The Intern Diaries: A College Student Recounts Time At New York Handbag Company

DAY ONE
8:45 A.M. I wake up. Still need more sleep. I lazily make my way to the bathroom to start my morning rituals.
9:20 Showered and dressed, wearing loose, high-waisted black slacks rolled up above my ankle, a thin belt with a grey crop top and cork heeled sandals.
9:25 Run downstairs to get some coffee and a bite to eat.
9:45 Running late and need to catch the train to work. Need to start taking quicker showers. About to panic but luckily I got a ride. Phew.
10:45 Finally get to work, 15 minutes late (whoops). The receptionist “forgets” to let me in (again), so I have to stand in the lobby awkwardly for like 5 minutes. Get to the office and immediately am assigned projects.
11:00 Of course I get the most tedious jobs: I have to scan books and magazine sheets and send it to boss. I mean, it’s alright except for the fact that everyone keeps interrupting me because they need to scan something as well. There are 5 scanners in the office, leave me alone!
11:30 Moved on from scanning to filing, alphabetizing and hole punching swatches to put in massive binders.
1:00 P.M. After all the filing, organizing and alphabetizing I finally go out to lunch. Sandwich and lentil soup for me please!
2:00 Back to work, afternoon projects are more strenuous. Today I get to organize “the closet.” Throw hundred dollar bags on the ground like they’re worth two bucks.
2:15 Found samples from last season that no one wants them anymore (score!). Get excited until an editor walks up and “calls it.”
3:30 My back aches from bending down a hundred times and my feet hurt, but I’m finally done… Start organizing boss’s personal closet. She has so many cool bags that she bought from her shopping trip to London.
3:45 Thought I was done with organizing, but apparently boss is particular on which shelf a satchel goes on, so now I have to re-do everything.
4:00 Boss and the creative director decided to clean out the closet and ended up pulling everything out. There went all my hard work.
4:45 No one in the office has anything for me to do so I leave. Run across the street for some Starbucks- I am literally exhausted.
5:00 Too tired to do any kind of shopping, so just hop on the subway.

DAY TWO
8:00 A.M. I’m up, though I’d rather be asleep.
9:00 Downstairs having coffee contemplating whether my outfit for today was too simple: Zara top and pants with sandals, but I’m too lazy to think of another outfit.
10:30 At work and the receptionist “forgets” to let me in yet again. I’ve literally worked at this place for the whole summer and it keeps happening. What did I do wrong?
10:35 I’m filing yet again.
11:00 Still filing.
12:00 P.M. On one of the huge office Mac desktops printing out next season’s designs that needs to be filed.
12:15 More filing.
12:45 Boss needs me to buy feathers and beads. She said she wants to make a keychain for next season’s bags and needs inspiration. I can buy whatever I want on her credit card.
12:50 On the street with a huge folder full of magazine sheets. Everyone’s giving me that I-know-you’re-an-intern-doing-dirty-work-for-your-boss look. Great.
1:00 Friend calls saying that he’s done with class and has nothing to do. Asked him to help me shop.
1:15 Figuring out how many yards of feather trim I want. The guy that’s helping me is so nice, he gave me free samples!
1:45 Run back to the office to drop off the stuff that I bought and then tell them I’m taking lunch.
1:50 Sit down to catch up with friend. It’s nice to not run while eating.
2:15 Someone needs to do something about this receptionist- I’m locked out again. Grab a diet coke to kill time.
2:20 I see someone opening the door! Now’s my chance. RUN!
2:30 Boss gives me her “book” which basically has magazine tears, photos and scans that she uses for inspiration for the next season. I have to make 3 copies of this editorial beast.
3:00 Still copying, people keep cutting in front of me saying that they only have “one scan to make.” People, must I repeat myself, there are 4 other copiers in this office!
3:15 Finish copying and assembling the other books. Guess what my next assignment is? More scanning!
5:00 Spent the rest of the day scanning orders, the one of my boss’s colleagues told me I can go home (yes!)
5:15 Treat myself to a mocha and some macarons from a café near by. No calorie counting for me.
5:45 Sitting on the subway flipping through a magazine. Even after a whole day, I still enjoy this. Know I am in the right industry.
6:15 Get home and collapse on the sofa.
7:00 Too lazy for any kind of cooking, Chinese it is. Ordered Singapore mei fun, yummm.

DAY THREE
8:00 A.M. Ugh, it’s raining outside so I have to rethink my outfit for today.
8:30 Showered and decide to wear a dark gray pleated dress that ends 2 inches above my knee paired with a thin belt. I also am wearing an over-sized cardigan (because I get chilly easily) and black 4 inch mid calf boots.
8:45 Downstairs eating raisin bread and coffee while watching the weather forecast on the news. Wish I was wearing my wellies.
9:00 Run back to grab my umbrella and head out.
10:20 The elevator door opens up and I see the glass door to the office slowly closing. Run like a mad woman to catch it so I can bypass the rude receptionist.
10:30 Sitting in a desk (don’t have a desk of my own, typical New York city office that doesn’t seem to ever have enough space) processing more orders.
11:00 Orders.
11:30 Packing bags in the showroom.
11:45 Bags are ready to go to the department store now. Go me.
12:00 P.M. Scanning more books for boss.
12:30 Orders.
1:15 Lunch time, thank God! I needed to get out of the office. It’s sprinkling so I guess this will be quick.
1:40 Back in the office to finish processing orders.
2:00 Scanning magazines and books for interesting hardware to make a reference boards.
3:00 I am the master of cutting and gluing!
4:00 Done. I can never pick up a scissor ever again. Boss is pretty impressed with my boards. I get an A+ in Arts and Crafts 101.
4:30 Boss lets me go early. She also gave me one of her samples of a bag that I have been obsessing over. Thank you!!
4:45 Mom called and said her friends are in town and that she wants to meet up and have dinner. Called my favorite place and make a reservation.
5:30 Waiting around for my parents until a woman comes up to me and asks me for my picture. It must be my hair, I’ve been getting a lot of attention after I dyed it ombre. It’s brown on the top and gradually gets lighter where my tips are platinum blonde.
5:45 After a couple of poses, the woman tells me she’s an art major and that she lives in the area. I tell her my part time job is around the area, as well. We exchange info. New friend?
6:00 I can’t wait anymore, my feet hurt!
6:45 Seated at the restaurant drinking ice tea waiting for my dad and his friends
9:00 I am officially full and happy that tomorrow’s my day off. Even a fashion intern needs sleep sometimes.

Are you a fashion intern? Interested in contributing? Please email sarah.leon@huffingtonpost.com.