An immense reason I chose to study abroad was because of my future goals. My sophomore year of college I decided my dream job was to be a clothing buyer for a company. A main part of the job is traveling, so I was able to use this experience as a practice run.
I found out about this job through my cousin, Tammy. She works for the TK Maxx Company in Toronto, Canada. When visiting her I was able to hear all about her career and it intrigued me. I decided to do my own research on the job and I decided it would be the perfect fit for me. I always knew I wanted to do something with clothing/fashion, but I did not want to design it necessarily. This allows me to do something with my “passion for fashion,” and also still work in the business realm. So, I reached out to my advisor and changed my major from marketing to operations management and sales to better suit my new future goals.
While studying here in Florence, I have found out that three out of five of my professors use to be buyers. One worked for Gucci, one worked for Calvin Klein, and the last one worked for Target in the states. It has been truly amazing to hear about their experiences in the buying industry through various companies. It is extremely helpful to know if I have any questions about the buying career path I have multiple sources I can now reach out to.
A large part of being a business major is networking. You must network because it gives you great people to reach out to in the near or far future when you are job searching. You always want multiple allies. Being in Florence has also made me feel way more comfortable when it comes to traveling independently. If I am serious about this career path, I must be okay with traveling often. My cousin says she always has a luggage packed for a work trip! I will always be ready to see the world.
Mabel In Italy 
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