August 12th, 2018

Rachel Lynne
Sep 7, 2018 · 3 min read
Some of the incredible friends I made this summer (but not all of them)!

Ten weeks ago, I never would’ve thought I could read charts of data. I was honestly terrified of that. I didn’t think I could craft ideas and present in front of management. I couldn’t picture myself as a young professional in a corporate office.

I came to Milwaukee as an inexperienced college student. With only one internship and no retail knowledge under my belt, I thought I was setting myself up for failure. But as I learned later on, sometimes failure is when you learn the most.

The moment I walked in the door on June 4th, I felt at home. Every intern and employee was so friendly and excited for the upcoming summer, and I felt like I fit right in with the people, culture and industry. As I formed new friendships and heard from so many other associates, I realized that I have so much more in common with my superiors, fellow interns, and even executives.

Those bonds grew stronger with interns as we explored a new city together. And eating lunch with my team every day only makes me miss them more now that I’m gone. I loved walking through a building of over 5,000 people and knowing so many friendly faces.

I also learned more than I ever thought possible. I’ll admit, I underestimated this role. I thought the job required mostly fashion knowledge, however, I quickly learned that data analysis and business acumen accounted for most of the tasks. I walked through the door each day (wearing a totally cute outfit) and was so excited to learn something new. To meet someone new. To receive guidance and support from every single person around me. It was a fun, collaborative environment to be a part of, and again, I find myself already missing it.

Although this was the best summer I’ve ever had, it also ended with the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make: will I accept an offer?

The answer is no.

Well, kind of.

I thought long and hard about the experiences that shaped me into a much more professional and confident woman. And while I am still so grateful for it all, deep down I know that I want to explore options in the marketing field. The most difficult part was telling my team this very sad news, but luckily, they were extremely supportive. I hope there’s a marketing position open for me in a few months, but for now, I’m not going to think about the future. I am still SO happy, and I won’t spoil it with worry.

For those of you that want to take a risk but don’t know how, I want you to know that you should just go for it. I wasn’t sure about Kohl’s before I came to Milwaukee, but I wouldn’t trade the past 10 weeks for the world. I took a risk when I didn’t have a good gut feeling about the role, and I took another risk when I turned down an absolutely incredible offer.

And for those of you that want to work in retail, merchandising, or work for Kohl’s, then I DEFINITELY say go for it!

Now, I’m not going to cry after I post this last article, but I will definitely have a piece of my heart missing. I left it in Milwaukee, and one day I’ll be back to get it.

I ❤ my team (Jenny not pictured)!!!

INTERNal Jounral

An intern's professional journal that highlights her lessons learned in Corporate America

Rachel Lynne

Written by

INTERNal Jounral

An intern's professional journal that highlights her lessons learned in Corporate America

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