happened during your internship? 
I was shocked when I was put in charge of my own vendor and buying products for a few certain categories under that vendor. I loved that this was a project that I could call my own. I dove into all the information that I had available on the vendor, its products and its sales. The products I was buying were actually being placed in stores nationwide. One Monday morning when I came in, I checked the selling for the past week and my products were flying off the shelves! People could not get enough of them! I was so happy and excited that customers loved the products that I picked out!
What did your evening look like after work? 
I would usually leave around 5:00pm (unless I was traveling, then my days would last around 10-18 hours). Sometimes I would go to our stores either with my team to check out product or I would go with my roommates. I would arrive home around 5:45 pm and then walk to the gym to break a sweat! After spending an hour at the gym, I would walk back home, prepare dinner, shower and then watch YouTube videos before going to bed.
What were the coolest perks of this internship? 
Summer Fridays (we got to leave at 1:00 pm!), 25-cent ice cream from the ice cream truck that visited every Monday during the summer, being in charge of my own vendor, traveling all around the United States, a fun company BBQ and an associate discount from our stores!
What is the most important thing that you learned in this position? 
Nothing is perfect and it is okay to fail. You can try your best to meet certain numbers and goals, but it is not the end of the world if you fall a little short. It only serves as motivation for you to push harder and succeed. I also learned that balance is very important. My manager and buyers would take off time, if needed, to spend time with their families because that was what was important to them.
Would you work for this company if they offered you a position? 
This is a company I can see myself at when I am older, when I have established a family and a more permanent location because the company has a great work-life balance and stability.