Marie Claire: Lessons Learned

We're reaching the home stretch now with two more weeks fast approaching. At this point, everyone has become really good friends and we have built up a strong support system between one another.

Reflecting on my experiences here, I have realized that the amount of hours spent on the making of one issue is tremendous, and that your heart really has to be there every step of the way. Not only are the interns running around all the time, the market editors' daily schedules are booked back-to-back with preview appointments.

My time spent working in the fashion closet has really given me the opportunity to observe how a fashion magazine is run, and it has given me perspective on how people in the closet work together and compromise on different things. I feel like I will be much better prepared as a Fashion Editor of SHEI Magazine at U of M in the fall, because I have realized the importance of paying attention to detail, communicating quickly and effectively to other people, and of true committment to your job.

In addition, one of the most important things that interning at Marie Claire has made me realize is that there are so many other opportunities in the fashion industry, and that perhaps fashion editorial is not for me. I started sketching shoes this summer, and I was able to finish a collection (shoes inspired by Marie Claire editors, of course). I've found that I am extremely interested in designing, and I am very passionate about pursuing a career in shoe design. I hope to find a design internship next summer in the city and see if the field of design fits more with what I want to do in the future. Nonetheless, I really appreciate the time I've had to intern for Marie Claire, because it has taught me very important transferable skills, and it has also given me the chance to build invaluable relationships with not only some editors, but with other interns.

Winding Down

Though my internship is not yet over my posts on this blog are, so it's time to reflect on the journey up to this point. I've got about two weeks left so I think it's a good time to look back on everything and see how it's developed.

On my first day at UBS I was nervous, shy, and not very confident in my ability to do a good job with my assigned work. I'm still not the loudest person in the office, but I grew comfortable with the people pretty quickly and have developed some solid relationships that I expect will endure much longer than the few weeks I have left of the internship. The people have all been very helpful, and if there's one thing I can takeaway from all the positive interactions I've had it is that it pays to lend a hand.

As time passed I became gradually more confident in my ability to accomplish whatever crossed my desk. An important part of success to me this summer has been acknowledging that I don't know everything and it's okay to ask questions. Though I took care not to pester anyone with my inquiries, it became very clear to me early on that I'll produce much higher quality work if I admit to myself when I'm stumped and seek help when necessary. Generally I'd prefer to figure something out on my own, but that's not always possible and I've embraced that.

My time at UBS has helped me improve as both an employee and as a person. I've developed some skills I didn't know I'd need, and improved on others already in my repertoire. I've mentioned a few times before how important the relationship is to the wealth management business and that's really my main takeaway from this summer. In any line of business it's people who make decisions, and it certainly helps to have as many in your corner as possible. Going forward I intend to take great care to take my eyes off the computer screen often enough to get to know the people around me. Luckily I did enough of that these past few months. I think it's paid off in what's been a great summer experience and lessons I'll take with me as I continue to grow into my career.

Marie Claire: The Wisdom of Editors

It's been a few weeks now since the Claire Editor-Intern luncheons began. I was lucky enough to snatch a seat around the lunch table to listen to Katie Connor (Fashion Features Editor), and Suzanne Sykes (Creative Director). Lunch with Katie was excellent - I think maybe it was because she was closer in age to us interns, but she shared with us her story of how she got to where she is now. It was easier to relate to her, given she started out as only an intern at Interview Magazine. She said that afterwards she moved around the industry a bit (however mainly focused on fashion writing) and took all of the opportunities that fell in front of her. She was very down to earth and humble, which really put me to ease when I listened to her tell us about her background.

