How to break into the fashion industry

finding your ideal career path isn’t always easy and there isn’t always one clear-cut route, especially if you’re looking to make a name for yourself in a highly competitive world like the fashion industry. whether you want to become a stylist, model, des

INTERNSHIP IS A GOOD IDEA

One of the biggest pieces of advice any fashion maven will give you is to land that coveted internship. Internships are your first introduction into a world where you have little or no experience. They are perfect learning opportunities to see what works for you and what doesn’t, what you’re good at and what you need to work on.

BE PROACTIVE Start early! Don’t wait until you need to do an internship for school, get out there and volunteer your time as much as you can. This way you’ll be building your resume slowly over time and will gain that much needed experience. The fashion industry is highly competitive and is a dog-eat-dog world.

You need to stay in tune and ahead of the game in order to be successful in getting to your ultimate goal or dream career.

PERFECT YOUR RESUME

Being proactive goes hand in hand with perfecting your resume.

True, we all need money to cover those pesky expenses and finances but when searching and selecting jobs, choose ones that will build your resume not hinder it. Your job should fit within your future career goals in some way and remain relevant to your area of focus.

This is why experience is key in the fashion industry.

A FASHION DEGREE IS AN ADDED ADVANTAGE

Although an education or background in fashion isn’t 100% necessary especially in Nigeria, it is an added advantage. You don’t have to focus purely on fashion; there are other industry related courses, which focus on subjects like journalism, public relations or graphic design for instance.

NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK

The double-edged sword of the industry is that it’s not what you know; it’s who you know. This is why interning and volunteering is the best way to get yourself out there.

You can meet industry contacts and professionals that can help you down along your career path and their information can even help once you’ve landed that dream job.

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KNOW YOUR STUFF

There is nothing worse than wanting to get into fashion for the assumption that it’s all glitz and glamour.

It isn’t. True, there are perks and definitely glamorous events, but you need to work hard and remain grounded to be successful.

That being said, you should do your research. If you want to work for a magazine, actually read the magazine. Be well versed in your areas of interest.

RETAIL EXPERIENCE For those of you who want to be designers, getting a job in fashion retail is extremely important. Retail work gives you a look into how a fashion business is run and how the logistics of a company work.

In retail you also have the opportunity to fine-tune your people skills with customer service, which will also prepare yourself for when you start your own brand.7 Tips for Entering a Male-Dominated Industry ...

FIND YOUR SPECIALTY

Figure out what you are good at and stick with it. Although it’s great to dabble in a bit of everything, you’ve also heard the saying jack of trades, master of none. Narrowing down what your specialty will help to refine your goals and dreams when it comes to trying to land that dream job and it will make you that much more appealing to future employers.

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DETERMINE YOUR DREAMS

Set aside some time to figure out and pin down your dreams.

Knowing what you want to do in the future is the first step in getting your career on track.

The path everyone takes is different and a unique experience to them but it is the end result that matters. Writing down your dreams, setting a timeline and how you are going to try and achieve them is a concrete way to visually see what you want and the necessary steps needed to get there.

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LOOK THE PART

This is the moment when you need to walk the walk. You don’t have to own very expensive couture clothing to make it in the world of fashion; however, you do need to look the part. N.B. The fashion industry is not for the faint of heart and following these top 10 tips on how to break into the fashion industry will help you figure out if this career path is right for you.