Taylor Suchevits interned at Ross Stores as an assistant buyer and gained insight to the analytic and creative side involved in buying.
How did you get your internship?
I got my internship by applying in Handshake. In the fall, the Norton School holds an event called Retail Fuse. There I met Bert, my now site supervisor, who is the recruiter for Ross. We chatted about opportunities at Ross, then around October he reached out to me on Handshake expressing that my interests may align with Ross assistant buying internship--turns out he was correct!
What kind of work did you do throughout your internship experience?
This internship jumps you right into action. Interns are in training for the first couple weeks, then given work to complete independently. The independent work consisted of tasks like pulling shipping reports, or reviewing item sales and seeing what products sold well compared to those that underperformed. I could compare those insights to see what we have on order in another report. However, it was not all analytical. I was out of the office almost every Wednesday for either store visits, competition shopping, or vendor meetings.
What is unique about your situation that influenced your internship experience?
The living situation for interns can be difficult. This internship was on-site in downtown Los Angeles and my aunt lives in Redondo, which could be about an hour commute or more with traffic. While it was a slightly longer commute, the idea of having free housing did factor into whether I could take the position or not.
How was the internship related to your Applied Humanities degree?
My area of emphasis is in Fashion Studies so there is definitely some obvious alignment there, but speaking more to the relevance of the applied humanities, you learn a lot about how to consider a company's culture. Each company has their own unique set of social norms, values, and beliefs that impact the way the organization operates. I think it is important to reflect on the company's culture and how it resonates with you.
How did your Applied Humanities major coursework help prepare you for the internship experience?
The coursework in the Applied Humanities is similar to the projects at my internship because all the problem-solving and collaboration becomes a conversation where you have to determine how to move forward when there are many “right” answers. While in math class there may only be one correct answer, with Applied Humanities courses it can come down more to perspective and context, rather than right versus wrong. This is more reflective of the types of problems you face in corporate jobs because, yes there is right or wrong in some cases, but when it comes to buying, the strategies are subjective.
What was the most satisfying part of your internship?
Being able to do things on my own was probably the most rewarding part. The first couple days so much information is thrown at you and it felt like I would never be able to process it or be able to work independently. As time progressed and I got to learn from my mentor, it became less daunting. Once it was my turn to try pulling reports independently for the first time, I did it wrong. And that's okay. I probably did it wrong so many times before it clicked but that is why it feels so rewarding to get it right. The moment it clicks and you can do it on your own or teach it to someone else is when you have mastered it.
What was the most challenging part of your internship?
Socializing outside of work. Being friends with your co-workers is a personal choice, however, during my internship it was difficult because our desks were all spread through the office across multiple floors. I only consistently saw one intern because she was in the same department as me. Looking back, I wish I would have put in more effort to maybe grab dinner with some interns just because we are all in the same boat of going through all the feelings that come with being new.
What advice do you have for other students as they search for and/or begin their internship?
Even if it is not exactly what you want to do, take it. I was unsure about buying; I had talked to a relative who knows someone in the industry, however, the concept of what the role actually did was vague. It was not until I started this internship that I truly felt knowledgeable on what buyers do. And that is okay! You are not supposed to know everything all the time, but taking that chance is worth it.