The Intern Experience
This summer, more than 150 Wilson College of Textiles students augmented their NC State education, ramped up their resumes and expanded their horizons by interning for local and national employers. We asked them to share their experiences and advice for their fellow students.
Zoe Newman ‘19
Role: Product development department intern, Cotton Incorporated world headquarters
Major: Fashion and Textile Design (concentration Textile Design)
Hometown: Chapel Hill, N.C.
How would you describe your role?
As a product development intern, I assist with designing fabrics for the FABRICAST line, along with preparing swatches to send to companies around the world.
How did you find out about your internship?
I found out about this internship through Kent Hester’s weekly emails, and immediately jumped on the great opportunity through sending my resume to Cotton Incorporated. Once my resume was received, I was in contact with the human resources representative and went through a phone interview discussing my intentions of applying for the internship. Following the phone interview, I was called in for an in-person interview, and was given a tour of the facility on the same day. After about two weeks, I accepted the job offer over email, and began working about a month later.
What is your favorite part of the job?
My favorite part of working at Cotton Incorporated is gaining a deeper understanding of the development of textiles — from the yarn production to designing, to the final product being sent to requestors. It is incredible to be a part of the staff working as a team to achieve a common goal in a real workplace environment.
How would you describe a typical day on the job?
Everyday at work I do something different, but I would say a typical day on the job would include producing designs for the FABRICAST line and assisting with sending out fabrics to various companies. On occasion I will also cut fabrics from the warehouse to deliver to the dyeing and finishing or testing labs.
What is your advice for fellow internship seekers?
Fellow internship seekers, especially at the Wilson College of Textiles, can definitely benefit from reading Kent’s weekly emails. In general, it is important to seek internships that you are passionate about while also being open to learning new things on the job and applying your knowledge from classes to your work.
Role: Technical Design intern, Under Armour
Major: Fashion & Textile Design
Hometown: Cary, N.C.
How would you describe your role?
My internship at Under Armour has been a full and rewarding summer. I am a technical design intern so I shadow an associate technical designer within the Outdoor Performance/Hunt/Fish/Tactical Gear team, assist the technical designer with her workload, and also go to developmental review meetings as well as fittings. I have also been given the opportunity to sit with several product developers in their roles, a technical designer for the Olympics team, and also meet employees in every department within Under Armour – such as the Materials team, Innovation team, etc. In addition to my day-to-day workload, I also have a summer project of my own throughout the ten weeks that will be a real impact to the business and technical design team.
How did you find out about your internship?
I found out about this internship through a friend who interned with them last year and highly recommended it. I myself would highly recommend it to my peers when I get back.
What is your favorite part of the job?
My favorite part of the job is being given real technical design work that would contribute to the business, working on my summer project, and learning new technology/software.
Can you describe a typical day on the job?
My days are always different from day to day and week to week. Typically, when I first get into the office, I would look at my mail and calendar, giving myself a moment to really sit down and go through the administrative tasks. Almost every day, throughout the day, I would have several meetings to go to, whether they are fittings, design, or strategy meetings with the Outdoor team, my personal meetings with other departments, or intern events like a speaker series. When I’m not in meetings, sometimes I would be handed off tech packs/styles to go through, or be working on my summer project.
What is your advice for fellow internship seekers?
Be persistent, aggressive, and really put yourself out there. Most recruiters live on LinkedIn, so that’s definitely a must. I would highly recommend going above and beyond in your personal branding, portfolio, and resume to put yourself apart from others in the application pool.
Role: Men’s knit and sweater design intern, VF Corporation Sportswear, Nautica
Major: Fashion and Textile Management with a concentration in Fashion Development and Product Management; Minor: Design Studies
Hometown: Leland, N.C.
How would you describe your role?
Assist designers with CAD and PLM sketches during the product development process, prepare and update technical packages based on design details, and attend some meetings with the team.
How did you find out about your internship?
