Looking back on their summer internships, NRFSA members Allyssa Rinck (FIT), Lindsay Gray (Santa Clara University), and Rachel Wakefield (Georgia Southern University) all commented on how much they didn’t expect to encounter as interns. As many would have thought, their experiences weren’t focused purely on selling or fashion. Cross-functional projects with other interns made a real impact, and the feeling of professional development from exposure to executives made a huge difference for them. Each spoke of applying lessons from the classroom to real-world experiences, not just making copies or grabbing coffee.

Representatives from employers, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Brown Shoe, and Walmart, also joined the panel to comment on the goals of internship programs, training, and advice for success in any similar role. From an intern who juggled two different roles at the same time, to someone that had written a book as a sophomore in college, they each spoke of successes and initiatives that they’d seen interns accomplish at each company.

From left to right: Kathy Mance, Executive Director of NRF Foundation, Rachel Wakefield of Georgia Southern University, Lindsay Gray of Santa Clara University and Alyssa Rinck of the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Success wasn’t about just doing what they were told or asking for permission on projects. For these interns, it was about going above and beyond. This meant asking for forgiveness instead of permission and completing a task before their manager had even asked them to do something. According to these recruiters, interns should take their own responsibility and assume there’s never an upper limit with what they can do.

The biggest impact came from those who saw the mark they could leave on a company. Working on projects for the Chief Financial Officer of a company or playing a role in a key part of the company’s mobile app, the students and recruiters who were allowed to see the bigger picture and had greater exposure to executives gained the most in terms of career development.

For those now entering the search for an internship, advice included displaying high energy and creativity, along with good communication skills and pre-interview research. Students who had done their due diligence made a much bigger impression in an employer’s mind than those who finished an interview with no questions for the employer. Gaining sponsors in the interview process or during the actual internship is what these students should focus on.

As the newly formed NRF Student Association continues to grow, it will be interesting to see the development of these programs more closely align with the interests of each student. It’s not often that students and recruiters get a chance to talk candidly and comment on the experiences and goals they share, so the collaboration that the audience witnessed today is sure to drive upcoming intern programs in the future.

Why do you want to work in retail? What has you most excited about this industry?

I will receive my BBA in Marketing with an emphasis in Fashion Merchandising this upcoming May. I will be able to utilize my business skills and my fashion knowledge by working in retail. Retailing is perfect for my personality. I love giving great customer service and providing customers with the right products at the right time. I’m excited to work in retail because it is fast paced and there are many opportunities for advancement. Everyday is different and will allow for me to stay challenged. To top it all off, working in retail is fun!

Can you share what retail experience you have so far?

This past summer I completed the Retail Sales Internship at Nordstrom. Since the internship I continue to work there as a sales associate during my school breaks.

What are you most looking forward to at NRF’s BIG Show, and your visit to New York City?

I am absolutely excited about attending NRF’s BIG Show! It will be an amazing opportunity for someone like me just starting my career. I am looking forward to networking with many like-minded business individuals and employers. I am also anxious and excited to meet my fellow team members from this year’s NRF and American Express’s Aspire2Retail Intercollegiate Challenge. We had a great time working together and I would love to meet them face to face.

It will also be nice to see New York City in a new light! I grew up in Philadelphia and used to travel to NYC all the time. I never have been to Times Square though!

What’s your dream retail job?

• Brand Marketing Manager
• Director of Marketing or Merchandising
• Multi-Channel Buyer

I would love to do something that combines my business skills and my knowledge of fashion. I want to be able to grow in both areas and having a job which allows me to do so is important.

Please share something else about your background, your experience, your achievements that we wouldn’t know.

I am a creative individual. I have an online portfolio and fashion blog. I also do personal styling for males and females of any age. I did styling for a magazine at Georgia Southern University. I was a fashion designer in the Night of Spectacles, a fashion charity event in Atlanta, GA. I also was a dresser for Vogue’s Fashion Night in Savannah, GA. I am also apart of Delta Sigma Pi, a professional business fraternity. I am a Student Government Association senator for the College of Business Administration. During the academic school year I work as a Community Leader or Resident Advisor.

NRF’s Student Association (NRFSA) represents the future talent of the retail industry. Look for more “Future Faces of Retail” features as we lead up to NRF’s BIG Show in New York City.

Three ways NRFSA members should start getting involved right now:

1. Join the NRF Student Association LinkedIn Group.

Create a profile, share your areas of expertise and experience, and connect with other talented students who are also interested in retailing as a career. The LinkedIn Group is also open to NRF Foundation’s Employer Partners and NRFSA sponsors, making this an unique networking opportunity for all participants.

2. Make plans to attend the NRFSA student events, held in conjunction with NRF’s BIG Show in January.

Only members of NRFSA are eligible for the discounted student rate. The tentative agenda includes the second annual Retail Talent Networking Luncheon, a panel discussion on internships, and the NRFSA business meeting.

3. Sign up for Retail Careers Facebook and Twitter updates.

By following Retail Careers on Facebook and Twitter, you’ll have access to the latest news and announcements about which retailers are hiring, interviews with retailers who know what it takes to succeed in the industry, and other career advice resources.

At the launch of the association, the following fifteen colleges committed to offering members of their campus retail associations the opportunity to join NRFSA. (Read the press release for more information.)

• FIDM/The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising
• The Fashion Institute of Technology
• Florida State University Center for Retail Merchandising and Product Development
• Georgia Southern University Center for Retail Studies
• Fashion School at Kent State University
• LIM College
• Longwood University
• Ohio University
• Retail Management Institute at Santa Clara University
• The University of Florida David F. Miller Center for Retailing Education and Research
• University of Arizona Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing
• University of Arkansas Center for Retailing Excellence
• University of North Texas School of Merchandising and Hospitality Management
• University of Tennessee
• University of Wisconsin-Madison The Kohl’s Center for Retailing Excellence

Interested in joining but your college isn’t listed? Colleges and universities offering a degree program with a focus in retailing, marketing, fashion, product development, finance, supply chain management, real estate or related fields should consider becoming a College Partner of NRF Foundation and taking advantage of the opportunity to join NRFSA.