Katie Connor, Fashion Features Editor

Just last week I went to the luncheon with the Creative Director, Suzanne Sykes. Hands down, a brilliant and intelligent woman. I found out that she actually launched Marie Claire UK, and that it was rather successful overseas. And coincidentally, she received a call from the US offices, (which, at the time, had no clue she was a big player over at the British offices) offering her a position. Suzanne's job as Creative Director includes literally looking over each and every page of the magazine (ads included!) and checking for mistakes and editing every layout. So, the color combinations and word placement on every page of Marie Claire is run through the hands of Suzanne before going into print. Suzanne also introduced us to a new segment of Marie Claire - one which is processed via Tablet. There have been several apps produced for users of the Tablet, including the entire magazine transferred electronically onto the device, as well as a beauty station where you can literally put makeup onto a virtual model. She has told us that the company is expecting to achieve a lot, little by little, in the near future with their expansion into the electronic world.

Suzanne Sykes, Creative Director

I am waiting to have lunch with Joanna Coles in a little over a week, and I am very excited to get the chance to hear about what she has to say about the magazine, general life tips, and of course, about her background!

Also, to add on to what I wrote about in my last post regarding the Marie Claire Front Row Challenge, I officially submitted my application for the contest last Thursday. Now it's up to the judges to decide... I will keep you posted!

Summer Slowdown

So I'm a bit more than halfway through my internship now and things are coming together pretty nicely. I'm comfortable with everyone in the office and I'm getting to know the other interns better, which is cool. As unlicensed wealth management interns we can't really do a lot of work that has a real impact but we help out as much as we're able to.

Things have slown down a fair amount since my last post. Between bosses being out of the office and two other guys starting on the same team as me, the work is spread pretty thin lately. My daily responsibilities haven't changed much, but my longer term projects are wrapping up so I've begun to think about the next step. Rather than just do what I'm asked for the rest of my time at UBS I've been brainstorming projects to work on that would have an impact even after I've taken my last steps out of the office at the end of the internship. When I;m able to start working on it I plan to put together a report for my FA about the local economy and outlook over the next decade or two. If I'm able to identify where the growth will be in this time frame I'll be able to recommend strategies for him to build his group's book of business and tap the market by targeting small business, the lawyers and CPAs who workwith them, and support networks. It's a longer term project but could actually be useful, as my team is constantly in acquisition mode and this would expand the landscape some.

In all, I'm a little surprised by how laid back this segment of the finance industry can be, but that's turned out to be a good thing so far. Rather than spending all my time sitting behind a computer staring at excel all day, I'm able to do things like chat at the coffee machine for a few minutes without feeling guilty or go out to lunch and strengthen some of the new connections I've made. I've found a good balance between work and socializing, and I hope I'm able to continue to approach my internship in the way I've done up to this point.

Marie Claire

I've been at Marie Claire for over five whole weeks now, and my experiences have really grown. Because I've become so much more familiar with the streets and areas in Manhattan, pick ups and drop offs are hardly strenuous (unless, of course, you are chanced with taking 5 heavy garment bags) and instead relaxing and enjoyable.

Update on luncheon with the editors. We were allowed to sign up to have lunches with certain top editors at Marie Claire, and the three that I chose were Katie Connor (Fashion Features Editor), Suzanne Sykes (Creative Director), and- of course- Joanna Coles (Editor in Chief anyone??). I am very interested in what they do at work and hearing from them personally about how they got to where they are now. Lunches with Katie and Suzanne are this upcoming week, and a lovely dine-in with Mrs. Coles will be held a couple of weeks from now. All I need to do at this point is to do some research and come up with some fun questions to ask them!

