I want your job! -Business Development Analyst at Tiffany & Co.

When it comes to fashion smarts, my good friend Ashley Harrington has it covered. She's so driven, passionate and smart-and a ton of fun too! Ashley gave me the scoop about her fabulous style career at Tiffany & Co. (I had to make this post Tiffany Blue just for you, Ashley!) Enjoy!

NM: When did you fall in love with fashion/retail?
AH: I fell in love with Fashion at a very early age in life, probably when I was in middle school. From there I began to read magazines and focus in on the trends. I knew I wanted to work in the luxury goods industry when I was working at Booz & Co., and I was staffed on a project at a oil company.

NM:What college did you attend? What was your major?
AH: I attended the University of Pennsylvania, and majored in economics.

NM: How many internships did you have in college? Where?
AH: I interned with you Silly! No, I interned at Money magazine the summer of my junior year. I interned at Essence magazine the summer of senior year.

NM: How did you land a job with Tiffany & Co.?
AH: I applied on-line and got it!

NM: Tell us about your very first day there?
AH: My first day was very mundane, so I really don’t remember my first day much.
NM: What is a typical day like for you?
AH: A typical day consists of dealing with Strategic and Operational work. For instance, I have to handle price inquires that the markets may have regarding the merchandise. For the most part, I execute and manage the pricing. Second, I work on strategic projects, such as new channels we should operate in, for example E-commerce, airport terminals, et cetera.

NM: What does your office and desk look like?
AH: My office is basic. Definitely nothing to write home to Mom about. My desk is a cubicle, how sexy right?

NM: What do you love most about your job?
AH: I love that fact that I am exposed to various parts of the retail business. I enjoy learning about marketing, finance, merchandising, and a little bit of everything The role I have is dynamic and has a lot to offers a lot of exposure to other areas of the business.

NM: What’s your work wardrobe like?
AH: I wear business casual clothes. Since I am more finance related, I don’t really get dressed to the nines for work.

NM: What is the craziest experience you’ve had at work?
AH: Oh gosh, that will go untold. But lets just say there are tons of personalities at this place.

NM: What has been an obstacle that you faced in your career? How did you tackle it?
AH: Understanding politics and understanding how people interact. It is very important to understand the environment of a company and how you fit it, to be successful.

NM: If you weren’t working as a retail analyst, what would you be doing?
AH: I would be work in Corporate America in some facet, maybe at a media company.

NM: What is your number one piece of advice for someone who wants to have your job one day?
AH: I would say you have to love two facets of your job: the industry you work in and the work that you do. I think it is very easy to get wrapped up in the Hype behind “Luxury goods” that we loose sight that the luxury goods industry is just like any other… it’s a business.

Thank you so much Ashley for sharing your story with Style Career Connect!! If you have any questions for her, feel free to reply to this post and we'll get Ash to chime back in for a little Q&A.