Just Kept Saying “Yes!”: Elizabeth Bundrick
The job market today takes determination, skills, connections, and the attitude to just say “Yes!” No one knows this better than Auburn Apparel Merchandising Alumna, Elizabeth Bundrick. Elizabeth graduated from Auburn University in May of 2021, and during her time at school she juggled internships, classes, and leadership positions. Each of these experiences provided her with opportunities to meet people in her industry. She quickly learned the power of networking and how impactful one person is on another’s career.
Elizabeth began her freshman year at Auburn eager to prepare for her future. At Auburn, she served as the Secretary of the Apparel Merchandising and Design Association (AMDA) her junior year and AMDA President her senior year. Meanwhile, she was involved with SWATCH as both a Senior Editor and later an Executive Editor. These positions granted her time to work closely alongside her peers and professors while growing her skills and leadership capabilities. Elizabeth juggled a lot during her time at Auburn but saying “Yes!” to these positions created an environment that fostered connections – which she would come to value throughout her career.
After an Auburn Advisory Board (AAB) meeting, Elizabeth reached out to AAB member and co-chair, Cindy Cessna to thank her for her time. This connection led to Elizabeth receiving her first internship offer at Lilly Pulitzer in Georgetown, D.C. in the summer of 2019. This fortuitous connection led to a successful internship with a large corporation and a lifelong mentor.
On a whim, Elizabeth applied for an internship that would take place during her Junior year Spring semester with the Walt Disney Company, which would cause her to be balancing multiple leadership roles while away from campus. She accepted the role and grew in her ability to multitask and handle responsibility. As the Jewelry Merchandising Intern, she was involved with buying, sourcing, design, and product development. Additionally, Elizabeth was able to work in the buying and planning fields of the industry.
The summer following this internship, Elizabeth said “Yes!” once again, and she began her career journey at Kohl’s as a Buying Office Intern. She fell in love with the company and continued working for Kohl’s as a brand representative her senior year. After she graduated from Auburn, she accepted a job working as a Merchandising Analyst at the Kohl’s headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Four months after accepting her position with Kohl’s, a recruiter for Target reached out to Elizabeth on LinkedIn and asked to chat. Elizabeth accepted the invitation, but she was very honest with the recruiter about how much she loved her time with Kohl’s and could see her career path there. Before the call ended, she was offered a second interview. Elizabeth exclaims that she fell so in love with Target’s company and the causes they supported. Target offered her a job working on the supply chain side of the industry as an Inventory Analyst. She was intrigued with this field as well as the opportunity to work remotely and have the freedom to travel.
Three years later, she is still working for Target, and she has been promoted to Senior Inventory Analyst. While reflecting on her career, Elizabeth made it clear in our interview that she would not be where she was today without the support of her connections, such as Mrs. Cessna. Community and taking a chance are the pillars of Elizabeth’s career, and the value of connections is an integral part of establishing yourself as a young professional.
