Internship Experience at The Dr. Oz Show by Elle Rose

     My name is Elle Rose, I’m a senior English major at FCRH, and I just spent the last semester working as a production intern at the Dr. Oz Show!
     I found the Dr. Oz Show internship program through Fordham’s Career Link service, and applied in April to be an intern for the Fall semester. We had our first orientation session in early August, and I met the 13 other interns I’d be working with for the next four months.
     Working as a production intern meant that you could work in one of several departments on any given day. Every week the interns would work in their assigned departments: field, office, booking, studio, audience, post-production, or producing. The show would tape two episodes three days out of the week. If you were scheduled to work on a ‘taping day’ — then you’d most likely be placed in the studio working in either the studio, audience, or producing departments. On a non-taping day, you’d be in the office, working with either the field, office, or booking departments.
     Taping days meant early call times. All staff had to be at the studio, or office (depending on where you were scheduled), by 7 AM. There were a variety of daily tasks the interns would work together on finishing up before we all went off to work with our own departments — like distributing dressing room assignments, printing out show rundowns, and setting up dressing rooms for show guests.
     While our morning tasks were communal, each intern had a different set of tasks to work on within their specific department. Working with studio meant that you got to be a part of all studio rehearsals — usually standing in for the guests scheduled to be on the show, for blocking purposes. Working with audience meant a lot of time up on your feet, helping out with audience load-in and load-out and answering various questions from audience members, and guiding them through the maze-like studio to their seats. Working with producing meant preparing script cards for all guests on the show, and making sure that all appropriate release forms were signed by both guests, and audience members that were featured on the show.
     Thankfully, not all of our days were as early as taping days. On non-taping days, everyone reported to the office by 9 AM. All the interns were expected to help with restocking the pantry, and making sure coffees, plates, napkins, and silverware were properly stocked in the office kitchen. Field interns often had to transcribe videos, and some even got to go on out-of- office field shoots. Booking interns had a variety of tasks — including researching contact information for possible guests for the show, researching recently released health and wellness books, and preparing informational spreadsheets on upcoming guests. Office interns usually helped out with any department that didn’t have a pre-assigned intern — which typically included researching stock photos and clips, putting together spreadsheets, and sometimes sitting in at reception.
     Before working with the Dr. Oz show, I thought I had a clear idea of what I wanted to do post- graduation — but having the opportunity to work with so many different departments allowed me to expand my interests and skill set! I now have a greater understanding of just how much goes into making a television production, and a clearer picture of what it is I’d like to do when I graduate from Fordham in May!

Internship Experience at Rebecca Taylor by Nicole Cruz

Ever walk out of an interview feeling defeated? That’s how I felt after I interviewed for the Buying Intern position at Rebecca Taylor, a luxury women’s clothing brand.

I had done my homework on the company and read up on the candidate requirements for the role days in advance. I felt confident and thought I would blow my interviewer away. But once I sat down and my interviewer started to ask me questions, things started to go south—or at least I thought so. She began asking me questions about retail math and Excel formulas that I had no understanding of. It became clear to me that I wasn’t exactly qualified for the position.

Much to my surprise, I got an email a few days later from HR offering me the internship.

My time with Rebecca Taylor has taught me so much about the fashion industry. I have learned the huge role that buying plays and how closely it is related to marketing and sales. In addition to the technical knowledge I have gained, I have also discovered a lot about myself as a professional. I learned that whenever I have a challenging project or am unsure of something, my time at Fordham has provided me with an answer. What do I mean by this? I mean that my Fordham education has taught me valuable life lessons that are applicable to any workplace. I have learned how to collaborate with others, how to analyze a situation or document, how to quickly learn new systems and skills, and how to come up with innovative solutions to problems that arise. All of these things I’ve learned at Fordham helped me to be a stand out intern, even though my technical experience was lacking at first. My supervisor has even asked me to stay on for the Spring semester!

By relying on the knowledge I’ve gained at Fordham, I was able to prove myself to my supervisor and show her that I can handle anything. I hope that all Fordham students can take my experience and apply it to their own lives. Never be scared to apply to a job where you’re lacking in technical qualifications. Rely on your experiences from Fordham and spin them in a way that will set you apart in an interview setting. A Fordham education will always give you a leg up in the working world, especially in NYC! Thanks to the chance my supervisor took bringing me on, I have been able to grow as a professional and I hope that you will all be given the same chance.

