A conversation with...Robin Mosher

At J.Jill, we’re proud of the candidates we attract to join our team. Their passion for the business and support of our vision to live in a world where the totality of every woman is seen, valued and celebrated, is what makes working at J.Jill such an empowering environment to be in.?

This month we sat down with Robin Mosher, Merchant at J.Jill, to hear more about how she got her start in the industry (as an intern at J.Jill!) and how, years later, her passion for the industry continues to propel her forward.

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J.Jill: Let’s get started by telling us a bit more about your role at J.Jill?

Robin: My current roll is Merchant of the Wearever and Fit sub-brands, which comes full circle as I started my career as a Merchandising intern on the Wearever Team in Summer 2017 as a rising Senior in college! I’m celebrating my 4-year anniversary this May (longer if you include my internship!) and have held different roles within our apparel departments from assistant up to merchant level. I truly could never have imagined the trajectory my career took from my first internship in college. How lucky am I?

J.Jill: We love that! Particularly as we’ve just kicked off our search for our Summer 2023 interns, can you share what attracted you to join J.Jill and what you love most about working here??

Robin: Funny story…as a Junior in college, I was networking for a buying/merchandising internship. From a young age, I always wanted to get into the retail space as I grew up with my dad owning a clothing store and going on buying trips with him. At this event, I met a recruiter on the HR team at J.Jill and got to networking. She explained the role and I loved how it was a women-centered business. As an intern, I was hands-on working with the product, and under guidance of my manager I was able to assist in assorting the product and take on assistant-level roles such as CADS in Adobe Photoshop, and various tasks in PLM such as adopting, attributing, and entering retails. I learned so much over the course of that Summer and felt I was a valued member of the Merchandising team. That Winter, I was able to go to the J.Jill store in my hometown of Natick, MA and see all of the product I had helped assort come to life in stores! In that moment, I knew this was what I wanted to do with my career post-grad.

I have created such strong relationships at J.Jill, which is a big piece of why I love the company. I have formed mentors that I have looked up to and have been essential to my career growth, including Lucy Theriault, Julie Grenier, and Kaitlyn Kennedy. I can’t thank them enough for how much I have learned from them beginning as an intern and through becoming a merchant today.

What I love most about working here is our customer and getting her in trend-right pieces, seeing the products I assorted on customers, and hearing positive feedback on how much they LOVE the new collections. Also, it’s great to have family members and friends reach out about how great the product is.

J.Jill: That’s so terrific to hear what an impact working at J.Jill has had not only on your career, but also how your passion for the industry has continued to drive your ongoing contributions to the business! When you think about a day in the life of your role, what would you want people to know that they may not realize?

Robin: Every day in my role is different, but one of the things I enjoy most is the fast-paced environment. A typical day depends on what part of the buy cycle I’m in. As a Merchant, I oversee the product from line plan status to when product hits stores/ecommerce. During buy cycle, I work to edit, assort, and buy the product in conjunction with cross functional teams that include product development, design and planning. The major tasks within my role are line planning for future seasons, assorting the collection, including outfitting and key looks, valuing and planning the buys in conjunction with the planning team, performing weekly sales analysis to guide future departmental and product decisions, and reacting to current trends. A misconception of the Merchandising field is how analytical the job is. Yes, we get to do the fun and creative part working with product to assort the collection, but there is a big piece to do with mathematics and analyzing data to formulate hindsight and strategies and plan buys to bring the business forward.

J.Jill: Thank you for bringing all of that information to light. What an all-encompassing role! Looking back, what’s an example of a project you loved working on or are most proud of at J.Jill??

Robin: Being a manager to an intern on the Merchandising team. I had the best internship experience and was happy to give someone else the same experience. Also, my work on upcoming collections that will target new-to-brand customers. I’m eager to evaluate the results and hopefully strategize similar collections in go-forward deliveries.

J.Jill: It’s wonderful that you’ve not only had the opportunity to mentor someone who was once in your position, but fast forwarding to today, that your work is now directly impacting new-to-brand customers. Talk about a career trajectory! As we wrap up today’s interview, what’s the best piece of career advice you have received? What advice would you offer someone interested in joining J.Jill or getting started in your line of work??

Robin: Find a job and brand you are passionate about; it makes coming to work fun, even on the stressful days. Make meaningful relationships with coworkers and find mentors to look up to/help you grow. Be a team player with a positive attitude – willing to offer to help will go a long way. Confidence goes a long way too. Also, ask for feedback in the beginning of your career and don’t take it personally, it will only help you grow in the long run. I wouldn’t be where I am today if not for constructive criticism.

In terms of getting started in this line of work, I would suggest first getting customer-facing retail experience in stores. Also, read blogs or fashion websites to stay up-to-date on current trends, take Excel courses, and network! J.Jill is a great company to work for, with passionate employees always willing to lend a helping hand. I’ll close by saying, don’t be afraid to ask questions and take the opportunity to learn about cross-functional roles. I can personally say, it will only help to better you in your career!