When Enthusiasm Goes Too Far

Being eager to learn from an internship is a quality that all employers are looking when hiring. The desire to learn and grow from an interning experience is more than natural, and enthusiasm goes a long way. With that being said, there is such a thing as being too eager and aggressive at an internship.

I’m sure everyone has worked with a person so eager to get ahead that they don’t mind stepping on other’s toes. Learning how to deal with different personalities is a huge part of growing up, both socially and professionally. I make it a priority to get to know the people I interact with on a daily basis in my office, whether that be the doorman, my fellow interns, or my supervisors.  Not everyone follows this same code. Maybe they are preoccupied with projects or distracted, I’m not entirely sure. When interning, you never know where those around you will end up working. Having connections with fellow interns is just as important as with your supervisors, in my opinion. I have met interns who have worked for some amazing companies and had both great and terrible stories I can learn from.

I know that my attitude towards my peers isn’t one shared by all of the young people entering this industry. From our first days as freshmen we are taught to be prepared to work hard. Fashion is competitive and ruthless at times. I have found that the ruthless ones are the ones just starting out, not the seasoned executives in the office. People who are so eager to land their dream job that they miss out on the journey. Yes, interning isn’t always glamorous, but it is a part of the process. I know I wouldn’t want to jump right to the top of my field without experiencing what happens at the base. Some intern tasks may seem menial, but in the grand scheme of the corporation make a huge impact. I hope that my career journey will be shared wit those that I have had the chance to form relationships with along the way

Nicole Miller Gets Rescued

This past Sunday, Nicole Miller at the Bellevue partnered with Rescue Spa at 1601 Walnut Street for an afternoon of pampering with top notch services provided by Rescue and brand new fall styles from Nicole Miller.  Mothers and daughters from Nicole Miller Philadelphia gathered to tour and experience the beautiful setup at Rescue.  They were greeted by the expert technicians from Rescue and our very own fashion consultants from Nicole Miller.  With facials, manis/pedis, and massages booked, guests enjoyed the company of successful and inspiring women along with a few afternoon cocktails.  Several guests picked up some staple Nicole Miller cashmere pieces as well as some fresh styles for fall.  As we continue to celebrate Mary Dougherty's 20th year in business, we continue to partner with local businesses to showcase Philly's hidden treasures!

Schedule your service at Rescue Spa to experience a day of relaxation!
http://www.rescuespa.net

Visit Mary K. Dougherty and Associates' events page to check out more Nicole Miller Philadelphia Events!
http://mkdandassociates.com/new-events

How To Be The Intern With Style

As Design and Merchandising students, we have been trained to look at the rules of design in all aspects of life. In art, culture, and fashion our education at Drexel has taught us how to be inquisitive, creative and innovative. No wonder I feel like a kid in the candy store almost every day I walk into my office. My eyes are welcomed with the gorgeous wardrobes of my coworkers on the daily. I see Louboutin's on Tuesday's, Chanel on dress down day, and more "It" bags than I can name. We are lucky to be a part of an industry that welcomes expression in the way we dress for work. I could never be one of those people who puts on one of three basic suits every morning. It would be impossible not to feel a little left out of the designer fun the full time employees at Michael Kors take part in. As an unpaid intern I mostly dream of the luxurious closets of the women I work with. I wonder if they shopped at Second Time Around as a 21 year old too. I not-so-secretly pray that one day I can look as fabulous as they must on the subway.

Not having a gargantuan budget for clothes has forced me to be creative with my work wardrobe. By no means do I slack. I have found that the key to dressing for work in a fashionable office like mine is one of my favorite sayings, "fake it 'til you make it". I have scoured over sale sections to find a full mid length skirt to pair with a cheap tank. I thrive in stores like Loft (50% associate discount heeey!) that sell on trend pieces at more affordable prices. I also love a good sale. I will peruse the sale section in almost any store just for fun. You never know what you may find! Spending a lot of money on trendy clothes that will be out next season isn't a luxury afforded to me just yet in life. I tend to spend a little more on classic pieces, like a great pair of black skinny pants, or comfy buttery leather flats. Those types of investment pieces instantly add value to the fun trendy items you bought for cheap. Looking put together and completing the look can be achieved with an added accessory or a smear of lipstick.

