Margaret Parks
Name: Margaret Parks
Major: Marketing Minor: Entrepreneurship
Year: Junior
Where did you do your internship?
PRADA USA Corp.
Time period for the internship / Number of hours?
June 20th to August 15th 9am-6pm
Monday, Tuesday, Friday
*There was always work to be finished so a majority of the time I stayed till 7 or 7:15
Responsibilities/Duties as an intern
As the PR/Logistics intern I was responsible for taking inventory of the Runway closet, scanning returned items, placing pieces back into their proper place and overall keeping the closet organized. I also was responsible for documenting all the returns and send outs into excel and Microsoft word and sending them out to managers in various departments. On occasion I would have to hand deliver things to certain places such as Vogue magazine, Harpars Bazaar or Times Magazine.
Positives/Negatives
Positives: I was given a lot of freedom and responsibilities that full time employees had. I felt that my boss trusted me and relied on me instead of just using me for coffee and errands. I got to exposure to all different aspects of fashion and learned so much about the industry.
Negatives: Since I was not in the marketing department I did not get to experience a career in my major. However, PR is definitely a component of marketing and so I was able to apply some of my marketing knowledge to my daily PR tasks.
Skills you have developed.
I am much more confident in my abilities. I was intimidated at first that I did not come from a fashion school but I quickly proved that I had the skills and requirements to handle all the tasks.
Describe the environment.
- Fast pace
- Intense
- Organized
- Chaotic
How has your internship changed you?
I definitely learned that there is a time and a place for everything. I have a very warm and friendly personality but I learned in this industry sometimes you have to be more focused on getting something accomplished as opposed to making sure everyone is happy.
What steps did you take in seeking out this internship?
I used Career Services and alumni connections
Did Career Services help you search for or secure your internship?
Yes!
Any recommendations for students looking to start the internship process.
Definitely reach out to career services and use your LinkedIn profile. Also, Google companies you want to work for. Often, companies put up articles or blogs about their internship programs. I found insight from actual Prada interns and that is what really excited me to peruse this particular internship.
Other interesting items about you and your background and interests.
As much as I love fashion my dream job would be to go to Seattle and work in the Starbucks marketing department. Also, I always have said that I want to be a CEO one day!