Twenty-three companies and over 280 students connected in a dynamic
and exciting networking event in the Trabant Student Center on Wednesday,
October 24. The event was sponsored by
Career Services Center and the
Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies; it included a wide array of apparel
industry executives and companies.
To kick off the event, an hour-long panel discussion attracted
a standing-room-only crowd eager to learn more about the apparel industry and
specifically how to better prepare for internships, interviews and job
hunting. The panel consisted of Jennifer
Device, Senior Manager of Merchandising Training & Talent Development for
the Qurate Retail Group; Rick Horwitch, Vice President of Global Retail Lead Supply
Chain Strategy at Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services; Katie Kim, Uniqlo Recruiting
Manager and Senior Trainer for the UMC Program and Internship Program; and
Courtney Smoyer, Associate Merchandiser for Rompers, Jumpsuits, Sets,
Children’s, “Seasonless Chase and Fast Fashion” with Lilly Pulitzer. The moderator for the event was current
University of Delaware Graduate Student, Adjunct Instructor and Entrepreneur, Cha
Cha Hudson. Led by Cha Cha, panelists
discussed their career paths, best practices in preparing for interviews, most
common mistakes made by applicants and other relevant topics. In addition, students had time to ask
questions of the panelists before the event concluded.
The networking event that followed was a unique opportunity
for companies within the industry to engage in one-on-one conversations with
the student participants. Companies who
attended were as follows: Athleta,
Amazon, Burlington, Ross Stores, Nordstrom, Kohl’s, UnderArmour, Eddie Bauer,
Lilly Pulitzer, Haddad Brands, Solomon Page, Castlewood Apparel, Nike, Loft,
Ann Taylor, Victoria’s Secret (Corporate), Uniqlo, South Moon Under, QVC, The
Children’s Place, URBN and Trendalytics.
The energy and positivity in the room was obvious and everyone agreed
that it was a win-win experience!
Article by Brenda Shaffer, Professor in the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies
