Kimberly Valdini
Internship: Retail Associate Intern & Wholesale Sales Intern
Current Job: Assistant Planner
What did you do while you interned?
Attended weekly meetings regarding business status and discussed weekly sales numbers regarding the Bloomingdales account.
Assembled a line of show for Bloomingdale’s Fall & Spring convention.
Analyzed excel spreadsheets for sell-through percentages and created line sheets used by the Account executive.
Entered projections into Blue Cherry.
What department are you at?
Business Planning – Inventory Planning
What do you like about your internship program? What do you like about your job now?
The internship program gave me insight into EILEEN FISHER and how the fashion industry as a whole operates. I believe my internship truly prepared me for the position I currently have. Working closely with the Sales has allowed me to better understand their needs and help me in my role today. I enjoy working on the Inventory Planning team because I like being able to effect and help the company as a whole.
What are the challenges that you have overcome while being an intern/ on the job?
Some of the challenges I faced being an intern was learning our systems and processes. Being new to the industry it was hard to grasp why we did things a certain way. But as I continued to work I began to understand things little by little, and I still continue to learn something new every day.
What is the advice you would like to give interns coming into the program?
Absorb and learn as much as you can from everyone around you. The people you will meet and work with at EILEEN FISHER are very diverse in their backgrounds and past experiences. Not only will you learn important skills and practices, but hopefully gain a better understanding of the industry and what career fit you see for yourself in the future.
What attracted you to Eileen Fisher and the internship program?
Before working on the wholesale side at EILEEN FISHER I was a retail intern working at EILEEN FISHER’s New York metro stores. What pursued me to continue my journey here was the culture, the people, and the experience I had gained in a short summer. I also value our practices and our company’s sustainable missions.
How was the environment compared to your previous experiences/ internships?