Take a look at what it’s like to intern at Kohl’s, right from an intern himself.
Meet Forrest, Kohl’s Communications Intern
Kohl’s internship program is about more than giving college students work experience for the summer — we hire many of our interns back for full-time roles after they graduate. It’s an essential way that Kohl’s builds Winning Teams and hires future thinkers and leaders.
Forrest is one of 400 students interning at Kohl’s this summer from 75 different universities across the country. During the 10 weeks he is here, he will get real-world experience and build meaningful relationships.
Forrest’s first installment covered weeks one and two as a #KohlsIntern. Keep reading to see what he’s been up to since then.
In full stride
I’m officially settled in as a Kohl’s intern on the communications team! After learning the ropes, my manager assigned me some projects that I could “own” throughout my internship. What I love most about having my own projects is the exposure I get to the company, both vertically and horizontally. Working with our partners within Kohl’s, I gather information from other departments, delegate tasks and essentially help maintain the bird's-eye view of the entire communication for events. In a company with over 130,000 associates, that can be a daunting task!
In the fast-moving world of retail, it’s extremely important for all parts of an organization to be in-sync. Kohl’s provides corporate associates that opportunity through a program called “Day in the Store,” where non-store associates have a full day to learn how our retail locations operate. Talk about exposure! I have to admit, I really had no idea about all the moving parts involved in our store operations. Sure, I figured there was a cash register, a stock room and a loading dock, but I never even thought about our omnichannel efforts, technologies involved in stocking or things like Loss Prevention. And Kohl’s prioritizes all of them, all for the sake of their customers.
Something that’s been undeniable during my first few weeks at Kohl’s is their commitment to the communities they serve. I’ve already had the opportunity to volunteer with the Hunger Task Force alongside my team and with the Boys and Girls Club with my fellow interns. At the Boys and Girls Club, we read books to children, set up obstacle courses and had plenty of laughs. No matter what department we all came from, once we put on the blue “Kohl’s Cares” shirts, we all blended together to serve the community’s needs. Coming from a family that owns a business, I’ve always admired companies that take their social impact seriously. Kohl’s is one of those companies.
As always, my internship experience is more than just what happens inside my office; Kohl’s is giving us plenty of opportunities to experience Milwaukee. The interns had a blast at Summerfest, the world’s largest music festival located right here in Milwaukee, courtesy of Kohl’s. We also had a networking event at a local hotel called “Yappy Hour,” where we had the chance to play with some puppies and even a baby pig! Cambridge Commons, the housing that Kohl’s provides us, has been perfect for making friends and meeting new people. And with the parking spots they’ve reserved for us, traveling around the rest of Wisconsin is pretty easy, too. All in all, it’s been a great experience thus far.