John Wong, a senior psychology major and RSSA President did his internship at Williams-Sonoma.

Real Estate is not usually affiliated with the likes of retail, but three words are always on the minds of any successful retailer: location, location, and location. As an intern at Williams-Sonoma's real estate department, I was immerged into the world of retail real estate. Although, the department itself is very small, it is responsible for all matters that deal with real estate, from choosing the initial site, to keeping leases consistent. I was given the opportunity to do many projects that contributed to the daily operations of the group. Much of my time at Williams-Sonoma was dedicated to developing an archiving strategy for the most important of their documents - the original contracts. The other half of my time was dedicated to researching, developing, and implementing a brand new procedure for the department. Kiosk and Co-tenancy provisions are two items that Williams-Sonoma requires in many of their contracts, but after the store opens there is little follow up on them. As an intern, I created an extensive database for the four concepts (Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, Hold Everything), and developed the auditing procedure that would occur every 18 months. Before the end of my internship, I was able to launch this program.

My brief 9 weeks at Williams-Sonoma granted me a unique experience. I was able to further develop my communication skills, gain insight into project management, and have the rare opportunity to learn about the world of real estate. The most exciting thing that I took away from this summer was the knowledge that I helped a multibillion-dollar company save millions of dollars.

Back to Newsletter -Fall-'01