Shilpa Badani in front of her summer internship company, Macy’s at Oakridge Mall in
San Jose, CA.
|
When asked what I learned through participating in the Macy’s internship, one word comes to mind, fish. I learned about fish.
Fish, you ask? But I thought the purpose of the Macy’s internship program was to learn about management, merchandising and the fundamental logistics of the buying office. Please, allow me explain.
FISH” is the main philosophy created by Macy*s. The four FUNdamentals of the fish philosophy are modeled after the positive and fun working environment established by the Seattle Fish Market in Washington. They are 1) To play, 2) Make someone’s day, 3) Be there in mind and body, and 4) Choose your attitude. This philosophy is incorporated into every aspect of Macy’s culture.
At Macy*s, I did learn about management, merchandising and the fundamentals of the buying office. I also learned about cosmetics, Harry Potter and Indiana. Macy*s concept of incorporating fun into the workplace is what unites employees within all aspects of the company.
The first five weeks of my internship were spent in the Oakridge store shadowing the Cosmetics Department Manager, Karen Eng. Within those five weeks with Karen, I learned about store operations, product power and most importantly, how to be an effective manager. Karen’s management style ran in sync with the Macy’s FISH philosophy.
The last five weeks of my internship were spent in the buying office. I worked with the buyer and assistant buyer for the young boy’s department. I had the opportunity to talk to vendors, attend advertising style outs and upload purchase orders. I also worked on a group project with other interns as well.
I learned that Macy*s truly cares about its employees and strives to create a positive working environment. Though the internship was brief, I doubt that I will ever forget the time Karen said, “You have the fish attitude,” as she handed me a small blue key chain with a little orange fish swimming inside.
|
RMI Newsletter