Fashion Director Nina Garcia, Editor-in-chief Joanna Coles, at Prabal Gurung Fall 2011 Mercedez-Benz Fashion Week

As I mentioned in my last post, the MC fashion interns were all asked to do a project where we make inspiration boards. By now, all of the interns have submitted lookboards, and it was brought to my attention just last week that the Senior Fashion Editor, Zanna Roberts Rassi, will be reviewing them. It's really purely for fun, so she can get a sense of our personal style and of the things that inspire us. However, you never know if an intern's inspiration board has the ability to provide ideas for an editor for a theme in an upcoming issue. My inspiration board was built upon rather limited resources that I had. With a stack of 20 or so old MC issues, I flipped through each magazine and cut out anything and everything that I liked. I initially had absolutely no idea what the theme of my board was to be. However, through several magazines-worth of snipping, my theme became rather clear. I ended up making a collage of studs, shimmer, shine, and sparkle (mostly gold tones) and fuzed those looks with blooming freesias and peonies in purples and pinks. I also added a revival theme to the collage, where I glued on a couple of photos from S/S 1990 shows in Milan and Madrid, and then juxtaposed those looks with a similiar look from a modern-day fashion spread.

Now there is one more piece of news that is worth writing about. MC partnered up with LOFT is hosting the Front Row Challenge, a competition to find a stylish college student, whom when picked will get the so-often-dreamed-of opportunity to fully style and host a fashion show at his or her own campus (with courtesy of apparel from LOFT). Here is a video promotion for the Front Row Challenge:



This is a very fun yet challenging project that I am currently working on, and I will keep you posted in the following weeks regarding my application for the contest!

Until next time...

The Week of the Breakfast Meetings

Hi all,

I've been with UBS for 6 weeks now and so far so good. For a while it felt as though I'd fallen into a routine, with most days being pretty similar and myself never really getting out of the office during the day. These last two weeks have brought some welcome change though - breakfast meetings and new interns top the list.

A handful of other guys have finally begun their internships at UBS (seems like I got to it pretty soon after school let out). It's refreshing to finally see some other young faces around the office, and I'm looking forward to getting to know them better.

This last week I was able to go to two breakfasts before the day started.

On Monday my boss found me before I even made it to my desk and asked me to come along with him to a breakfast meeting with a prospective client. It doesn't seem like much, but I really enjoy opportunities like these because it's a chance for me to 1) see how they bring in business and 2) get a chance to interact with some new people in a different setting. It's a nice change of pace from the regular 8 hours at my desk. As I've mentioned before, meetings like this help to underscore the importance of the relationship in the wealth management business. It's important to like/trust the person you hand the bulk of your wealth to, and I've found it pretty interesting how the approach is tweaked a bit with each person to customize it to their personality.

Wednesday was really cool. UBS' chief equity strategist was in town, so they organized a small breakfast and invited a few clients to join for a talk and some food. He gave a pretty broad presentation about the lay of the land and where the money's flowing these days. Most of what he said was stuff I'd heard or read already, but it was definitely still interesting to hear it delivered in the flesh, and some good questions from the audience helped round out the talk.

In all, my experience with UBS has been great so far and it seems like the next few weeks still have quite a bit in store for me.

I can say so far that Marie Claire has been a blast. The fashion assistant mistakenly over-hired interns and we are now up to 36 fashion interns. So, it's always incredibly crowded in the closet, but I have to say that I have a lot of fun working with everyone. I've made some incredible friends from all over the states - even a Swiss!
Anyway, with work, I've gotten used to the routine of returns, check-ins, and runs. I've realized that I really enjoy going on runs to do pick ups and drop offs, only minus the days of hot hot weather.
We just recently finished shooting our October cover, and this was an unbelievably big photoshoot. Names related to the shoot are strictly confidential, but I can say that I, as an intern, had to pack and unpack a total of 16 trunks, stuffed full of couture dresses and Sergio Rossis. This was the biggest shoot that I will have experienced packing for at my time here this summer.
Another really neat thing that he fashion department has been working on is setting up "luncheons" with the top editors. That will be happening in the following weeks, and I've already made my request for JoAnna Coles (the editor in chief). This is something I'm really looking forward to. I'll be preping some questions to ask Ms. Coles this week! Will update everyone on my endeavors at Marie Claire in a couple of weeks! Until then...

