Okay guys, sharing my notes after surviving and thriving during my Nordstrom internship last summer. Forget the vague advice – here’s exactly what I did step by step to get noticed quickly.
Before Day One: Obsessed Over Inventory
Nordstrom moves fast. I knew just showing up wasn’t enough. So instead of chilling, I literally memorized key items before walking in. Like, grabbed last season’s look book off their career site (public stuff!) and spent hours connecting names, brands, and prices to pictures in my head. Walked in knowing more product specs than some part-timers.
First Week: Volunteered for the Ugly Tasks
My manager asked who could process returns stuck in limbo. Total nightmare – messy records, confused customers. I practically jumped up. Why? It forced me to learn THREE complex systems simultaneously:
- The clunky return authorization portal nobody liked.
- The ancient inventory tracker tucked away in a sub-menu.
- How to decode cryptic customer service notes without crying.
Took me two messy days, but once I cracked it, managers suddenly knew my name. “Oh, ask Sam, he fixed the Black Hole returns”.
Middle Weeks: Turned Simple Tasks into Gold
Got stuck doing basic stock checks? Annoying? Heck yeah. But instead of just ticking boxes, I got curious. Why were these sizes always out? Tracked it manually:
- Noted exact times when specific sizes disappeared.
- Observed which staff members sold them fastest.
- Compared sell-through times near dressing rooms vs. back racks.
Showed my manager a chaotic spreadsheet proving certain styles sold faster near fitting rooms. Suddenly, my boring task turned into a merchandising tactic they actually tried out. Micro win!
Always Asked the Why Behind the What
When told “Just update these price changes,” I never just clicked buttons. Pushed gently: “Absolutely! Just so I learn – why are these specific ones changing now? Is it a trend thing or clearance push?” Annoying at first? Probably. But showing I cared about the strategy made leadership start explaining bigger pictures to me. That’s how I got looped into real meetings.
Final Push: Owned My Mistakes Loudly
Messed up big time typing in the wrong discount percentage for a stack of online orders. Panic! Instead of hiding:
- Ran straight to my manager: “Hey, I screwed up. Here’s exactly what I did wrong.”
- Showed him the incorrect orders immediately.
- Already drafted an apology email template needing his approval.
- Asked, “How should we fix this fastest?”
Owned it totally. He was annoyed but respected the hustle. Guess who got considered for damage control projects after that? Me. They trusted me precisely because I showed my mess.
Results? By Week 6, they were stealing me for cross-department projects. Got a glowing letter and an offer. No magic tricks – just tackling the boring stuff head-on with extra questions and zero pride.
