More than just work, more than just the office--Abby Wongsuwan

Interning at VF Asia Ltd. has been one of the most amazing experiences for me. I’ve not only learned about the works in the fashion industry, but I’ve also learned about the corporate culture and the office environment. It’s important to know how to interact with people in the working environment appropriately. The way people act in “The Real World” is very different from how they act in school or in college. Also maintaining a good relationship within and outside the department helps ensure the work to go smoothly. A lot of time these things cannot simply be taught in class. I am very grateful that I got the opportunity to learn this through the real world experience. Surely, these skills will help me pursue my goal in the future professional career.

I learned these people skills by interacting with the people in the office. At VF office, they have pantry area for the staff to eat and enjoy their break. It’s located on every floor. Beside the seating area, the area includes coffee machine, refrigerator, and vending machine. The office provides coffee, tea, water, and other refreshment.  A lot of people also use this area to socialize, talking about work or other topics. Also, the area is used for the meeting when the meeting room is occupied. It provides more of a casual environment for a less serious meeting.

Pantry on the 8^th floor.

Since VF is rather a big company, they put together many activities to provide the employees an opportunity to get to know each other both in and outside the department. Coming up is the Ice Cream Day, which will be Friday, June 28 in the afternoon. It will be at the pantry on the 8th floor; I work on the same floor. VF once held friends and family day on the weekend. From these events, photos were collected and shown on the TV monitor on the 8th floor entrance.

Pantry on the 8^th floor

One of my favorite events that the company organized was the sample sale. VF has the annual sample sale, that includes every brand, twice a year. Other than that, each brand also has its own sample sale. The brands offer the products to the employees with a very special discount. I went to the annual sample sale, which lasted two days. Almost everyone came to the sale. I recognized all the managers and staff from all different departments, the IT specialist from the help desk center, and the staffs from the mailroom. Surely almost everyone in VF participated in this event and they seemed to enjoy it every much.

Abby Wongsuwan

VF