I found out about this position through the Student Life Center.
What is your favorite part of the job?
I really enjoyed getting the hands-on experience of working for a larger fashion company, while being able to apply some of the skills from my previous classes. I also liked being able to see the different seasons and product life management stages of how products go from the design stage to market.
Can you describe a typical day on the job?
Each day in the office was different, and I also worked between two teams within the men’s design department. Some days I would update sketches to be used on presentation boards and tech packs, help create CADs for the Fall 2018 line, update tech packs with design fit comments and discrepancies, and occasionally attend meetings.
What is your advice for fellow internship seekers?
Do not be afraid to ask for help when it comes to reviewing your cover letter and resume, or while searching for an internship.
Role: eCommerce Media intern at Tommy Hilfiger
Major: Fashion and Textile Management; Minor: Business Administration
Hometown: Charlotte, N.C.
How would you describe your role?
As an intern with the eCommerce Media Department, I am responsible for assisting management in email marketing, paid search, affiliate relations and promotional planning through various tasks and competitive research. Analyze weekly top performing products and support the Site Merchandising team in creating site content.
How did you find out about your internship?
I researched positions online and applied online. I also reached out to an alumna currently working in the eCommerce department.
What is your favorite part of the job?
I love my coworkers and the camaraderie most of all. Having a supportive team makes coming into the office every day so fun. I have also really enjoyed learning new programs for data analytics which is a major interest of mine.
Can you describe a typical day on the job?
Every day is a bit different in terms of tasks. I receive a new short term project almost every day. However, I am also working on several long term projects such as competitor analysis, data analytics and promotional planning. I make sure to balance my time between short and long term projects.
What is your advice for fellow internship seekers?
Apply to as many positions as possible. You won’t always get the position or even an interview but take every opportunity that comes your way because each application and interview prepares you for the next. Also, remember to be assertive and always follow up.
Garrett Finberg ‘19
Role: Design intern at Raleigh-based Moon Interiors
Major: Fashion and Textile Design (concentration in Textile Design)
Hometown: Wilmington, N.C.
How would you describe your role?
My role comes with a wide variety of tasks that definitely branch out of what is typically expected of a design intern. While I do handle CAD layouts for the company and conduct trend research, I also have a hand in marketing, advertising, and maintaining our relationships with vendors and manufacturers. When I initially signed on for the role, I didn’t realize how wide the scope of the job was in terms of all the areas I have ended up working in. However, being exposed to so many different aspects of the industry has been really helpful and was much better for my personal growth than a position that is only design oriented.
How did you find out about your internship?
I actually stumbled across my internship while job hunting online. I had been searching for internships solely through the Wilson College of Textiles, but was having trouble finding something that seemed to be a really good fit for what I wanted to do this summer. I definitely recommend widening your internship search online if you can’t find anything that feels quite exactly like what you want on the job board.
What is your favorite part of the job?
My favorite part about the job is that I have been able to get more hands on business skills than I would have expected. My boss has also been really great about giving me a wide variety of experiences, such as going to the High Point Furniture Market, and that aspect has been exciting as well.
How would you describe a typical day on the job?
Each day tends to be pretty different depending on what needs to be done that day. Two things that I tend to do everyday are trend research and communicating with clients, both of which are things I have gotten much more adept at with this position. Some weeks I do more event based work, some weeks I am doing CAD layouts for clients. It really just varies which keeps the job feeling new.
What is your advice for fellow internship seekers?
The best advice I can give is to not get discouraged. I know from experience how frustrating it can be to not get the internship that you really want, but there’s often something better out there that is worth the wait.
Jasmine Mason ‘18
Role: Fashion Merchandising intern, Belk corporate headquarters
Major: Fashion Textile Management (concentration: Brand Management and Marketing)
Hometown: Raleigh, N.C.
How would you describe your role?
