As we are in the midst of the international fashion weeks, London and Milan last month and Paris this week. MATCHESFASHION.COM thought it would be a great idea to visit the whole fashion industry as a potential career destination and highlight the opportunities that lay within it and with MATCHESFASHION.COM too.
Fashion Needs Business Minds
Most women with an interest in fashion and the fashion industry presume that the only way in is via the traditional design and textile route. Obviously if you are looking to get into the more hands on side of becoming a designer this will be a pre-requisite but what about those who followed a more business centric route and whose skills lie outside manufacturing? Well this is the perfect time to put those skills to use. According to the British Fashion Council recently, experts are looking to encourage more to join the fashion industry to close the appearing gaps in skills. By attracting finance, business, digital and law professionals into the industry, it becomes more solid and able to expand further facilitating growth within the sector. According to the chief executive it is a great time for business professionals to get involved and help businesses grow.
Quick Tips to Get Yourself Ready
1) Get Passionate
An interest in fashion is a no brainer and obviously a necessity to get anywhere in the industry but don’t just rely on your innate sense of style and ability to spot a trend. You will need to study the industry and understand the type of fashion you want to get in to whether it is high street or designer wear and be able to discuss this with confidence. It will become apparent quite quickly once you are in the interview room those who are interested and those that have a passion.
2) Get Digital
If you are interested in joining a digital or online fashion retailer have you thought about creating a style or fashion blog or website? As the most growth has been within the ‘e-fashion’ and digital realms of the industry, looking more into site platforms and CMS tools will help give you more insight and experience. Running a site or blog will not only show that you have a genuine interest in the industry and are willing to put your spare time into finding out more, but it also gives you some great technical skills too.
3) Get Networking
In fashion there are always events and shows up and down the UK and internationally that can give your networking skills a run for their money. These events will allow you to create opportunities by making contacts. If you can’t attend events then how about making these connections via social media channels like Linkedin and Twitter? It is really easy to connect and become a member of professional groups. My top tip would be to get involved, don’t just read the discussions, by contributing you will be seen as an expert and so get your name out there.
4) Get Looking
There are many online databases and job boards that focus on the fashion niche in addition to the Careers City site that allows you to search a multitude of industries and roles. It is a great idea to line up your expectations with what is already on offer and the type of vacancies that are best suited to you and your aspirations. When starting your search also don’t forget to check your ideal destination employers as many advertise on their own career sites and are open to speculative approaches. Make a list of companies you are interested in and scour their careers pages.
5) Get Noticed
Within the fashion job marketplace the competition is high as the industry naturally attracts strong confident applicants so you need to make the right impression. Make sure if you are looking to change your career focus more towards fashion that everything is tailored to line up with this new endeavour. Your CV, your cover letters, your job alerts, your past experience examples. I know it is obvious but people still make these simple mistakes.
It is no surprise really, but fashion and apparel e-commerce is on the move. More and more people are logging on instead of traipsing to the high street and the age range of users is increasing too. This is creating many opportunities for those with an interest in fashion and not just for those looking into design, the industry needs business savvy individuals to join the industry and allow their prospects to grow alongside the market.
For further information about what fashion houses and retailers like MATCHESFASHION.COM can offer please head over to their careers page and see if fashion would fit you!