Harrods Internships for St Benedict's Students

Published on isbi School News dated Wednesday 2nd of November 2011

During the summer, Sixth Form students from St Benedict's School, Ealing, completed an internship at Harrods. They had the opportunity to fulfil a number of roles in Marketing, Public Relations and Buying, and the experiences they gained were truly extraordinary. This dream opportunity was only made possible by a generous offer from Mrs Marigay McKee, a Director on the Harrods board, and by the hard work of Miss Rachel Plant, Business Studies and Economics teacher, who organised everything at the school end. Before half-term the students showcased their experiences and shared their ideas with an audience of parents, school staff and members of the Harrods team.

George de Cintra worked in Menswear and explained how the team at Harrods track what customers buy. He underlined a need for passion in whatever job you do, something that was very apparent among the staff at Harrods. Tess Fawcett worked in the Concessions department. She highlighted the importance of high standards, attention to detail and professionalism.

Oliwia Henshaw drew on her experience in the Lingerie and Swimwear department. She enjoyed calculating 'sell throughs', regular floor walks and meeting with vendors. She found that charm goes a long way but is no substitute for hard work. Kisanet Yohannes was involved in a project on Comparative Shop looking at rival stores. Patience and team work were the qualities that stood out for her.

Daniel Rodgers looked at Harrods as a brand and was fortunate enough to work on a rebranding of the Harrods own label. He learned that 'a successful brand is one that knows and caters for its audience.'

At the end, Marigay McKee stressed that the students were very much involved in 'real-life' work and that their experiences were not just good for them, but also good for Harrods. The students impressed the Harrods board so much, that Mrs McKee has offered the internships to the St Benedict's Sixth Form on a yearly basis, forming a partnership with the School.