What I liked
Vera Bradley had a great company culture. As an intern you will be able to meet with C-Suite exec and even the founder, and each of them are willing to help you grow as a professional & as person. The Design Center/HQ is across the street from the Distribution Center so it is nice that all their "main buildings" are together as you feel connected to both. It's a really unique employer to have on your resume and many people tend to be excited to ask about it, saying "I've never had a candidate who worked there". They are well-loved in the Fort Wayne community and give back to it. The summer is a great time to be there as they have events for the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer that you can experience to see their commitment to giving back. Flex Fridays during the summer allowed me to have half-days so I could have extra time to travel on weekends!
General Interns: They really value interns as a company and given them relevant projects to work on (examples: product designs that were launched, marketing campaigns used, trips to season preview events). They really make sure that in whatever role you're in that you get the full experience of being an employee in that role. They hire many interns and bring them back on full-time. Weekly lunch-and-learns to learn about every department in the company during your time. You can feel the "family dynamic" in the company & can feel connected to everyone around you.
Industrial Engineer Intern: Gained a lot of relevant experience that has continued to be a highlight of my resume. I had the opportunity to train in many different areas. The CI team themselves focuses on continued growth and education, and you get to be part of that. A perk as a woman in the field, the two Industrial Engineers were both women who were able to give insight to help me grow as a woman in the field.
