Zoe Gets An Intern

Following the public relations project that Zoe did with students at the Art Institute of Washington, the professor asked me if I would ever be interested in hosting an intern.  I told her that I would and to feel free to contact me if there seemed to be a good fit.

In mid-December, the professor contacted me to say that one of the students who had participated in the public relations project was interested in an internship with Zoe.  The internship is part of the student's requirement for graduation and Anna was on track to graduate in the Winter Quarter of 2012.

After reviewing her resume, conducting a phone interview, and holding an in-person interview, Anna and I agreed that it would be a good fit.  Honestly, I was more concerned that I could provide a good and appropriate experience for her than I was about her fit for the internship.  She shared the documentation with me and I filled out all of the required fields, including all of the items I hoped to allow her to experience during her three months.

My next challenge was determining what hours I'd like to have her in the store as well as any special projects I might ask her to participate in.  We would be working around her remaining class schedule as well as as the two days a week she works at Ann Taylor.  We agreed on Tuesday afternoons (beginning at 1 pm) and Friday mornings (beginning at 10 am).  She will need to log 100 hours in her internship and she will update a school-provided blog on her experience.  The school will also contact me at different intervals to get an update on her progress.

I've also identified some special projects that she will work on, including participation in inventory, assisting me at the Alexandria Boutique Warehouse Sale on February 4th, and a trip to the NY Showrooms in late February to complete the Fall buying process.  The goal is to expose her to all aspects of owning and managing a boutique.

Anna's first day was yesterday and she went right to work.  I asked her to assist me in filing all of the orders I had written at market the previous day and told her to take her time to review the linesheets and note the variations in what the different designers provide to buyers.  As she was working on that project, UPS Deliveryman Freddie brought in a shipment from Rebecca Taylor.  I asked Anna to unpack the box and tie it against the packing list and invoice.  She then entered the items into the Item Card program in the point of sale system, completed receipt of the purchase order and printed the price tags.

I also asked her to review the current set up of the store and ask me any questions as well as provide feedback on things we might change.  The time truly flew by!  I'm already making Friday's list of new tasks!

Not long before Anna arrived, Janice and Karen stopped in to retrieve the snowflakes from the windows in preparation for the transformation for Valentine's Day!  I can't wait to see what they come up with!  The poor windows look naked right now (with the exception of the mannequins).  Don't worry - you will NOT be asked to vote on the Valentine's window display!

Next up:  The photo shoot