After only two years in the “real world”, Iman El Khatib has managed to work her way into a prominent position in the fashion industry.

At Iowa State, Iman majored in apparel merchandising and design production. She was also involved in various activities like the sorority Chi Omega and the club MODA for Marketing, Organizing, Designing and Analyzing fashion.

She also help two internships while in college and one the summer after. One of the places she interned at was Coldwater Creek, an apparel store. She thoroughly enjoyed her experiences and feels that the experiences helped her reach her initial goals.

She advises ISU students to “get involved, network, and find internships that put you on the right career path. The more experiences you have, the more desirable you are to employers.”

After she graduated from Iowa State in May 2009 and completed her summer internship, Iman reached out to family members and discovered that she had a contact who worked at Macy’s, Inc. She sent them her resume and was called in for an interview.

“The interview process can be challenging,” El Khatib said. “It’s really important to be confident and that’s something I initially struggled with.”

They were obviously impressed with her interview because she was soon hired to be the assistant buyer for Macy’s, Inc. Her job entails doing research on products to discover their quality and their sales appeal.

She provides the buyer for Macy’s with the information and the buyer then decides which products, like clothing lines, would be most profitable. The buyer then purchases them for Macy’s stores. Iman has the opportunity to see and handle the new fashions before anyone else.

“I’m in a really good place,” El Khatib said. “I feel established in New York City, and Macy’s is a great fit for me”