Skydragon said:
I expect she has had plenty of buying practise and of course learning some tricks of the trade from her parents!
Being a buyer is such a normal job. I can't emphasize enough how amazed I am that she has this very normal job for a person her age and with her qualifications. Most employers want their buyers to have a college degree, even though the job is really easy to learn and they like to hire in the 20-25 age group. It's so common that I have no doubt, in fact I am pretty certain that many of YOU reading these forums are buyers. It's just one of those really typical jobs for her age group who have at least a four-year degree, at least this is the case in the US. It's very unglamorous too and does not normally require travel because most companies, at least the biggest ones, would have buyers in all of their branches.
It's a good job, especially if you have the right attitude and think positively, you can make it loads of fun and maybe turn it into something great!
But without trying to get into Cat's head, I am just taking a shot in the dark by assuming she has taken this job not because she needs a job or needs money, but just because it helps her parents' friends, it gets her out of the house for a few hours, and it "keeps her honest," if you will.
So this just amazes me more because, for a job that just passes time, how amazing that she didn't take what was surely on the table: a glamorous, cool job like Associate Fashion Editor at some awesome Conde Nast magazine or like Sophie Rhys-Jones, a PR job!
Catherine has taken the Humble Road Less Traveled, at least in her circles, and gone for a job anyone her age and with her qualifications might have.
She chooses old family friends over "prestige," But ignore me if you don't want to be infected with my very advanced stage of Royal Wedding Fever! I warn you, it's highly contagious!