Information about Rebecca Taylor and other positions like this can be found here.

Passion for Fashion: The Adventures of Being Nina Garcia’s Intern

Where? 
Marie Claire Magazine 34th Floor of the Hearst Building on 57th Street 

How did I become Nina’s Intern?
At first I was hired at Marie Claire as a Fashion Closet Intern where I was an intern along with 10 others. I was quite surprised considering the fact that I had worked at different magazines that really only had 4-5 interns for the fashion closet.
I thought to myself, what was I going to do that was going to make me stand out? Then one day I arrived 20 minutes early to work and a lovely gentleman saw me seating in the conference room reading my daily reading dosage of Marie Claire Web. He asked me if I could help him research a list of celebrities that he needed to give to Nina, so that she could choose which one she would like to be on the future cover of Marie Claire. I was thrilled, excited, and nervous. He wanted me to help him with a task for NINA GARCIA, the fierce, powerful, eyes of Marie Claire!! Well, the story follows, I did a good job and he asked me if I would like to be apart of the Nina Garcia Team. I was honored it just goes to show if you are early, ready, prepared, and excited to be an intern… People will see your dedication and passion for fashion and want you to their next best intern.

What did I do? 
I worked with two of Nina Garcia’s assistants: Kyle and Jenna. One of my daily task’s was logging in Nina’s Magazines sent to her from other publishing companies. So, that she could see what other Fashion Directors were styling in their covers. God for bid some other Fashion Director shoots the Dior dress that she was eyeing for the next shoot… Other activities that I did in the office were: checking in Nina’s outfits that were sent to her by designers, creating power points on celebrities that she wanted to shoot, creating mood boards for future spreads, What was in? What was out? What were some possible themes that Nina could use for the fashion pages of the magazine? This also helped me expand on my knowledge in the fashion industry. It educated me on what was in and what was so long gone out. Since I worked during the Holiday Season I also researched popular places to buy gifts for people in NY. What places would Nina want tourists who like to shop check out? (Check it out in December issue under Nina’s Christmas Gift List…) Above, is just a small composed list of what I did, since I was working with the Queen Nina Garcia, quite a lot of the things that I did was confidential.
Then of course when I had some free time, almost never, I enjoyed working with the fashion closet team in helping them prep for shoots. Besides working with Kyle, I also worked with Jenna who is the tech editor and also Nina’s first assistant. For Jenna, I helped her research what new fashionable technology products were emerging. This was something fun and new. At a break at work she allowed me to try out new beauty apps. One of my favorites one was an app that allows you to take a photo of anything and find that shade of makeup. For example if you take a photo of your purple top. The picture would then detect where the closest location is, so you could easily splurge on that shade of purple lipstick that you have always wanted!

The Second Time Around by Daniella Mizhericher

Student Spotlight: Brandon Dempster

By Brandon Dempster, GSB ‘17

Seeking Alpha is a community-driven investment research website that truly enhances a business student’s understanding of the markets, investment analysis skills, and intangible skills like persuasion and debate in order to effectively communicate pitches on various securities.

My work so far has been limited to just discussing some mid-cap equities, but I can honestly say I have learned so much. This is an excellent outside the classroom resource and I firmly believe that moving forward, the skills I just listed will improve exponentially. Can I now tell you the implications of currency hedges for McDonald’s? Yes. Can I now argue why Take-Two Interactive will post greater FY 2016 earnings than their primary comparable universe, comprised of Electronic Arts and Activision-Blizzard? Yes.

Seeking Alpha really extends on the fundamental knowledge you build in the classroom and helps you apply it to real-world scenarios –scenarios that all business students are going to face at some point. Being a contributing writer on the site is not easy, and the community will let you know when your insight isn’t probable or well thought-out; however, that’s the beauty of this site – the feedback you receive from the community allows you to broaden your focus and understand different catalysts that might affect your security under consideration.

I am enjoying every second of it and really encourage my fellow Fordham Gabelli School of Business students to become contributing writers. You can contact me directly with any questions you may have at bdempster@fordham.edu.

Intern Spotlight: 5 Ways to Commute Like A Champion

By Marissa Dow, FCRH '15

The best thing about interning in New York City is the plethora of opportunities available to you. There are hundreds of companies dying to hire eager interns to supper their teams. The worst part is those companies could be located in any of the five boroughs this great city has to offer, or even out of state in New Jersey or Connecticut.

