I have been in London for a couple of weeks now and am finally getting into a nice routine! I commute in person to my internship twice a week. I like being apart of the hustle and bustle of the morning tube and bus rides when everyone else is going to work, it makes me feel like a real Londoner. My internship is at a company called Pepa London and it is a children’s luxury fashion brand. So far, I have loved working there. I want to work in the fashion or retail industry later in life, so this internship will set me up for my future goals. The internship focus is in product management, which means that I help handle all aspects of the clothes themselves. All the way from developing the product to getting it into the store and on the online store. The skill of collaboration and being able to work with others is definitely needed in this role. The different teams within the business work together to maintain a brand image, making sure all the products are delivered on time, processes run smoothly, and customers are happy. It has been really interesting seeing everyone in the company execute these things. Another skill that I am currently getting the hang of is learning about all the products that Pepa London sells and knowing them off the top of my head. Another skill that is not only important in work but also life in general is organization. If you are not organized, then you might lose track of all the products that you are overseeing and that could cause a backup in either production, what ends up in the store, and what marketing messages are being sent out about each product.
The office that I work at is very open and everyone is able to talk to each other and collaborate. My supervisor and the employees of Pepa London are very kind to me and I am not afraid to ask questions when they arise. I do think that the British work culture is not as fast paced as the US. I also think that the English have a better work-life balance than Americans do. I think work-life balance is a very important thing that I am still trying to get better at.
I am soon going to be finishing my third week of my internship and have been loving the tasks that I have been getting so far. I am excited for what is to come and to continue on with my life here in London.
Down below are pictures of me in Stonehenge and Bath!