There is nothing I have come to relish in more is a compliment on a sale find from a woman in designer.

Internships Create Friendships

When I first moved to the City I was shocked with just how many interns flock to Manhattan every summer. Almost religiously, every few people I meet out on the weekends seem to be chasing the same dream I am in the Big Apple. I have met people interning at Fortune 500 companies, working 50+ hours a week and even some who have already received job offers with their said employer come graduation. Intern networking is hugely valuable, especially in the fashion industry. You never know who you will work with at a different company in the future, or what connections coworkers have made elsewhere that you can tap into. My favorite part of my internship are the friends I have made this summer.

Being immersed in New York seems a lot less overwhelming when experiencing it with fellow newcomers. I was lucky enough to make fast friendships with two girls interning in Creative Services with me. Nicole, Kelly and I met on the 19th floor at Michael Kors. Considering our different college experiences we have remarkably similar dreams, goals, and senses of humor. We all attend different colleges; Nicole is at Miami University in Ohio studying Graphic Design, while Kelly studies Graphic Communications at Clemson. All three of us were new to the city and were able to experience many New York first's together. All of us recently turned 21, so naturally NYC nightlife was on our lists of to do's from the beginning.

The three of us learned how to navigate to and from each others apartments, the bar's with the best happy hours close to our office, and our favorite new SoHo boutiques to shop at. I loved hearing about their college experiences and seeing the differences between mine and theirs. For example, Clemson is a huge football school. Kelly regularly attends the games and it has monumentally shaped her time as an undergrad. Drexel's lack of football was never something I noticed until hearing her stories of victory games and rivalries. While we may have differences, the three of us share a number of things in common. All three of us are in sororities, which has become a huge part of our college experience.We all plan to work in creative fields and hope to call New York home after graduation.

This past Friday I had to say goodbye to Kelly and Nicole. It is a beautiful thing when your relationships at work go beyond professional and become true friendships. I know that the three of us will stay in touch long past the end of the summer and the end of my time at Michael Kors. New York brought us together this summer, and will bring us together again come graduation.

MK Interns on Kelly and Nicole's Last Day

Too Blessed to be Stressed

   A renowned playwright once asked "to be or not to be," in his ever so famous Hamlet.  The question I am asking this morning is not "to be or not to be," but rather "to have or not to have."  More specifically, I am referring to having a job while balancing a full-load of college courses.

    You may have noticed I have been absent throughout this past week, a little bit longer of a break between posts than usual.  This absence is not due to forgetfulness or carelessness but to lack of time.  I am a usually busy girl.  I tend to over-schedule because I enjoy keeping busy rather than being bored and lost as to what to do with my free time.  Lucky to have found my calling in Design and Merchandising at Drexel and retail at Loft, I throw myself into any and all opportunities I receive because I know they are not work to me but what makes me happy.  This quarter these opportunities include 20 credits of classes at Drexel, approximately 20 hours a week at Loft, and a fellowship branding two start-up companies with little to no branding background, adding up to about more hours in a week than given, leaving me with approximately -10 hours of time to myself.

   This is in no way a complaint.  As I stated before, these are viewed as opportunities and gifts, not work.  I love what I do and prefer a busy schedule.  However, over the past week or two, I have noticed a change in my attitude and perspective.  In the past, pushing myself and scheduling more than I have time for has put my health at risk, leaving my parents to worry and warn me to only do the bare minimum.  I have always ignored their warnings, but this is the first time I have felt what they've said and bought into it, knowing I need a change in my lifestyle.  Even when busy before, I always found at least 10 minutes a day to myself.  Sure, I had busy days where that was not as easy to fit in, but as a whole,  I found some downtime during the week.  Over time, I have noticed that I know longer have this.  I am pushing myself too much, taking on too much, and overall feeling more overwhelmed than I ever have (which is saying a lot).  I was positive the day would not come where I agreed with my parents' beliefs on my scheduling.