Commuting, whether near or far, is never an easy feat in this city. There are so many unforeseen loopholes and obstacles that you don’t want to get in your way of being a professional and punctual intern. But commuting doesn’t have to be a bad thing: it can be easy, convenient, and not mention great for the environment. Here are the five best tips to commute like a pro no matter what side of the island you’re getting to. 

1. Always leave a substantial amount of buffer time for anything that could go wrong  - do not cut it as close as possible. This seems obvious, but it’s the most crucial part of having a successful commute. If you are due in the office at 9 AM, you don’t want to be stepping off of your train at 8:55. Even if your commute is next to nothing so many thing could delay you. There could be train delays, or your line could shut down entirely forcing you to reroute. Sudden inclimate weather or a painful shoe could make you just moments too late to be on your perfect schedule. Leave time for mistakes to happen. A good rule of thumb is to let yourself be two cycles ahead of when you should leave, so that you have plenty of time to adjust should things go wrong.

2. Practice your path ahead of time. You may not have the time allotted to physically take your commute before your first day but if you do it will save you a lot of stress as you try to pinpoint east from west once you exit the underground. Even if you can’t physically practice, virtually and mentally think about your route using the Internet’s greatest navigational gift: Google maps. You can jot down quick landmarks that will direct you to your destination without confusion. It doesn’t hurt to have an alternative map ready to go should you need a second best scenario.

3. Pack everything the night before – everything from your lunch to your outfit. When you do this, you have time to check in the morning that you have everything instead of hurriedly assembling everything and hoping for the best. You start your morning feeling prepared not rushed. Not only pack ahead of time but pack well – Aspirin, water, a sweater – the little things you may want on your walk or ride to work that could be easy to forget when you’re sprinting out the door will make your trip far more enjoyable.

4. Know the weather and know it well before you leave. Whether you’ll need an umbrella, snow shoes, sunglasses, or a lighter jacket the weather is a critical factor in the success of your commute. Without the proper gear you could be left cold, uncomfortable, or even hurt. Don’t get caught in the rain when you don’t have to – stash a tiny umbrella in your bag or briefcase that can always rest there in case of emergencies.

5. Last but not least COFFEE: or your preferred energy boosting breakfast beverage. Sometimes it’s too hard to cook a good breakfast on the go but a coffee (or caffeinated tea, smoothie, etc.) is the perfect thing to snag on your way out the door. You can sip in your car, bus, or train without disturbing others and it’ll keep you awake instead of groggy as you make your way to work. Make sure you use a recyclable beverage holder to stay ecologically responsible!

Internship Spotlight: Jaime Bravo

Jaime G. Bravo, FCRH ‘15

I am a senior at Fordham College majoring in Economics and I am currently at J.P. Morgan interning within corporate investment banking.  I work with the client billing team for North America and have been in my role for a year and a half now.  My team deals with a vast number of products such as M&A, Fixed Income, High Grade, Structured Finance and we deal with a couple more but these are our main ones.  Due to the diverse number of products we deal with I have been fortunate enough to learn how they all work.

A usual day at the office begins with a ton of email reading, most of which require immediate response or some sort of prompt follow up.  My email inbox can pile up since I only work 20 hours a week but it is also due to the fact that none of the bankers actually know I am only an intern so they send me request through the week.  I then proceed to have a morning meeting around 10:00am with my supervisor to give her an update on the different projects I am working with and how they are coming along.  It also gives me a chance to ask question about things I may not understand or am having problems with.  That is one thing I have to point out, which is that I have been fortunate to have great supervisors who are always available for any questions.  After I will usually check up on the analyst in my team and check if they need help with any of the projects the are working with.  Most of the time they don’t but if they do its usually just to follow up on a team of bankers who may not be responding to them and just need me to hassle them down because these products are very time sensitive.  I’ll then proceed to sit in my cubical and review expense statements, engagement letters, and company reports for the deals I am assigned to.  This is just one day of the week and usually differs day to day depending on the type of project my supervisor has asked me to work on.    

