For my internship, I worked at the store Fashion After Passion. Fashion After Passion is a very popular store in Alameda for expecting moms, and for moms who have already had their baby/babies. The store sells maternity clothes, nursing clothes, clothes for infants from 0-24 months, and equipment (such as strollers, swings, high chairs, etc.). I didn't have an official position; I just helped wherever I was needed.
My supervisor was the Fashion After Passion's founder and owner, Jaye Yaksic herself. She worked with me all the days I was there, and mentored me through the process of learning my way around the store.
Some of my duties include restocking, inventory, quality assurance/control, customer assistance, product display, organization of merchandise, and running small errands.
An average day for me at my internship would probably go something like this: I arrive at the store at 10:00am. Then, I take our equipment from inside the store and display it outside on the sidewalk. I have to make sure that it doesn't clutter the walkway and create a safety hazard, and also that it doesn't interfere with our neighboring businesses. When I'm done with that, Jaye sometimes has me go to the coffee shop a block away and buy drinks and pastries for the both of us (on other days, I get lunch for us around 12 or 1). Once I return, we go over the list of what I'm supposed to do that day. No two days are ever the same at the store. The list usually has tasks that revolve around taking inventory of delivered merchandise and checking the quality of what we buy, organizing clothing racks and/or shelves, and restocking items that we've sold. Sometimes the list has one-time duties catered to special events occurring that day.
In between doing these tasks, it's my job to help customers if Jaye is busy or needs my help. I answer questions about items for sale, check our stock to see if we have what a person is looking for, and help people carry things to their cars.
My internship taught me a lot. It definitely made me better at organizing, because if I slipped up it always showed; this didn't take me long to learn. I also learned other ways of communication. Sometimes it was with my boss, other times it was with customers. Most importantly, I learned people skills.
I would say the biggest obstacle I experienced while doing my internship was learning how to approach customers when they first entered the store. This might sound like something simple, but it really is easier said than done. My supervisor started to notice my avoidance of customer interactions, and she addressed it by telling me that although it was hard, it was something I had to do. Eventually, I worked my way into it, and now I can talk to customers first, without any problems.
A favorite experience I had during my internship was seeing my neighbor shop at my store. She was very far along in her pregnancy, so I had to help her with what she needed. At the end, she said she could feel the baby moving and offered to let me touch her stomach. I did, and it was really cool.
I had no idea what to expect from my internship. However, I had a wonderful time completing my requirements, and it is something that I will be able to put on my resume and never forget. I'm very thankful that Jaye gave me a chance.
My supervisor was the Fashion After Passion's founder and owner, Jaye Yaksic herself. She worked with me all the days I was there, and mentored me through the process of learning my way around the store.
Some of my duties include restocking, inventory, quality assurance/control, customer assistance, product display, organization of merchandise, and running small errands.
An average day for me at my internship would probably go something like this: I arrive at the store at 10:00am. Then, I take our equipment from inside the store and display it outside on the sidewalk. I have to make sure that it doesn't clutter the walkway and create a safety hazard, and also that it doesn't interfere with our neighboring businesses. When I'm done with that, Jaye sometimes has me go to the coffee shop a block away and buy drinks and pastries for the both of us (on other days, I get lunch for us around 12 or 1). Once I return, we go over the list of what I'm supposed to do that day. No two days are ever the same at the store. The list usually has tasks that revolve around taking inventory of delivered merchandise and checking the quality of what we buy, organizing clothing racks and/or shelves, and restocking items that we've sold. Sometimes the list has one-time duties catered to special events occurring that day.
In between doing these tasks, it's my job to help customers if Jaye is busy or needs my help. I answer questions about items for sale, check our stock to see if we have what a person is looking for, and help people carry things to their cars.
My internship taught me a lot. It definitely made me better at organizing, because if I slipped up it always showed; this didn't take me long to learn. I also learned other ways of communication. Sometimes it was with my boss, other times it was with customers. Most importantly, I learned people skills.
I would say the biggest obstacle I experienced while doing my internship was learning how to approach customers when they first entered the store. This might sound like something simple, but it really is easier said than done. My supervisor started to notice my avoidance of customer interactions, and she addressed it by telling me that although it was hard, it was something I had to do. Eventually, I worked my way into it, and now I can talk to customers first, without any problems.
A favorite experience I had during my internship was seeing my neighbor shop at my store. She was very far along in her pregnancy, so I had to help her with what she needed. At the end, she said she could feel the baby moving and offered to let me touch her stomach. I did, and it was really cool.
I had no idea what to expect from my internship. However, I had a wonderful time completing my requirements, and it is something that I will be able to put on my resume and never forget. I'm very thankful that Jaye gave me a chance.
Veronica Hollister
