Hometown: Houston, Texas
Degree Program: Fashion Marketing, MPS
After earning a bachelor鈥檚 degree from LIM, Kailie quickly enrolled in the College鈥檚 online master鈥檚 degree program in Fashion Marketing, a decision that has helped her excel in her role as an Assistant Buyer at Macy's.
What was your experience as an undergrad like?
I was fortunate to experience LIM鈥檚 campus and go to college in New York City, a very different experience than a majority of my friends and coworkers. This college shaped me into the career woman I am today. One of my favorite things about LIM was its internship requirements, which helped me choose what part of fashion I wanted to go into.
Why did you decide to enroll in one of LIM鈥檚 master鈥檚 degree programs?
I knew I wanted to go back to LIM for my master鈥檚 in order to not only advance my education, but to see what else this college has to offer. I chose LIM again because of the professors and mentors I had. As an undergrad, I made a lot of professional connections with and through my professors and always felt they looked out for me.
What do you do in your position at Macy鈥檚? Is your master鈥檚 program helping you develop in this role?
I鈥檓 an Assistant Buyer, in the men鈥檚 active department. I started my career at Macy鈥檚 two years ago as a merchandise assistant and worked my way up, with the goal to become a department buyer.
As a buyer you do way more than just buy clothes. I鈥檓 collaborating with marketing to set promotional strategies. I鈥檓 managing the overall operational and administrative responsibilities of the business (price changes, order entry, ad sign-off, etc.). I create content for our products, like names and descriptions, and do SEO. LIM allowed me to advance quickly at Macy鈥檚 by teaching me about these fundamentals of buying as an undergrad.
What is being in an online program like?
My online experience has been very easy and organized. Since I work full-time鈥攕ometimes 10+ hours a day鈥攎y favorite thing about the online program is being able to log on anytime, do my work, and take my time. I have access to my professors and classmates through our discussion boards.
What advice would you give to someone considering applying to an online master鈥檚 program at LIM?
I believe that furthering your education is so beneficial, and I can promise it is not overlooked by companies. LIM has made this program very easy for someone who works full-time, and I truly believe that LIM has my best interests at heart when it comes to my career and education.