Now here is an example of how an M&A deal, one of the big products we deal with usually take place and why they are very time sensitive when it comes to billing them.  We have a 90-day window to make sure J.P. Morgan gets paid for its services.  For example let’s say that Auto Company A is interested in buying Auto Company B.  Auto Company A proceeds to bring in J.P. Morgan to facilitate what we would call an acquisition.  J.P. Morgan at this point will appoint a deal team that specializes in the auto industry to do research on both companies and develop a plan to execute this acquisition.  Then the deal team goes on a roadshow, which is usually paid by Auto Company A depending on the agreement settled on in the engagement letter.  What my client billing team is in charge of is basically making sure Auto Company A pays all its fees and that that it initially agreed on. But the reason for the 90 days is that once the acquisition is completed the entire company may change its name from Auto Company A to Auto Company A&B Ultimate.  Company Auto A then no longer exist and we cannot force the new formed Company A&B Ultimate to pay the fees because within the Engagement letter its states that Auto Company A will pay the fees, not the new company that has been created through the acquisition.   This is why the process is so time sensitive, and the bank stands to lose million of dollars in fees.  This is probably the coolest part of my internship, getting to watch multi-million dollar deals unfold and see them follow through till the end. 

An advice I would give to any none business major would be that you don’t have to be a major in business to work in banking.  Most of the skills you need to perform your job will usually be learned after you are hired.  Not just that put the positions usually have programs that will train you on exactly what you need to know for your role.  Which is something that I was not really aware about when I first begun and actually its what always held me back from initially applying to a banking internships.  What an employer is usually looking for is someone who is a quick learner and has a great personality.  People never thing about the personality aspect but you have to realize that the employers are also human and they will be interacting with you and spending ample amount of time with you.  They want to work with someone they are going to like.  My best advise, especially for Fordham College student who are not in the business school is not to be intimidated about applying.  If anything pull out that liberal arts core card, and show them how diverse you are.  The liberal arts core not only tells them you are well rounded but also that you have the ability to learn and manage completely different classes which is a vital skill within banking. 

Lastly, make sure you get an internship while in school in the field you are interested in going into.  This is so important because there is nothing like actually experiencing that profession then actually working in it.  You will never come out loosing anything, even if you end up hating it.  If you hate it, that’s great! Now you know what you don’t want to do and can try something else out.  If you liked it, that’s also great because you now have valid reassurance and experience to back up you career decision. Also internships, regardless of where they are at look great on resumes!

Student Spotlight: The Importance of Diversity

By Dayne Carter, FCRH '15

Last year, I had the opportunity to participate in Fordham University’s Diversity Conference that took place in McGinley Ballroom.  The event took place early Saturday afternoon and consisted of workshops presented by successful Fordham alumni, musical performances, and the guest speaker happened to be my father, Anthony P. Carter (FCRH '76) the Chief Diversity Officer and Johnson & Johnson.  It was a great experience being able to network and establish a relationship with many of the guests.  The guests in attendance were of many different ethnicities and all had very differing work backgrounds.  One alumnus worked as a news reporter for NBC, while another was a practicing physician.  Overall, the event was a success in that it was well organized and very informative to the students.  My only criticism was the attendance amongst the student body could have been more.

Fordham’s campus is located right outside New York City, one of the largest melting pots in the world.  There are millions of people living here from all over the map, and we all help contribute to the cultural beauty that is NYC.  However, with that said, we don’t always have to take trips to Manhattan to witness it.  We don’t have to look further than our student body here on campus to appreciate diversity.  One of the main reasons I chose to attend Fordham was because of the opportunity it provided for me in forming friendships with people that I would have otherwise never met.  There are people here from all different regions of the globe.  I have white friends, black friends, Asian, and Hispanic friends.  I have attended ASILI’s (the black student alliance) Black History month dinner one week and then the following gone to FUSE’s (Fordham University’s South-Asian Entity) Bollywood movie night.  I’ve have seen performances by Sláinte (Fordham’s Irish dance team) and have heard spoken word recitals in Spanish performed by members of Fordham’s Hispanic culture club, Academia Hispana.

Fordham is by no means the most diverse place in percentage, but it certainly is a place that consists of a diverse student body.  We often take for granted the fortune of being able to interact on a daily basis with people whom we considered to be different than us.  Diversity is so important, and we owe it to ourselves to celebrate and embrace it.

This year's event is entitled: "Diversity Leadership in a Global Society Conference," and will take place on March 4, 2015. For more information about event workshops and presentations, or to RSVP today, head to CareerLink > Events > Information Sessions.   