My role is to manage the product in Belk’s private brand called New Directions. We are in charge of assessing the inventory to make sure that every item of clothing is on brand. My job dealt closely with advertising as well, and I was required to help choose the outfits for the print ads being shown to consumers. As a fashion merchandiser, it is important for us to know our consumers well and buy exactly what they like. We have to take our own opinions of the clothing out of our mind, and replace it with the mindset of the consumer. This leads to the most effective outcome and a satisfied customer.
How did you find out about your internship?
I found out about the internship through the fall career fair. I interacted with the recruiter at Belk’s booth briefly. She explained the different positions that were open, and I made an effort to tell her about myself and my experiences in retail. That interaction seemed like a mini interview that set me up to get an interview two months later. It was a Skype interview that lasted for about 30 minutes. The interview felt extremely conversational and I made sure to ask relevant questions. It is extremely important to be relatable and knowledgeable of the company in order to stand out from your peers.
What is your favorite part of the job?
My favorite part about the job is meeting with the vendors to discuss the up and coming styles that the brand is looking to feature.
How would you describe a typical day on the job?
Come in and assess daily sales on SAS; go to ad meetings, style architecture meetings, etc.; pull samples off the racks to determine best/worst sellers; pull reports for best/worst selling.
What is your advice for fellow internship seekers?
Be open to opportunities that you wouldn’t normally go for. Just because an internship description isn’t specifically one that you’re interested in (for example, if you like marketing better than merchandising), still go for it in order to gain the learning experience and knowledge.
Role: Merchandising intern at Talbots Corporate
Major: Fashion and Textile Management, Brand Management and Marketing
Hometown: Morehead City, N.C.
How would you describe your role?
My main role is to support my merchandising team by running business reports on Excel, entering purchase orders into Tradestone database, doing competitive trend analysis, and managing samples.
How did you find out about your internship?
During the school year I work at a local Talbots retail store; I was always interested in a corporate internship and found the application through the company’s LinkedIn profile.
What is your favorite part of the job?
We have had several executives talk to us about their career paths and their positions. It has been encouraging to hear about their different journeys to leadership positions and understanding their job. We also had the opportunity to visit the distribution center to better understand the processes within the company. I now have a better understanding about the different sectors of the company and how they all work together to be successful.
Can you describe a typical day on the job?
In merchandising, my work days have varied. The day may consist of various cross functional meetings with planning, allocation, sourcing, or marketing to create effective buying strategies. I manage samples that are to be delivered to various departments including the store visual team and catalog team. I have also created competitive analyses and customer comment reports to better understand the business and what direction the business should take in the future. As part of the internship program, I also participate in leadership talks with various leaders in the company and have worked on a summer project that was presented to the CEO and senior leadership.
What is your advice for fellow internship seekers?
My advice would be to stay persistent in pursuing an internship and to take advantage of any connections you have made in the process (a thank you note goes a long way). I would also say to go into an internship with an open mind and ready to learn; it’s okay to explore other departments while in an internship!
Emma Wang ‘18
Role: Seamless Development Intern at SPANX
Major: Fashion and Textile Design – Fashion Design
Hometown: Macungie, Pa.
How would you describe your role?
I work with the technical design team in Seamless to make sure that garments are fitting properly.
How did you find out about your internship?
I found the job posting on the bulletin board outside the student lounge at the Wilson College of Textiles.
What is your favorite part of the job?
I enjoy working with the product and learning about the different elements that contribute to fit.
Can you describe a typical day on the job?
Most days I arrive to the office around 7 a.m. and start working on measuring samples to make sure they hit our specifications. Once I have them measured, I work in PLM to organize and update the measurements of the new samples. I also attend fittings for the same garments to see how the slight differences in flat measurement greatly affect the garment on the body.
What is your advice for fellow internship seekers?
Apply to everything you are interested in and don’t be afraid to take an internship in an area that you aren’t as comfortable in. You will learn a lot and might find a new passion that you didn’t know you had.