My First Entry

I am a MBA student from University of Michigan. Starting on June 6th, I will have my summer intern at Cummins, headquartered in Columbus, Indiana. I am part of hte corporate strategy team and I will play as a project leader on my individual project and as a team member on a group project. My individual projet is about the parts business of Cummins and I will drive the process to find hte potential business growth opportunity. For my group project, I am with the other 2 team members to find solid profit potential in South Amercia. I am expecting a lot of challenge from such an experience this summer. Because this is the first time for me to work in US and also this is the first time for me to drive a large strategic challenge myslef alone. I also believe that my work will bring real impact to a fortune 500 company. I am nervous about this challenge and also excited about it. I hope things will work in the coming weeks.

Four Weeks In

In the two weeks that have passed since my last post I've grown more comfortable in the office and been able to do some interesting stuff. I've also begun to drink more coffee. I began the internship doing some fairly un-engaging things - cleaning up client lists, keeping track of wholesalers, scheduling, etc. Since then I've seen a shift toward things that actually interest me. There's still a fair amount of the type of thing that I just mentioned. That comes with the territory, but it all has to get done if things are going to continue to function properly.

My main accomplishments thus far are cleaning up/centralizing the system they use to track clients or prospects, and putting together a detailed investment matrix with information on any of the money managers, mutual funds, bond funds, annuities, or other investment vehicles that UBS deals with. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the relationship is a key element of the Wealth Management business - both to bringing in new clients and keeping existing ones satisfied. Since everything really revolves around the interface between the client and the advisor, it's important that all members of the team are able to track each other's progress to both stay up to date or to pick up where the other left off. I developed a form that allows for easier tracking of interactions with clients and prospects, put it in a place where everyone can access it, and have helped to make sure everything is up to date. I've seen everyone on the team using it, so hopefully that means it's helped to improve the process a bit.

Next one is the investment matrix. This is still a work in progress since there is a LOT of information to consolidate. But it looks to be shaping up nicely. It's going to be used to narrow down options and identify preferred investment vehicles, so it's important that there be a lot of detail in the final product. It's been a good exercise to get me better acquainted with their business and the types of places they feel comfortable allocating clients' capital. Once I'm done with that I have a few more similar projects lined up, so I'm looking forward to what's to come.

Though I've grown a lot more comfortable in the office than I was in my first week or two, I'm only a month in so I'm definitely still getting acquainted with the business. Overall, it's a good place to be and I'll continue to do what I can to make the most of the opportunity

Marie Claire: Week One

Last Monday at 8:45 AM, I hurry down 57th street and right as I hit 8th Ave, I look up and see the most unique building right on the corner. And it's my office building, Hearst Tower. Work begins....Now!

Where do I even start? Well, the first thing that comes to mind about my internship at Marie Claire is that I dont think I've ever done this much walking in a day. I walk into the fashion closet at 9 AM, and I get out at 9 PM. And anytime between then, there's a good chance I'm running around the streets of Manhattan, picking up couture dresses from PR Consulting or dropping off Manolo Blahniks back to the Manolo Blahnik in-house corporate offices. The first week has been ridiculously overwhelming. I can and will say that the fashion industry is definitely nowhere close to easy and glamorous for a starting intern.

However, one thing for sure is that I am learning. A lot. So far, there has not yet been a day where I haven't learned something new. One of the main things I've learned is that everything in the closet has a picture filed in inventory. And anything that leaves the closet must be documented. A daily task that I am responsible for is to check in packages that come in by request from our editors, and for returns that are made back to the in-houses and fashion PR firms.

Within only a week, I have realized just how crucial it is to pay attention to detail. Little details make a huge difference, and it really can't be emphasized enough to be organized and detailed at everything you do. My first week was quite an experience (I cried after my second day), and it has undoubtedly gotten better each and every day. My internship is definitely an adjustment to my otherwise regular (and quite boring) lifestyle, but it's a positive one because it is incredibly eye-opening.

