Internships: Week Four, Blog 2

5. What advice would you pass on to future interns? What are the most important skills for a student to be successful at his/her internship? How could another student develop these skills prior to beginning internship?

I would tell them all to FIND THERE OWN INTERNSHIP don't wait around for the school to find you one that you would just settle for. Talk to people in September and make sure you and your mentor mesh well because I spent every day in and out with my mentor and if I didn't like her it would have been the worst month of my life. At your internship be professional. Be professional but also be friendly. Do what your told efficiently, but well and double check work you do. Gaining the trust of your coworkers will be the biggest benefit to the enjoyment and success of your intern experience. Get to know the people your working with and research what you think you will be doing. Ask for a list of the tasks you might be doing before the month of your internship so you can prepare for the time ahead and gain the acceptance of the people(adults) you are with.

Internships: Week Four, Blog 1

1. Describe what you are most thankful for in your internship experience—what experiences, what people, and so on? What new appreciations have you gained through internship and how did you develop these?

I am so thankful for everything about my internship. Barrie first off was an amazing person to work with her kindness and calm made the work place a wonderful place to spend time in. I am thankful that I found my own internship and didn't have to settle for one the school gave me. I am also glad I did it early and had no stress during the internship finding process for everyone else. I am thankful that Barrie trusted me enough to ask me to cut fabric for piece that she would be sewing and creating and selling. That felt like a real honor. Her trust is definitely the thing I am most thankful for. I have gained a new appreciation for small business owners I mean they have to do everything. Barrie:

-Works on her web site

-Runs a store

-Sews some of her product

-Creates all of the styles

-Ships out orders

-Creates advertisements

-Communicates with the factories

-Works with models

-Go to conventions and shows for her product

-And correspond with her vendors around the world

I saw her do this each day in and out and it amazed me.

Internships: Week Three, Blog 2

3. You are half-way through your project. How is it going? What challenges have you faced? What have you learned? What are you doing to ensure a successful completion of your internship project.

My internship is going really we so far. I love it! I have so much fun all the time. At first I was kind of bored during the day the work was repetitive and I didn't like it very much. But I go used to the work and I got to start liking it more and I found ways for it to vary. I learned that being an adult can be boring too and that you can do what your meant for even if you don't have to practice or experience. To "ensure the success of my internship" I want to keep doing things the way I am. My project is going well prep for the spring/2011 collection is perfect we're fixing the factories mistakes and shipping out things to our vendors around the world.

Internships: Week Three, Blog 1

1. Choose your favorite photos from your photo essay—post these highlight photo and a caption explaining what we see and what makes this significant to you.

This is Barrie. She is hard at work in the picture as she is everyday. When we work together we do all sorts of things. But most often we are working with fabric and pattens creating special orders or fixing things that the factory did wrong.

Internships: Week Two, Blog 2

7. What lessons or experiences at you internship will you bring back to school to help you to further improve in your academics?
I've learned a lot about perseverance. If I thought some school work was boring than it is nothing compared to a lot of the things you have to do in the work world. Inventory is basically the most boring and yet most important job out there. Counting counting counting but it has to be done so patience and perseverance is something I am in the process of gaining. I have also learned more about working with people. When people come into the store at first I was awkward and didn't want to talk to customers but now I know to be friendly and how to help them feel comfortable. I have also learned a lot about responsibility. On the first day of internships Barrie gave me the key to the store and all the pass codes and I felt so trusted. But it took some getting used to. Now Barrie leaves me alone in the shop while she goes on deliveries and has asked me to lock up for her too. It's a lot to get used to but now I know that people trust me and that I can take on a lot of responsibility.

Internships: Week Two, Blog 1

6. How do you see your roll at your internship?
My roll at Fables is basically being another Barrie doing the things she would be doing if I wasn't here and such. I have been doing more grunt work than I expected but that doesn't matter. It's all part of running a small business, you have a hand in EVERYTHING. I have been listing items on the internet for sale for her, cutting out bathing suits, seam ripping, and even some inventory. I like what I am doing though because I know that it is all part of the job. If I ever want to do something like this in my future I have to know that this is all part of the job. Fixing factory mistakes running back and forth between places and constantly mailing out small orders.

Internships: Week One, Blog 2

6. Describe the company culture at your internship, including how people interact, communicate and work together.

My internship is at a small boutique that is manned by just one woman; Barrie. It's quiet in her store barely anybody ever comes in. Her boutique serves as her headquarters for designing, storage and shipping. Work time is often very quiet with the occasional exchange of words. She has 3 sewing machines and she uses them to test out designs before they are sent to the factory for mass production.

Internships: Week One, Blog 1

2. Choose an employee in your company and after a conversation with him or her, describe his/her education, overall career path and current job description.

I spoke with Barrie for the whole first day about how she got where she is and what she does now. Barrie went to film school. Film school didn't necessarily contribute to her current occupation and she wishes that she attended business school or a school for fashion design. She didn't have much background when she got into what she does now. She learned from her friends and the internet how to open a business. She currently is a supplier to many many businesses around the world and online. She also owns her own boutique and runs it daily. She designs clothing each year sends them to a factory and ships them to her suppliers and buyers.