Day in the Life of TJX Intern Paul Goulet ’17 (Part 2)

Continued from Day in the Life of TJX Intern Paul Goulet ’17 (Part 2). Note that TJX is currently hiring for interns and class of 2017 full-time hires in their merchandising program and financial analyst roles.

THE PROCESS

How did you find out about this internship opportunity?

I saw it on BentleyLink and recognized that I had a couple of family members who worked there.

Why were you interested in working at TJX?

My brother works there and told me how great the corporate culture is and how long people usually stay with the company. Those were two things I really cared about.

What was the application process like?

A video interview followed by an on-campus group interview and finally an individual interview at TJX in Framingham. I was able to hear back a little over a week after the final interview.

How did you prepare for the interview?

I applied to quite a few other companies and had a couple other interviews beforehand which were good practice.

 

THE EXPERIENCE

What was your most memorable experience at TJX?

Going into New York City with the buyers for a day. I was able to see negotiations first hand with some great vendors such as Nautica.

What was the most challenging aspect of your internship?

Working in the grey. I am normally very comfortable being told exactly what to do, but at this company I needed to be creative more often than not.

Did you have a mentor at the company?

I had a couple. I had check ins with my manager and assistant manager (referred to as Planning Manager and Associate Planner), while also having a primary point person who taught me how to do most of my day to day work. My manager probably resembled a mentor the most as we had very open discussion about my career aspirations and where I would like to see myself whether it be within TJX or not.

How did this internship influence your plans for future internships or careers?

It was outside of the career path I had planned on (finance), but I was able to see how my education in Finance and Economics at Bentley could apply to a broad range of careers.

What advice would you give to someone looking for an internship in this industry?

Show that you are interested in the product. If you are like me and do not know very much about off-price or retail initially, show how much you are willing to learn. I think something they really liked about me was how excited I was to master something new and outside of my comfort zone. Lastly, whether you are an expert or a beginner in this industry work harder than everyone else and you will be successful. In my team alone we had someone from public accounting, someone with a law degree and a couple of supply chain majors. You can do well no matter what your background is as long as you put in the work and outwardly show that you care.

tjx-interns

By Amanda Helfand
Amanda Helfand Senior Assistant Director, Undergraduate Career Services