Marie Claire is expecting a total of 36 fashion interns throughout the summer, and already, old interns have left last Friday and a rush of new interns are expected tomorrow morning. I look forward to meeting all of the new interns and to learning things that have yet to be taught.

Until next time!

Lisa

Frist Two Weeks

Hi All,

My first day in the office was May 9th, which will be two weeks ago tomorrow. I spent a lot of time trying to mentally prepare, and day one actually went a lot more smoothly than I expected. Things got off to a bit of a slow start, with the majority of the morning spent making introductions, setting me up with an email/phone/desk, and getting to know the ins and outs of the office. I had expected to still be a little nervous but I got accustomed to my surroundings pretty quickly and was ready to get to work on my first project that afternoon.

Wealth Management is a business where the relationship is key, so it's important to have up to date information on all clients and prospects. My first task was to go through the prospects in Outlook and verify that we have their correct contact information on file. It took a few phone calls but I was able to track down just about everyone whose information was incomplete and make sure we are up to date. A few days later I was given a similar task (in that it required a few hundred phone calls) to get in touch with wholesalers (of mutual funds, annuities, fixed income funds, etc) to request that they send over some "golf swag" for a charity outing my boss is helping to organize.

As I expected, there's going to be a good amount of grunt work required of me throughout this internship, but I'm happy to do that because I'll also have the opportunity to take on some more interesting projects and get some perspective on the industry. For instance, I was given one task to research another financial advisor in the area to come up with a client list and estimate his assets under management. In addition to that I've been trusted to assist one of the investment strategy associates with some portfolio analysis that will (hopefully) help persuade some clients to trust more of their assets to UBS. I haven't gotten started on that, but I'm looking forward to it when I get around to it. On top of that, I'm sitting in on a lot of the internal meetings as well as meetings between FAs and wholesalers or representatives who come in from hedge funds, essentially offering the same service. These meetings have really been a highlight of the experience so far. I'm still new to the game so some of it goes over my head, but it's exciting for me to be in a place where everyone shares the same passion for this stuff as I do.

In all, I'd say these first two weeks have been sort of like an orientation for me. I haven't had a chance to work on anything major just yet, but I've been able to deepen my understanding of their business and the economy/markets it relies on. As this isn't a formal or structured internship, they didn't have too much for me to do when I stepped in the door on day one. But the team sat down toward the end of last week (while I was out) to brainstorm ideas and come up with projects for me to work on. So we'll see what tomorrow has in store for me.

First Post

Hi all, my name is Michael and I just finished my sophomore year as a BBA at Ross. I'll be interning at UBS Peninsula Wealth Management Group in Birmingham, Michigan. It's a short 5 minute drive from my home in nearby Beverly Hills, so not a bad commute at all.

As an intern I'll have a fair amount of responsibility from grunt work (to be expected) to client specific projects, marketing work, and anything in between. It's not a formally structured program so I can't say with certainty what I'll be doing all summer, but I think the flexibility of having no "real" structure may end up being a good thing. I expect the internship to be demanding in terms of the quality of work expected from me, and that's something that will help motivate me to do a good job no matter how large or small the task.

I'm a little nervous about making a good first impression, but I'm hoping to start off strong. I've spoken with my boss a few times over the course of the semester and he seems to be genuinely interested in intern development, so I look forward to working for him. Additionally, I've reached out to past interns to get a sense of how to best prepare and they've had great things to say about the experience.

Marie Claire Fashion Internship Summer 2011

Hello everyone! My name is Lisa Wang, and I just finished up my sophomore year as a BBA student. I'm moving exactly one week from now to New York City. This summer, I will be interning at Marie Claire Magazine. I'm a general closet intern in the fashion department, and I'll be working very closely with the Fashion Assistant and with several other fashion interns.

July 2008 Issue

Fashion interns are based in the fashion closet, working primarily with high-end designer samples. I will be responsible for sample trafficking, checking in and returning samples from PR firms and fashion houses, organizing the closet, and creating story boards, setting up for run-throughs, and packing/unpacking for photo shoots.

