IU students intern with Stella McCartney

The main purpose of the internship experience, according to the views of many, is to learn and work in a position relating to the career the intern desires. Though this might be true to some extent, some internship opportunities serve to help students realize they might not be interested in pursuing the designated career. \nAshley Sadler, a junior majoring in accounting, and Tiffany Kraft, a junior majoring in finance, are two IU students currently interning in London. They work for Stella McCartney, a London-based fashion designer and daughter of Paul McCartney. While the girls are gaining valuable knowledge in their field of study, they are also realizing what types of professions they want to pursue.\nThe women obtained the internship through the Committee on Institutional Cooperation London internship program through the Kelly School of Business. Susan A. Carty, Assistant Director of Overseas Study, said requirements for enrollment in the program include IU student status, making academic progress, completion of or enrollment in at least four college semesters and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. \nStudents must complete an Internship Field Request form including information about their objectives, qualifications, experience, anticipations and career plans, in addition to a resume and letters of reference. Based on this information, the staff in London arranges an internship placement that is a good match for both the student and the internship host. \n"Once students have arrived in London, they meet with a prospective internship host for an interview. After the interview, should either one (student or host) feel that the match is not right, a second interview with an alternative placement is arranged," Carty said. "Selection is based on maturity, seriousness of purpose and appropriateness of match between program and applicant."\nWhen Kraft and Sadler heard Stella McCartney opened internship positions, the women jumped at the opportunity. They work in different departments where they fulfill the specific duties to their aspiring careers.\n"I'm a finance major, but I was also interested in marketing," Sadler said. "I work for the marketing director of Stella McCartney and do a lot of public relations stuff."\nSadler is working in the public relations side of the company where she sets up events and is becoming accustomed to the marketing side of business while gaining the experience of living in another country. Sadler is in charge of planning a party at Stone with Vogue magazine. Her tasks include things like coordinating the RSVP lists and arranging catering for events. \nSadler's other major duty is competitive analysis. She travels to stores like Gucci at Bond Street and takes notes on new styles in certain areas of apparel. Sadler said she enjoys working in a multi-cultural place where she realizes people are more accepting of different nationalities and speak more languages as well.\nKraft works in the accounting department of Stella McCartney working with bills and invoices. Her boss and the CFO of the company assigns her tasks such as the daily recording of sales from the three Stella McCartney stores and ensuring they match the records at Gucci, since Stella McCartney is in a partnership with the Gucci Group. Kraft also finds invoices and makes sure her bosses pay their bills.\n"It's really cool because I get to see exactly what they spend money on," Kraft said. "I sometimes find like 500 pound limo invoices for Stella to get to Kate Moss' party and just cool stuff like that."\nKraft's biggest challenge is learning different accounting practices in London. She has to incorporate what she already knows to become accustomed to a new method. \n"It's much more difficult when you're dealing with an international company that must deal with converting currencies. Since the dollar is so weak right now, Stella isn't doing as good as she could be because her stuff is all made in Europe so costs are incurred in Euros," Kraft said.\nFashion is an international industry, requiring more than the glamorous aspects that are usually associated with it. Working in fashion has alluring perks such as frequent high profile parties with celebrity contacts, but, as Sadler and Kraft are learning, there's an entire world that lies behind the scenes.\nKraft said she realizes her background in accounting will be valuable in the fashion industry. She wants to move to a major city like Chicago or London, depending on where she can get a job.\n"From this experience, I learned that I love working in the fashion industry," Kraft said. "It's really exciting stuff to be able to sit there all day and listen to people talking about who is wearing what to wear the Golden Globes."\nKraft said her only doubt about landing a career in the fashion industry is it seems like in order to achieve success one must know more than one language and she is not bi-lingual.\nSadler said she doesn't have any plans for a fashion-related future. She enjoys finance and plans to pursue a career that has nothing to do with fashion.\n"I realized that I'm lacking the creative aspect of marketing," Sadler said. "I still loved getting to work in an international corporation overseas."\n-- Contact staff writer Mallory Zalkin at mzalkin@indiana.edu.