- Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project. Write two or three sentences describing the main activities your STEP Signature Project entailed.
- For my STEP Signature Project, I completed an internship at Kohl’s corporate office in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The internship lasted 10 weeks this summer, and I worked as an inventory analyst intern. I completed several projects with fellow interns, shadowed my coach, attended classes to learn about Kohl’s and the retail industry, and carried out several day-to-day tasks like allocations, PO tracking, and more.
- What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project? Write one or two paragraphs to describe the change or transformation that took place.
- The biggest thing that changed while completing my STEP Project was my understanding of the retail industry and corporate environments. Until this summer, I had never worked in a corporate setting before, so this was a big change for me. I learned all about how companies operate at this level, and how different areas and offices work cross-functionally. I got to experience the retail industry like I never had before, and this helped shape my ideas of what I want my future to look like. I learned about the allocation and merchandising career path, as well as other areas that might interest me. This exposure was vital in helping me figure out what I want my career to look like after I graduate.
- What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you? Write three or four paragraphs describing the key aspects of your experiences completing your STEP Signature Project that led to this change/transformation.
- One of the biggest things during my project that impacted me was my relationships with my manager, coach, and team. My manager gave me feedback consistently and helped make my time at my internship even better. He guided me through the projects we had and was always open to any questions I would have. My manager really set the foundation base of what I can and should expect from managers in the future. My coach was with me for more of the day-to-day activities and supported me through all my tasks. Shadowing him in his role allowed me to see what my daily life would look like in that full-time position. Since he was in the entry-level role that I was interning in, it was very beneficial to be able to see the things he worked on every day. My supporting buying office team was also instrumental in my internship experience because they were able to provide me with other connections if I was interested in learning about a different area. They gave me more unbiased advice since they weren’t my direct supervisors.
Another thing that led to me getting a better understanding of the fashion industry was all the classes and support Kohl’s gave to us interns. They provided us with a variety of resources, both in and out of the workplace. A few times a week we would have classes taught by higher up management with our fellow interns. These classes would be about different areas/roles, programs, systems, or processes. These classes proved essential to giving me a more well-rounded knowledge of the fashion industry, because they filled in the details of my school class learnings.
The last key aspect of my internship that shaped what I want for my future is the company culture at Kohl’s. I believe the way that companies treat their interns and entry-level associates says a lot about to company and their values. Kohl’s treated us interns with great respect and regard, which helped form my expectations for my future employers. They emphasized having a healthy work-life balance, and that trickled down to even me as an intern. Their values aligned with mine, and this made me realize how important it is to work for a company that shares your views.
- Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life? Write one or two paragraphs discussing why this change or development matters and/or relates to your academic, personal, and/or professional goals and future plans.
- This change in my understanding of the retail industry is valuable for my life because it will impact my future and professional goals. My whole experience at Kohl’s this summer was extremely beneficial for me. My supervisors and team, the classes, and the company culture at Kohl’s really stood out as the key drivers. This internship gave me an idea of what type of company I want to work for, where I want to work, what roles I’m interested in, and what I value in an employer. Having this corporate internship was extremely valuable to learning more about the fashion industry and the role I can play in it.
