This summer, Career Center staff visited 13 Temple students interning at Burlington Stores. Burlington’s 10-week summer internship program employs students for 40 hours per week, allowing them to accumulate lots of valuable experience. During our visit, the students explained how they developed their time management, organization, communication and analytical problem-solving skills through the internship experience. Many of the students particularly enjoyed the opportunity to shadow various departments during their experience. The Career Center interviewed senior, Media Studies and Production major, Jordyn Fisher-Robinson while we were there. Read on to learn more about her experience, and keep an eye out for opportunities similar to the Burlington Stores internship program in Handshake…
What department are you working with?
Buying – Ladies Athletic Shoes
What was the interview process like?
The College Recruiters from Burlington were very responsive and great to work with! I had a phone interview, then an in-person interview with 4 people in the office, and I actually work under one of the buyers that interviewed me! The questions were focused on my experience and what I knew about the off-price industry. Coming from a major with no relation to buying was interesting, but I wanted to get my foot in the door of the fashion industry. I learned through this experience that I really love buying as well!
What is your job function, and what does a typical day entail?
I work with an assistant buyer in completing daily tasks such as going over the style report to see what our best sellers were, looking at shipping to know what was appointed for the month, and writing purchase orders for companies like Nike, Adidas, Puma, Fila, U.S. Polo, and Sketchers. I also traveled “in market” twice a week (Wednesday and Thursday) in New York to meet with said vendors. I made sure my style report was printed and highlighted so I knew which styles were our best and worst sellers for the vendor meetings. Next, we did a lot of comp shopping. A big part of being a buyer is looking at your competition and making sure your prices are better. Burlington prices itself on its value, so we make sure our customer gets the best deal.
How has your internship related to your coursework?
Currently, I do not go to school for buying so everything I learned was completely new. I worked in retail for 3 years at Charming Charlie as a manager so I wanted to get into anything fashion so I could get my foot in the door.
What is the most important thing you’ve learned during your internship/job experience?
Try your best to maintain a work/life balance, this summer I worked three jobs and being in buying can definitely be overwhelming sometimes. But know your priorities and get done what you can! It can definitely be done.
What piece of advice would you give to current students embarking on an internship/job search?
Keep trying! I applied to 10 jobs before I got this one. It can be hard and you may shed a few tears but it’s all worth it when you get the job!
Have you learned any valuable lessons about obtaining jobs/internships during your time at Temple?
Networking and connecting with people is so important. I’ve met so many people in important roles, but as long as you stay humble and are yourself everything will work out.