I chose to intern for Marie Claire Magazine because I am interested in learning more about the editorial side of fashion. I'm very passionate about the fashion industry, and I have already had two years of experience with SHEI Magazine, a fully student-run fashion magazine here at the U of M campus. I want to further my experiences and gain exposure into the fashion industry this summer, and what's better than to start with Marie Claire? Plus, who wouldn't love to wake up to an entire wall of Louboutins and Pierre Hardys??

Shoes Shoes Shoes!! - Marie Claire Fashion Closet

I'm very excited to begin my experiences with the Marie Claire fashion closet in couple of weeks. I'll be back in a few weeks to update you on my adventures in the fashion closet. Until next time...

Thomson Reuters Phase 2

In my 2nd two-week stint as a Strategy intern at Thomson Reuters, I continued to work on competitive intelligence, evaluate growth areas, and explore big picture opportunities for the company. I’ve learned more in the past two weeks about financial services, software, data management, and information systems than I ever wanted to or thought I would learn. But in our weekly intern lecture series, where every Friday an intern presents on a topic of their choice (relevant to Thomson Reuters strategy of course) I decided to follow my interest and talk about media strategy. I’ll be presenting on the topic tomorrow morning, but some of my focal points will be:

- Decline of traditional media and what it means for Thomson Reuters
- Monetization of digital content
- New media devices such as Smartphones and iPads
- New user friendly experience that’s interactive, transparent, customizable
- Thomson Reuters new media initiatives and growth opportunities

This will be my first presentation of the internship, so it will be a golden opportunity to show off those Ross-groomed presenting skills, share my research findings, and make a solid impression on the rest of the strategy team. Like any summer internship, this is a 10-week job interview so it will be important to go above and beyond to showcase my skills.

I’m also continuing my networking by making appointments to meat with executives every week. Not surprisingly, it’s more difficult than it seems. Everyone who I’ve tried to meet with has been booked solid for the last two weeks, but promised to set aside some time next week to meet for a half hour. Knowing how difficult it is to get a hold of these people makes it all the more important that I make the most of my time with them, learn and listen as much as possible while still making an impression. I’ll be meeting with both the Chief Marketing Officer and President of Reuters Media next week, so I’ll be sure to prepare some good questions. I always believe that you never know what connection will help you when you need it most, so I strongly value these meetings as a networking tool and sort of “audition”.

Go USA!

Alex Weiss

Thomson Reuters Prologue

I am a BBA rising senior and will be working with the strategy group at Thomson Reuters in New York this summer. I have interned with the PGA Tour and Six Flags Inc. in the last two summers and am looking for a more strategic, well-rounded, and career building experience in my last summer before entering the workforce permenently. Having been in sports and entertainment thus far, Thomson Reuters seems like the perfect opportunity to round out my resume with a global media company with unlimited talent and resources at my disposal.

While I know that I will be working in strategy on the financial side of the company, I am not exactly certain of what the job entails. I am under the impression that I will do a lot of industry analyses, evaluate growth opportunities or areas for improvement, and work on a project of my own interests. There are supposed to be about 10 interns in the division, so I look forward to working with other college students on some of these assignments. I've also done a bit of investigating and notices that the majority of my superiors are ivy league alumni, which should be an interesting dynamic and excellent learning experience, as I find that I (like many others) strive when surrounded by smart people.

Overall I am expecting an exciting corporate environment, a unique learning experience, and an unbelievable networking opportunity that will help me wherever I choose to work in the future. It is too early to tell whether I have a future with Thomson Reuters after this summer, but I will certainly be working as hard as possible to land a full time offer out of the internship. I'm pretty excited to meet so many new and intelligent people, work on exciting new initiatives at such a globally relevant company, and for the second summer in a row, work in the heart of New York City's Times Square.