Matthew Coats ‘18
Role: Materials development intern, HanesBrands, Inc. corporate headquarters (Winston Salem)
Major: Textile Engineering (Product Engineering), minor in Industrial & Systems Engineering
Hometown: Charlotte, N.C.
How would you describe your role?
The Materials Development team is responsible for the qualification process of all sourced materials used globally for Hanesbrands finished goods and also identifies synergies between materials in order to leverage our fabric library across all 20+ brands. By identifying similar materials used, we can consolidate the complexity of our supply chain and may be able use a single fabric SKU for a Champion sweatshirt, Maidenform bra, and a Hanes Beefy T, for example. I spend my time on the latter “side” of the Materials team, identifying synergies between materials in key fabric measurables (machine gauge, weight, width, etc.) in order to make recommendations of fabrics which could either be removed from our global library, transferred to a different supplier, or substituted with a suitable alternative.
How did you find out about your internship?
While I had peers who had interned at HanesBrands in the past, I found out about this specific internship opportunity through Kent Hester’s career board outside of the Career Services office. It was an interview process on campus before I received the offer. I found my previous internship (discussed below) through the Career Services Office as well.
What is your favorite part of the job?
My favorite part of the job has been the project-based approach and the willingness of my coworkers to buy-in and assist in my tasks. There is obviously a learning curve when starting in any new position, however the resources at Hanesbrands has eased this transition through a mentoring program and roundtable discussions with business leaders from all areas of the company. It has provided me opportunities to develop my analytical analysis and technical textile knowledge, as well as grown my presentation skills through project updates with Hanesbrands executives. After some leaders at the company saw the value of my project and the possibility of significant cost savings, my work even ended up in a presentation by the chief supply chain & IT officer to the board of directors, just 3 weeks into the summer.
Can you describe a typical day on the job?
My day often consists of data collection and analysis, including many meetings with key planning and material experts in specific business areas of Hanesbrands (basics, activewear, intimates, etc.). I spend most of my time pulling information from queries and databases in order to present a full and complete picture of our materials in use, as well as opportunities for simplification. This has given me a great opportunity to use my Excel and JMP skills learned in the textile engineering curriculum, as well as get exposure to other database applications and uses.
What is your advice for fellow internship seekers?
My advice would be to pursue a specific part of the textile industry which you are considering pursuing as a career, however keep an open mind to where your skills can be applied. I had the opportunity to intern at American & Efird last summer, which is a global thread manufacturer, in a manufacturing process improvement role. In order to broaden my view of the industry, I pursued a very different opportunity this year, getting a glance into the management and global supply chain aspect of the industry. Both of these experiences have been invaluable, as I have learned as much about my skills and interests as I have about the day to day operations of large textile corporations. Don’t be afraid to take a chance on an interesting opportunity outside your comfort zone because you never know the skills you will develop or the opportunities it may spark.
Sam Casey ‘18
Role: Corporate Intern in the Biltmore For Your Home department
Major: Textile Engineering
Hometown: Princeton, N.C.
How would you describe your role?
I support the marketing manager for Biltmore licensed products through new category research, social media analytics, and website updates.
How did you find out about your internship?
I attended a professional development weekend at Biltmore through the Shelton Leadership Center last spring and learned about Biltmore’s corporate internship program.
What is your favorite part of the job?
Biltmore’s family-oriented company culture!
Can you describe a typical day on the job?
Each day is new and different! So far, I have worked on new category research, website updates, and analytics. It has also been fun to shadow new employee training, visit the Biltmore House for design inspirations, attend AmericasMart in Atlanta and organize a “Christmas in July” sample sale of Biltmore licensed products. There is always something exciting to do!
What is your advice for fellow internship seekers?
Look for a company with a strong culture; a positive work atmosphere is invaluable. Seek out experiences that “fit” with your major, but always be open to new opportunities!