Internship Spotlight: Kedwien Valdez

By Kedwien Valdez, FCRH '15

Working at Allied Integrated Marketing has been one of the greatest experiences in my undergraduate career. Never did I think, that I would have the opportunity to work at a job that was so enjoyable. Let me start off by tell you a bit of background behind Allied. It is an integrated marketing firm that does work for big movie studio companies. They have clients like Lionsgate, Paramount, Focus Features, Fox, Warner Brothers, and even Disney. They participate in many aspects of marketing these studio’s movies. I worked directly in the promotions/publicity department of Allied; my title was Movie Studio Promotions intern. What I loved about being an intern at Allied is that I was given real responsibilities, I grabbed coffee for no one but myself. I was given real responsibilities and expected to do the same work as any other employee of the company. 

At Allied, we usually would receive a movie about one to two months before it is released in theaters. From there we have to work on creating and actualizing promotional events for the movie, as well as, work behind the scenes at these movie industry events. I had the responsibility of reaching out to different groups, places and events, all across New York City and try to tie them in to our movies. This would increase exposure and create more word of mouth buzz for each individual movie. For example, I recently did work for the Huger Games: Mocking Jay Part 1. Lionsgate was looking to target to college students and incorporate events Hunger Games into events across campus. So I organized a Hunger Games week at school and called it District Fordham. (Which was a pretty creative idea if I do say so myself.) I reached out to about four clubs on campus and together we brainstormed different ideas for events. We created a Hunger Games Trivia Night, a Movie Screening, a Social Media Raffle, and a walk out to the theater for the premiering night. While working with them, I also got one of our bigger clubs on campus, CSA, to incorporate the Hunger Games into their big event, Thanks-Give-Away. I got them to raffle off a prize pack filled with Hunger Games promotional items.

Besides working on the events, and pitching different ideas to different people, I also had the opportunity to do a lot of work with the movies. One of my main responsibilities was to work movie screening, which are advanced watching of the movie for selected crowds before it comes out in theaters. So I pretty much got to see a bunch of movies before they came out in theater for free. At these screenings, I had to help with crowd control and in some instances right reports at the movie analyzing the crowd’s reactions to particular scenes and their overall opinion of the movie. My favorite part of this internship and probably the most glamorous (brace yourselves for some humble bragging coming); I got the chance to work a ton of movie premieres. At these movie premieres I had many responsibilities, one of which was walking stars down the red carpet, scouting out any unexpected celebrities that decided to attend last minute and many times work the after party. Which actually isn’t as crazy as we imagine it to be it; although still really awesome to be in there.

Over all I learned a lot at Allied Integrated marketing: I learned to get out of my comfort zone, how to write proper pitch emails: what things worked and what didn’t, and how to present myself in many events like premieres and screenings. This internship allowed me to express my creative ideas much more openly; no idea was ever a bad one or too crazy. My opinions were always heard, and if weren’t agreed with, people took the time to explain why. It allowed me to strengthen my teamwork abilities and it also made me realize my interest in working within the entertainment industry. Overall this was a truly great experience.   

Internship Spotlight: Hans Lueders

By Hans Lueders, FCRH ‘16

Working at Efran Films was undoubtedly my favorite work experience and thus far I think it has been the best. At first in the last days of August and early September I was worried that the only organization to respond to my application for an internship would be from a film company; my major is Political Science with a Communications minor so I began to question whether or not I had a chance in a super competitive market. In fear that I wouldn’t have any sort of job for the fall, I accepted the position of Editing Intern at Efran with the reasoning that work experience of any kind was better than not, and while I was not a master of video editing, I was competent and curious enough to learn to hone an increasingly important skill in our digital minded workforce.

Although later on I received positive word back from a local Assemblyman’s office and another film company, I am very happy I decided to stay at Efran. Named after the creator and boss Shawn Efran, Efran Films is a small video production company that gets hired out by a range of organizations, frequently by the New York Times, to make promotional videos and documentaries. Even though I was only doing organizational things and limited video editing, I was in an environment that straddled both of my majors and I had a very close knit group of co-workers to show me the ropes. With no one over the age of 35 working, many of my co-workers shared my interests and creative eye, so they were always on hand to either encourage me or challenge me to approach situations in my own way.