   Back to the question at hand--to have [a job while a student] or not to have [a job while a student]?  I have had a job since I was 14.  I value work, I appreciate work, and I strongly believe it builds character, an eager work ethic, and financial skills.  Being such an avid supporter of having a part-time job while being a student, I, only naturally, have been shocked in the past (both in high school and college) by comments made my peers regarding having a job.  "Ugh, I might have to get a job," and "I don't have time for that," are phrases I have heard regularly, as if they were being asked to scrub mold off of a dirty floor with a toothbrush Cinderella-style.  I stand by my beliefs and have argued that to peers.  "I cannot imagine not having a job.  I have had one since I was young, and it has built my work ethic throughout the years," I say to them, proving a job does not have to be work with the right outlook.  It is a privilege to learn.

   So finally, to answer our question, I think you can guess where I stand.  Despite finding myself overwhelmingly busy, I know it is essential to building a good balance in life, another critical skill to have.  Despite hearing numerous times from friends and family that I may be working too much or that having a job while taking a full load of college courses is unrealistic, I stand by the choice--or chance--to have a job.  I may be overwhelmed this quarter, but this is no way indicates that I need to quit my job.  Instead I am able to scale back on hours and have learned the hard way to appreciate my personal time off and create a better balance than I currently have.  Working while college is not way easy but it has given me opportunities that others will not have, such as networking, a regular paycheck, and intense understanding of retail.  With that I leave you one of my favorite phrases: "too blessed to be stressed," and that sums up my thoughts regarding working while in school.

NM Interns Take NYC

Early this week, the Nicole Miller Philadelphia interns and Mary Dougherty ventured up to NYC for a fun day of fashion! We first arrived at Mary's and then headed up to the city. Our first stop was the retail location in Soho.  We were welcomed by the manager, Anna, and sales staff of the store and took a look around. It was really cool to see the same styles being merchandised differently and to soak up the cool and luxurious atmosphere. We then stopped for a quick bite to eat followed by some amazing cupcakes from Baked by Melissa. Next, we made our way over to the showroom where all of the magic happens. Nicole Miller is one of the last companies today that still features an in house designer, pattern makers and full production team. As we roamed the creative halls and offices, Mary introduced us to everyone that plays a vital role in the creation of such gorgeous garments, including Nicole Miller herself! Nicole was kind enough to chat with us and pose for a few pictures before we headed out. Our final stop was the Intermezzo market show. Here, we visited the Nicole Miller booth where the sales representatives of the company sell to retail locations that are interested in carrying the lines. The Nicole Miller Philadelphia buying team always makes a trip up to view the upcoming deliveries and put in their orders. After exploring and experiencing many different aspects of Intermezzo, we decided to call it a day and head back to Philly.  We are so thankful and excited that we were presented with such an amazing opportunity to experience Nicole Miller New York City with such a successful mentor. As many of us begin to wrap up our summer internships, we reflect on the great fun, friends and fashion at Nicole Miller!​

Fabric rolls from the Nicole Miller Showroom

The Nicole Miller booth at Intermezzo

The NM interns with Nicole Miller!

Retail Experience

I have recently obtained a part time job to help fund my commute. Since I really only have retail experience and my major is Design and Merchandising, I applied to a local boutique called Molly and Zoey in the gorgeous Pier Village, Long Branch. Going from working in a fashion closet at one of the biggest Public Relation firms to working in a teen geared boutique is obviously polar opposite. I have really learned to love my internship with Krupp Group. Now that I know the routine and my daily responsibilities, my days go by quickly with all the required work! I have also just signed up to assist behind the scenes of Fashion Week. I cannot wait to share that experience!
Back to the small town boutique...the hours are not my favorite and the clothes are not my style which is good for my wallet but it makes me appreciate my time in New York. I basically spend my hours finger spacing hangers and cleaning up after customers. I will like it after I receive my first paycheck but I am definitely looking forward to fall term to start!
Life back in New Jersey is definitely different than my days spent abroad.