Saks Fifth Avenue

Elizabeth Harter

 Briefly describe your major project(s) over the summer.

This past summer I was an intern in the American Couture, Designer Evening, and Bridal Buying Office in New York City. My position involved compiling financial information each week, going to market to help select assortments, meeting with designers and their teams, and overall, making decisions that helped the business grow. I also created an iPad "app" that was designed to increase sales and improve the customer experience in the New York and Beverly Hills Bridal Salons. 

What is the most important thing you learned from your internship?

Always look for the next project or the next step. If you're not busy with work, either volunteer to help your teammates or challenge yourself to improve a process. Continuous improvement and innovation are two of the best ways to stand out in any career. 

What do you think was the most critical factor(s) in preparing you to succeed at your internship?

There were many factors that prepared me to succeed this summer. My leadership experiences taught me how to communicate well with others and how to multitask. The Honors Cohort Program gave me a fundamental understanding of the business. And the Career Services Office provided me with the basic internship expectations and etiquette that were noticed by my supervisor. 

Taylor Mandel

Briefly describe your major project(s) over the summer.

This summer I worked as a buying intern in cosmetics. My main project this summer was to create a Major Launch Recap of top selling products with revenue of near one million dollars. I had to first find out which products were top sellers and then collect data on their selling information. I also managed the calendar for events at the New York flagship with goals over five thousand dollars. This involved me contacting and communicating with all of Saks Fifth Avenue’s beauty vendors. Perhaps the most creative project I worked on over the summer was on an iPhone app. I helped generate ideas for additions to existing app, which were later presented, to top management.

What is the most important thing you learned from your internship?

The most important thing I learned from my internship is the importance of communicating with your team.

What do you think was the most critical factor(s) in preparing you to succeed at your internship?

I truly believe that the professionalism of the every day environment at the Fisher College of Business taught me how to behave and present myself in the work place.  I learned this through the every day classroom experience and the office of career management QUIC process.

Alexa Holzworth

Briefly describe your major project(s) over the summer.

There were three major projects that I was involved in over the summer. First, every year, Saks Fifth Avenue holds a Key to the Cure Event (includes a dinner, fashion show, and in-store shopping event), which raises money to benefit breast cancer research. It was my responsibility to get the contact information of the CEO or President for the 75 vendors that my department, Men’s Contemporary, worked with in order to invite them to the Key to the Cure Event. This required frequent email correspondence with vendors and an organized spreadsheet of the information. Second, it was my responsibility to input the Fall 2012 Purchase Orders into the system. This required me to learn the ins and outs of the system and ensure accuracy and efficiency while inputting the orders. Finally, it was my responsibility to prepare market research for my team to help them gain an understanding of past trends. This included pulling selling reports, analyzing receipts vs. sold, and printing pictures of successful styles. This helped them get a view of what styles were selling well and what styles would “work” the best in future seasons. In addition to these three major areas, I contributed towards the team by inputting markdowns into the system, going to market appointments, and pulling reports.

What is the most important thing you learned from your internship?

The most important thing that I learned from my internship is that working with a team is more beneficial than working as an individual. From the beginning, I formed strong relationships with my supervisor and the three other members of my team. This allowed me to have open lines of communication when I had an idea, questions, or a problem that needed solved.

What do you think was the most critical factor(s) in preparing you to succeed at your internship?

The most critical factor in preparing me to succeed at my internship was the curriculum and the outstanding professors that we have at the Fisher College of Business. From the very beginning, the students from Ohio State had the upper hand because we had a strong grasp of business skills. From quickly learning the computer systems, to something as simple as communicating effectively over the phone and through email, we were able to jump right in and contribute to the team.