 

The best part about working there was seeing that the work I did affected other people; I wasn’t just relegated to “busy work” like getting coffee, rather I contributed in my own ways to projects the whole team was working on, projects that made their way to the public eye. For example, on one instance I was tasked with locating and getting in touch with amateur Utah truck racers through their YouTube videos so that Efran could produce a video for TLC. The dialogue channels I opened allowed my co-workers to negotiate rights quickly and start production on a video that will air early next year. I think feeling like you’re part of a well oiled machine is truly spectacular, and anyone who wishes to work at Efran Films should know that you will feel valued and if you put in good work, you will be rewarded.

Internship Spotlight: Miranda Morton

By Miranda Morton, FCRH '15

Last January, I made the difficult decision to drop the pre-med track halfway through my junior year. I made this change after some serious introspection and self-questioning. Despite being only 3 courses away from completing either a Biology degree, Environmental Science degree, or General Science degree (all of which I’ve declared at one point or another), I could no longer pretend to myself that pursuing a career in the medical field or devoting my life to scientific research would ever make me happy. It only took two and a half years, but I finally conceded that my passion has always been learning about other nations—their governments, cultures, religions, environmental practices, and relationships with other countries.

The part that made this decision so difficult was that I had no idea what people are supposed to do with an International Studies major! With a science degree, my future felt more straightforward: to become a dentist would mean going to dental school, which means completing the prerequisites during my undergrad studies. With a humanities degree, however, my career no longer depends on the acquisition of a D.D.S. but rather on the types of opportunities I seek, the ideas I come up with, and the drive I have to succeed.

One of the first opportunities presented to me after switching majors came from my new International Studies advisor. He was advertising for an internship at the United Nations taking place within the Department of Public Information (DPI), whose mission is “to promote global awareness and understanding of the work of the United Nations.” After applying and interviewing, I became one of two Fordham Youth Representatives for the 2014/2015 school year.

Since my internship commenced in September, I have attended high-level briefings with preeminent figures in attendance, like Ban Ki-moon and Helen Clark, international days of celebration, including the International Day of Non-Violence and the International Day of Older Persons, an intimate small committee meeting with the NGO Committee on Education, and mid-level dialogues on post-2015 implementation of action agenda items.

Though this is my first internship and I’ve only been on the job for two months, I can see how this internship experience is unique. Much of my job description remains undefined, allowing me to craft my experience in the most beneficial way I see fit. Yes, part of the job description includes attending briefings, writing summaries, keeping up a blog, and bringing other students to the UN, but if that were all I was doing, I’d be missing out.

With the liberty I’ve been granted, I’ve truly been able to take advantage of this learning experience. By virtue of events and conferences, the DPI brings together UN officials and NGOs from around the world, all representing different causes. This has made networking incredibly easy for me and has already allowed me to garner resources and contacts for developing my future career. I’ve also had the chance to share my experience by spreading knowledge of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals and forthcoming Sustainable Development Goals. My predominant goal as a Youth Representative is to keep the Fordham population informed with the goings-on at the UN, so that we may become more enlightened and more united in our action towards bettering our world, and more specifically, our own Bronx community. By collaborating and forming partnerships, we can help implement the UN’s agenda.

One thing I’ve learned at the UN is that though there is war, anxiety, and tension throughout the world, there also exists a strong commitment to create prosperity for all nations. My time at the UN has thus far cultivated my passion for examining global challenges and analyzing possible solutions. As I consider my future, I hope to pursue further opportunities that would allow me to become involved in the global initiative for a better and more sustainable world. Though I still have no idea what people with an International Studies major “do”, this internship has allowed me to explore the myriad avenues stretched out before me.

If you're interested in becoming a Fordham Youth Representative for the 2015/2016 school year, please contact Ms. Kelly Roberts at keroberts@fordham.edu. Applications are due in May.

Internship Spotlight: Francesca Cascardo

By Francesca Cascardo, FCRH '15

As graduation approaches, upperclassmen feel a mounting pressure to commit to a major, find an internship, and leave college knowing exactly what’s next. That’s what’s supposed to happen, right? Based on my own experiences, I’ve learned that things don’t always go according to plan and—believe it or not—it’s okay.

A few months ago, I refused to stray from my master plan. I was determined to find an internship at a newspaper or a magazine. Journalism is my concentration, so it seemed like working for a written publication would be the most logical thing to do. I wrote countless cover letters and sent out tons of LinkedIn requests. Using Fordham’s Career Link website, I branched out and even applied for a few Public Relations positions; I received a call for an interview the following week. Though I was sure I’d impressed the stylish little man interrogating me, later, I learned that I hadn’t gotten the job.

