Maggie Blahnik

Degree:    Bachelor of Science
Major:      Retail Merchandising

Additional education undertaken after graduation:
Minor in Management, Carlson School of Management

Years in the Field:    2
Current Job Title:     Associate Buyer - Sweaters
Organization:           Christopher and Banks

How did you find this job?
Through research and information provided at the University of Minnesota I found out that the Christopher and Banks corporate offices are located in the Minneapolis area. I checked the company’s website for job postings on a daily basis, where they eventually posted the entry level position of Allocator for the C.J. Banks division.

Previous job titles and organizations:
Christopher and Banks, C.J. Banks Division
        Assistant Buyer of Woven Tops
        Allocator

Please describe your job:
The role of Buyer at Christopher and Banks is a mix of product development (which requires creativity) and business planning (which requires analytical skills). Associate Buyers are considered to be training for the Buyer role, so much of what is expected of a Buyer is also expected of an Associate Buyer.

Some of the larger tasks include: researching trends and developing ideas that are applicable to our customer (shopping at the Mall of America and in New York City, receiving reports from trend analysts, receiving and pulling tears from various catalogs/magazines, etc.), working with in-house Tech Design and CAD departments to put development packages together for overseas vendors/factories (using a custom-made computer software system), working with the Planning and Allocation department to set quantities and timing of orders (involves generating and analyzing various reports on a weekly/monthly basis in order to understand previous performance and use as a benchmark for the future), presenting monthly assortments to Senior VPs, and working with the Marketing and Visual Merchandising departments to market and display product in a cohesive manner.

A large part of the Buyer role is to work cross-functionally with various departments to complete a wide range of goals. We also communicate with both domestic and overseas vendors on a daily basis via e-mail to work out product development, pricing, shipping, etc. The daily workload is built on communication - with co-workers or vendors, via phone, e-mail or in meetings - there is CONSTANT communication taking place in the Buyer role. 

What from your undergraduate educational experience was most helpful in preparing you for this career?
I think the best thing I learned, which I still use today, was to leave my comfort zone and challenge myself with a diverse array of projects and tasks. I was able to learn a lot about my strengths, weaknesses and my working style, and gained some great experiences to put on my resume.

What is the biggest misconception about this occupation or field?
I think the majority of people believe retail or buying isn't a serious career—that people who like to shop will succeed in this field because that's all it is. In reality, a very large part of the business is analytical! Every decision has reasoning behind it and every style has a purpose. For example, a Buyer doesn't select merchandise just because he/she personally likes it or thinks it's attractive; there has got to be a lot of analytical thought to back up those decisions.

What advice do you have for current students?
The best thing to do right now is to gain ANY experience in your field and build that resume! There are thousands of students who will be taking the exact same coursework as you, but the experiences you create for yourself through various jobs, internships and extra curricular activities are what will make you stand out in a crowd.