Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Intern Stories
I want to hear your stories of being a intern! Please reply to this blog to share them.
Welcome To Fashionista Intern
Welcome!
I am a fashion design student and welcome to my blog. This blog will cover A LOT OF TOPICS. It will talk about fashion, I will be showing you how to dress, but most of it will be a rant piece.
It will be about interns. I have done many internships- from big design companies to smaller ones.But I will talk about my experiences with the fashion industry.
All and all the experience for me have been mixed. You are told by designers and their companies, that this it is a learning experience. Although that is true, most of the time it is companies taking free labor. Recently Dynamite Inc, a fashion apparel company is now paying their interns. Although small designers really appreciate their interns. I had one experience I was appreciated with a small designer for my time. I can say, many companies still do not pay their interns. We do back breaking labor, hardly given a lunch break and we are expected to work through lunch.
You may see me as spoiled brat and I should feel happy and thankful I got this opertunity. However,my sister who is a runner for a post does the same activities as me. The only difference is that she gets paid for her work and I don't. Recently Eric Glatt was a intern- for Fox Searchlight Entertainment sued the company that hired him for Black Swan. He did as much work as someone working for the company. According to Buisness Insider, it was ruled that interns should be compensated for their work.Internship should be according to Business Insider, 'similar in training given in a vocational school or academic instution; that the employer should derive no immediate advantages from the intern's activities; and a intern should not displace regular paid worker.
I have interned almost for 2 years. I can say, interns are taken advantage of. I can tell you a number of stories.
1)Was this celebrity line which is done by a famous singer.
a)I was hired to be a intern/no pay. The first activity was organizing fabrics. I had to put all the fabrics in a box and organize them.
b) Next came hanging samples and I had to place everything on a hanger.
c) I then I had to something, I never learned: change a fabric tint with photoshop. I was just expected to know it.
d) The following day was printing all these sheets of technical files. Tech files- usually tell you how the garments are meant to be sewn. I was fired because it was my first day and printed the wrong file. This was a stupid reason to let someone go.
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2) I worked for a Local Designer
a) No Pay again. Expected to work 9-5 and no breaks.
b) Had to move boxes for a new location. I admit everyone had to do that - in the team.From the two design staff to marketer.
c) I never used some of the machines and was expected to know how to use the machines after a short time.The girl teaching me - did not like how slow I was. It was harder because French is my second language and I am auditory dyslexic and it was harder for me to learn.
d) We were expected to help sew the collection.
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3) Another Smaller Local Designer
a) I did like her, and she was nice. Although the work was easy, it was my job to set up social media and again a lot of work. She was nice and honestly my best experience.
b) She did feed me and that was great. I find at least I was allowed to have my meals compensated for.It was hard leaving because I did like her. I wanted to help her, but when you are a student trying to pay for yourself it is harder to leave.
c) It was again 9-5 but at least I was fed.
It is harder when it is smaller local designers- because many do appreciate you. They have a hard enough time supporting themselves with their lines but they do what they can for you. I did like my last internship because the designer did appreciate me.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recently I am looking for internships that are paid. But it is harder to find them and many still support the idea it is a learning experience AND therefore you should not be paid.
I am a fashion design student and welcome to my blog. This blog will cover A LOT OF TOPICS. It will talk about fashion, I will be showing you how to dress, but most of it will be a rant piece.
It will be about interns. I have done many internships- from big design companies to smaller ones.But I will talk about my experiences with the fashion industry.
All and all the experience for me have been mixed. You are told by designers and their companies, that this it is a learning experience. Although that is true, most of the time it is companies taking free labor. Recently Dynamite Inc, a fashion apparel company is now paying their interns. Although small designers really appreciate their interns. I had one experience I was appreciated with a small designer for my time. I can say, many companies still do not pay their interns. We do back breaking labor, hardly given a lunch break and we are expected to work through lunch.
You may see me as spoiled brat and I should feel happy and thankful I got this opertunity. However,my sister who is a runner for a post does the same activities as me. The only difference is that she gets paid for her work and I don't. Recently Eric Glatt was a intern- for Fox Searchlight Entertainment sued the company that hired him for Black Swan. He did as much work as someone working for the company. According to Buisness Insider, it was ruled that interns should be compensated for their work.Internship should be according to Business Insider, 'similar in training given in a vocational school or academic instution; that the employer should derive no immediate advantages from the intern's activities; and a intern should not displace regular paid worker.
I have interned almost for 2 years. I can say, interns are taken advantage of. I can tell you a number of stories.
1)Was this celebrity line which is done by a famous singer.
a)I was hired to be a intern/no pay. The first activity was organizing fabrics. I had to put all the fabrics in a box and organize them.
b) Next came hanging samples and I had to place everything on a hanger.
c) I then I had to something, I never learned: change a fabric tint with photoshop. I was just expected to know it.
d) The following day was printing all these sheets of technical files. Tech files- usually tell you how the garments are meant to be sewn. I was fired because it was my first day and printed the wrong file. This was a stupid reason to let someone go.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2) I worked for a Local Designer
a) No Pay again. Expected to work 9-5 and no breaks.
b) Had to move boxes for a new location. I admit everyone had to do that - in the team.From the two design staff to marketer.
c) I never used some of the machines and was expected to know how to use the machines after a short time.The girl teaching me - did not like how slow I was. It was harder because French is my second language and I am auditory dyslexic and it was harder for me to learn.
d) We were expected to help sew the collection.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3) Another Smaller Local Designer
a) I did like her, and she was nice. Although the work was easy, it was my job to set up social media and again a lot of work. She was nice and honestly my best experience.
b) She did feed me and that was great. I find at least I was allowed to have my meals compensated for.It was hard leaving because I did like her. I wanted to help her, but when you are a student trying to pay for yourself it is harder to leave.
c) It was again 9-5 but at least I was fed.
It is harder when it is smaller local designers- because many do appreciate you. They have a hard enough time supporting themselves with their lines but they do what they can for you. I did like my last internship because the designer did appreciate me.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recently I am looking for internships that are paid. But it is harder to find them and many still support the idea it is a learning experience AND therefore you should not be paid.
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