I was about to overdramatically conclude that all hope was lost when an opportunity came knocking. Three weeks earlier, I had reached out to one of my mom’s contacts for a class assignment. Although he was very kind, I didn’t expect him to provide me with anything besides information for my project. But as I read his email over and over again, I understood that he was offering me an internship at Versace, the Italian luxury brand.

I was given a unique opportunity; because Versace’s PR positions were filled, the company’s Human Resources coordinator thought it would be best to rotate me through the Buying, Visual Merchandising, and Marketing Departments. Still, nervous doesn’t begin to describe the way I felt on my first day of work. I was sure that Miranda Presley from The Devil Wears Prada would be my boss. To make matters worse, I had absolutely no experience in Buying, the department in which I would spend the first month of my internship. 

I was clueless for my first few days in the Buying Office, but I was stunned to discover that neither my coworkers, nor my boss, resembled fashion industry stereotypes. Everyone from the security workers to the CEO of Versace US was extremely friendly and helpful. With my coworkers’ guidance, I mastered Microsoft Excel after just two weeks. I learned that the seemingly worthless data I had spent hours typing was actually a weekly report of the company’s bestselling items; bestsellers in each store were influenced by a number of factors that could range from climate, to common attributes amongst consumers. Maybe I’m a fashion nerd, but I was intrigued.

As interesting as Buying was, I was excited to begin a new experience. I had a limited understanding of Visual Merchandising at first; to clarify, Visual Merchandising is positioning store items in a way that appeals to consumers, and thus, optimizes sales. I fetched hundreds of shoes, and dressed many mannequins. Once I proved that I was capable of following directions, I was given the liberty to set up purse displays, lay out home décor, and even style some of the mannequins on my own. It’s hard to believe, but these menial tasks are responsible for generating a large percentage of company profit.

By the time I was transferred to the Marketing Department, eagerness had eradicated my fear. A new group of co-workers welcomed me and I quickly learned what Marketing is really about. The number of small details that go into planning a promotional event is unbelievable; even the brand of folding chairs is meticulously selected. With so many details to pay attention to, multitasking is inevitable. I didn’t feel so important dealing with pushy agencies, or running down Fifth Avenue in search of a black duffle bag, but in the end, I knew that my work had helped create an 

event for one of the biggest brand names in the world.

Working at Versace wasn’t apart of my plan. I thought snooty co-workers and mean managers would criticize me. I was sure that I would never be able to use Excel, or complete the tasks I was given. My internship didn’t go as expected—even my last day of work was filled with surprises; as I was on my way out of the office, my co-worker handed me a list of contacts who work at fashion magazines. Things might not always go the way you planned and trust me…it’s for the best!

Internship Spotlight: Taylor Mead

By Taylor Mead, FCRH '16

As an intern at the Rachael Ray Show, I was able to develop a relationship with many of my coworkers that allowed each of them to be a mentor to me throughout the summer. Because I was able to develop such close relationships with people from different departments, I was able to learn bits and pieces of all aspects of television. Getting a glimpse into each of the departments made me aware of the importance of each and realize that the show would not be possible without each and every one of them.

Because of this, my coworkers made me feel that my job as a publicity intern was just as important as each of their jobs. This was an extremely great feeling because the producers and other important individuals of the Rachael Ray staff were willing to teach me what they knew and how they got to where they are in the field.

With that said, I truly feel that although my primary focus was on publicity (updating media contact lists, working the Facebook and Twitter accounts, and doing various other projects), I was able to learn a lot more than what I signed up for.

While much of this is a result of the kindness of everyone on set, I also believe that my experience was such a success because of my curiosity and eagerness to learn as much as I could. I have always sought to gain an abundance of knowledge and, to me, internships are some of the best opportunities to do so.
In the projects and tasks I have been assigned, I have found that there have been many opportunities where I have been able to express my creativity while also improving my ideas. More specifically, the other interns and I were expected to submit three episode pitches that the producers would analyze, comment on, and potentially choose for future Rachael Ray segments.

The producers were extremely helpful in teaching us how to take our ideas and develop them into something that may one day be on television. They taught us how to begin researching, how to approach the research, and how to develop it into a worthwhile idea. Their tips were extremely helpful and allowed me to really think about what the audience wants to see on an episode and how to attract the attention of busy viewers.

