Name: Midori Marsh
Class Year: 2015
Title: Ecommerce Merchandising Specialist
Organization Name: Wayfair
1. In one sentence, what does your job entail?
Analyze clickstream metrics and other customer data to identify and create a best-in-class customer experience on the Wayfair-owned luxury site, Perigold.com
2. What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross? How did you learn/decide it was a good fit for you?
As a junior at HC, I belonged to what was then called the Summer Internship Program (“SIP”). This experience helped me land my first internship in fashion merchandising at Theory in NYC. This role also turned into my first job out of college. Something that helped me understand which career path would be a good fit was a suggestion from my dad to find a job that doesn’t feel like work so that you’ll never get tired of it. Working in merchandising was a great mix of analytics and creativity, which for me was super exciting and didn’t feel like real work. After 5 years in wholesale merchandising, I now work in ecommerce merchandising at a luxury furniture retailer, Perigold.com.
3. What were you involved in when you were on campus?
I co-led the Black Student Union Fashion Show during my senior year and was the VP of the Holy Cross Fashion Society. Both experiences helped me to manage a budget, coordinate events, and allowed me to grow my network in the industry.
4. What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?
Psychology, with a minor in Asian studies. Psychology pushed me to work hard and allowed me to learn about human behavior from incredible professors, but it didn’t really affect my career decisions. The great part about our liberal arts education is that it allows you to study the field you’re interested in and still pursue a variety of career interests.
5. What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work?
The power of relationships and networking. Holy Cross helped me to develop the necessary skills to build and foster relationships. At both the big and small companies I’ve worked at, I’ve learned that productivity thrives when you understand the goals of the teams you work with. It’s tremendously important to build and maintain relationships in order to collaborate effectively.
6. What advice do you have for students on campus today?
Use your summers as time to test out your interests with internships. You may confirm your interests or realize the industry is not for you. Either way, it will be a great learning experience.