Mollie Fisher ‘18
Role: Gildan Yarns – Intern
Major: Textile Engineering
Hometown: Holly Springs, N.C.
How would you describe your role?
I worked with the project engineer on a project about the capacity and capability of all the Gildan Yarn Manufacturing Plants. I was gathering information from the plants and using calculations to create a balance sheet with the information.
How did you find out about your internship?
I found out about the internship from Kent’s office. There was a signup sheet on the bulletin board for interviews. I also talked to Gildan at the career fair in the fall and in the spring.
What is your favorite part of the job?
I think my favorite part of the internship was visiting all the plants. We took a couple trips to different locations to gather information for my project and tour the plants. This was a really unique way to get to know the people I was working with and the company I was working for.
Can you describe a typical day on the job?
The first thing I did every day was check my email for any information I was waiting on from the plants. Most days I worked at my desk on the project, occasionally meeting up with my supervisor to address any question and check in about progress. I also went into the plants in Salisbury on a regular basis to gather information I needed.
What is your advice for fellow internship seekers?
Find a company that has people you want to be around. Internships are not always the most exciting thing in the world but being surrounded by good people makes up for it. Be ready to learn everything and anything people are willing to teach you. Everyone at Gildan was really welcoming and supportive and I was able to learn a lot from them. A lot of the people I talked to have been in the textile industry 15 to 20 years and have seen the industry change. They had a lot to say about where the industry has been and where it is going in the future. Their knowledge about how the industry runs is something that cannot be taught in a classroom.
Hayley Klumpe ‘17
Role: Product and Fragrance Development intern for Bath & Body Works (L Brands) in Manhattan
Majors: Polymer and Color Chemistry (with an ACS Certification concentration) and Fashion and Textile Management (Brand Management and Marketing concentration)
Hometown: Murfreesboro, Tenn.
How would you describe your role?
This summer, I am working more on the innovation side of Product and Fragrance Development (PFD). This involves doing work conducting trend and market research, performing category reviews, as well as analyzing the competitive landscape to identify new opportunities for the business. We also work closely with our vendors and evaluate submissions to be sure we are delivering quality product to the consumer.
How did you find out about your internship?
It’s kind of a cool story, but I found out about this internship actually while at my internship with L Brands last summer in Columbus. I was working as a lab technician intern doing testing for the Lingerie & Apparel side of the business supporting the Victoria’s Secret and PINK brands. While there, I was really interested in learning more about the Beauty & Home side and leveraged HR to make connections with people working in these areas. I somehow got myself invited to a luncheon for some of the leaders and the interns working in Beauty & Home. The vice president of PFD was there and while listening to her talk about her work, something just clicked in my brain. I was fortunate enough to be able to schedule a meeting with her before she returned to NYC, and she was able to tell me even more about what product development is like and about their summer internship opportunity.
What is your favorite part of the job?
My favorite part of the job is how most days it doesn’t feel like work and how each day can be different. It’s also really fun to be working for such an established brand and getting to see the behind the scenes of how some of my favorite products are developed and to get a sneak peek at some of the future launches. Also, the company culture at L Brands is amazing.
Can you describe a typical day on the job?
There isn’t really a typical day I would say. It’s usually a combination of things. Sometimes we have meetings with vendors or fragrance houses where they present some of their new ideas and products. Sometimes we’re evaluating vendor submissions or competitive benchmarks. That’s always really fun, getting to play with product. Sometimes we go to stores to see what’s popular, some of which we’ll buy to review and just to stay on top of what’s trending. Sometimes I’m online doing research on new products launches or trends and putting together category reviews. It just depends on what is most a priority each day.
What is your advice for fellow internship seekers?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions and to connect with people! If there is anything I feel like I learned from my experience it is that being curious is so important. I think it looks really good to a company because it shows that you are truly interested in them and the business. Also, networking and maintaining professional relationships is so vital because you never know what opportunities or connections it may lead to.
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