One of the producers told us, “If you wouldn’t want to watch the episode, they won’t either,” and this really sparked some interesting changes in the way we were approaching our research. With the help of the producers and the rest of the team, we were able to produce some really great, creative ideas that progressively got better and better throughout the summer.

Overall, my experience as an intern at the Rachael Ray Show was one I will never forget and in addition to learning about publicity, I was able to learn many production aspects of the media industry, and develop relationships with coworkers that will help me in the future.

Internship Spotlight: Dan Rector

By Dan Rector, FCRH 2016

I started working for ‘stache media/RED Distribution in May of 2014 for my summer internship.  ‘stache media/RED Distribution is a marketing company that helps promote new and upcoming musical artists, and is a division of Sony Music.  The internship seemed a bit intimidating at first considering I had to create and submit biweekly reports, and attend weekly conference calls. The fieldwork was also demanding. I was required to hand out promotional items at locations that were thought to attract the demographic that the artist was trying to reach. I also was tasked with interacting with lifestyle accounts and establishing a relationship with the managers and employees of each store. Although it was hard work, it quickly became rewarding. The conference calls and reports required me to stay organized and focused at corporate standards, handing out promotional items forced me to work on my interpersonal skills, and my management of lifestyle accounts encouraged me to develop my ability to research markets and create a distinct plan for accessing those markets.

Not only this, but ‘stache media/RED Distribution sends their representatives to concerts free of charge. Even though the representatives are required to work during the event, it is still an excellent benefit. I was able to work a Rebelution show at the Gramercy Theater, and a Dirty Heads show at the Wellmont Theater.  ‘stache media/RED Distribution takes note of which artists the representatives prefer, and are accommodating enough to take that into consideration when assigning the representatives to tour dates. The group Dirty Heads even requested that I meet the band before the show because they understood the vital role that the representatives fulfill in promoting the artists. Overall my time with ‘stache media/RED Distribution was unforgettable, and the skills I developed are invaluable.

Internship Spotlight: Peony Tam

By Peony Tam, FCLC’15

I started working at Julien Farel Group in January during my spring semester of my junior year. Now fast-forward, I’ve been working here for the past eight months as a marketing intern and it has been a truly rewarding experience! When I saw the opportunity to apply to Julien Farel on the Career Services website, I automatically jumped on it, as it seemed like a fun experience to work with a haircare company. The fact that this company focused on anti-aging haircare piqued my interest as well, since I have never heard of anti-aging for your hair! My internship at Julien Farel gave me a whole new outlook about working in the beauty industry and taught me a lot of things I didn’t know about hair (trust me, there’s a lot you don’t know!). I can definitely say that this internship has convinced me to want to work in the beauty industry in the future!

Julien Farel Group is a French American company that overlooks the Julien Farel Anti-Aging Haircare line and a line of luxurious salons in New York, Miami, and Cabo San Lucas. At Julien Farel, I was able to jump in with both feet and learn the day-to-day activities of a salon & haircare company. My typical workday would involve creating and planning content for our social media platforms. What I liked about this was that I was able to bring my own ideas and creativity to the table. You can always find something to connect back to hair, whether if we’re talking about the latest hairstyles on celebrities or even World Cup inspired hairstyles. I also learned a great deal about branding and all the aspects it involves to create a brand presence. I felt like this company was very unique in that it wasn’t just a simple haircare company, they overlooked a chain of salons as well. So, I wasn’t only thinking creatively about a haircare line, but also ways to promote their salons as well. 

Even though I worked on the marketing side of the company, I was able to interact and work with the other departments of the company as well. Some days I could be working on social media, other days I would work with the retail side and also learn how they prepare for any retail events. Often, I was given the freedom and independence to become a true part of the Julien Farel team and to have my own input into projects. The small size of the company and the welcoming nature of every employee provided me with countless learning opportunities in a friendly environment. 

 

I also loved interacting with the Julien Farel Salon hairstylists, as we worked with them to share their amazing work on our social media pages. A special perk of being an intern was that I was able to get free hair services from the salon (sometimes I got to be a hair model for social media as well)! Not only did I learn a lot about marketing and branding, but also I have a better understanding of how important it is to take care of your hair from a young age. Because our skin is not the only thing that ages, our hair ages as well! I am very thankful to Julien Farel Group for providing me with an enriching, fun experience that has been and will continue to be immensely helpful in my future endeavors! 

If you would like to inquire about internship opportunities with Julien Farel, please email jkim@julienfarel.com.