Shahbano Farid
Year: Graduated Spring 2014
Major: Marketing Degree
Hometown: Fairfax, VA
Favorite place to eat out: Either Nacho Mama’s in Carytown or Thai Top Ten on Grace Street
Favorite Movie: The Wizard of Oz
Tell me your go-to outfit when you have no idea what to wear: I usually wear black jeans and big comfy striped top with my silver Sperrys.
What made you choose VCU?
Well, I only applied to three schools and I got into VCU first. I decided I wanted to go to VCU because the first option was George Mason University and I didn’t want to go to Mason. My next option was in New York and I thought ‘yeah I could go to New York right now’ but I really did want to go to VCU because I had always heard amazing things from Richmond being a hub of culture, art and people with different ideas and craziness. People don’t judge you for anything; you can do, wear, say whatever you want and it’s mostly accepted.
What do you miss the most about Richmond?
The Fan. The beauty of the houses and antiqueness. I miss the murals, the beauty of the city and how it looked when I would wake up early on a Saturday or Sunday morning to go to work and it was always so quiet and everything was empty but it was so pretty. I could literally just stand outside my car for a minute or two just looking out.
How did you go about finding internships?
I was just looking because I knew I needed a job before graduation. I didn’t just want a 9 to 5; I didn’t want to just start working at any other company so I was kind of taking my time into seeing what my options were. So the company I worked with was ASOS, a clothing company from the United Kingdom and my title was the Around the World intern.
How was that experience?
It was insane. I was in a different city every week for six weeks. It was really eye-opening to the fact that people actually have job likes this where they have to travel and meet with so many different types of people. It kind of just have me a more focused idea of what I wanted to do after the internship, what kind of fields I want to work in, and what type of work I want to do. I met so many incredible peopele and learned so many things about myself and the company.
What’s something you were able to really grasp from this experience overall?
I think I really realized that everyone is going to be meeting all sorts of people throughout their lives. Theres not one person that’s going to match with someone else completely. It’s really cool to see how many different types of people come together to work for such a huge global brand that incorporates one idea for the public. That all these different people can combine their thoughts and ideas to make that one statement, motto, or outlook to carry out to the public.
What are your interests now?
I got a job with another fashion company in New York at Refinaray29 and turned it down for the time being because I’m not really sure if fashion is what I want to really do in my life right now. I’m in NOVA right now, working part-time and I’m saving up money to go back to New York. I’m applying to jobs in different fields such as entertainment or generally news focused. I do like the industry I worked with for my internship but I might want to work for different industries too.
What kind of advice would you give to girls still in school?
It’s okay to not know what you want to do yet because not everybody has a sure path that they have to follow. Don’t sell yourself short and really believe in yourself because that’s the only way you’re going to get what you want. Nobody believes in someone who doesn’t believe in themselves.