GENERAL
INFORMATION
overview
description
selection
opportunities
registration
criteria
employers'
questions
REQUIREMENTS
syllabus
documentation
of hours
supervisor's
evaluation
ASSIGNMENTS
proposal
weekly
reports
interview
final report
RELATED INFORMATION
once you have the
job
INTERNSHIP DESCRIPTION
The internship in the Fashion Merchandising program is designed to allow participants to be employed in an educationally-oriented practical experience. This experience should be identifiable as being significantly related to the Fashion Merchandising program.
The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences has instituted the internship requirement in an attempt to provide a mechanism to promote interaction between the student and the work environment. Through the internship each participant will have an opportunity simultaneously to translate theory into operational applications and gain on-the-job experience.
Upon completion of the internship, the participant should be able to evaluate objectively the experience and offer recommendations potentially resulting in positive change for the student and the program area. The evaluation of the internship experience by the supervisor, student and faculty could result in recommendations for the continuation of and/or the implementation of more effective instructional techniques. At the conclusion of the internship experience, the student should identify personal and professional strengths and areas for improvement.
Several assignments are required to complete the internship program. A minimum of 150 hours must be spent on the job over the duration of the session or semester enrolled. Some companies will prefer to have students intern their last semester before graduation. These companies are typically looking at the intern as a possible candidate for long term employment. Other companies prefer to have students intern just before their senior year. This enables the student to be an ambassador for the company and allows the student to recognize subjects and skills that are still needed to become a successful employee.
Some companies offer what is known as a formal internship. While most of these programs are excellent, they will impose special requirements on the student. The student accepting one of these types of internships will not only need t meet the requirements of the university but will also need to meet the special obligations of the formal internship.
Fashion merchandising interns are, for the most part, paid while enrolled in the internship experience. The rate of pay depends on the company, type and location of employment as well as whether or not the intern has been admitted to a management trainee program.
Internship experience may be in production, wholesaling, retailing or other fashion related fields. In general, the fashion merchandising internship program should contain, but not be limited to the following experiences. The experiences are listed from a retailing perspective because many students will find opportunities in retailing. However, if the student interns in a different aspect of the fashion industry the experience may be adjusted as appropriate.
1. Initial training/orientation to the site and policies of the company
2. Merchandising including products and/or services offered by company for their target market
3. Operational functions including credit, receiving, human resources, public relations, display and visual merchandising, customer service and security
4. Inventory preparation including process for keeping track of inventory, inventory records and correction of inventory records
5. Salesmanship training including greeting/approach, determining customer/client needs, selling benefits, presentation techniques, suggestion selling, and closing the sale
6. Supervisory assignments including merchandising and management