Applying For Jobs In Fashion: Assistant vs Intern vs Trainee

Dreaming about a career in fashion? Understanding what fashion job is made for you and which you can apply for is not so easy.

Navigating the fashion industry can be challenging, especially when choosing the right entry-level position. That’s because not only the fashion industry is made up of many roles but also different levels for each. 

Assistant designer, PR intern, junior stylist, merchandising trainee…

Titles such as Assistant/Junior, Intern, and Trainee might seem interchangeable and all entry-level, but they each carry distinct roles, responsibilities, and opportunities for career growth. Understanding these differences is crucial for aligning your application with your level of experience and career goals. If you are struggling to get your first job in fashion you might indeed be applying for a role that is not exactly aligned with your level of experience even if it might be so.

Let me explain. 

You found what you think is the perfect position for you:

Assistant Buyer

Junior Designer

PR Assistant…

And as a recent graduate without experience, you apply because of the words “Assistant” or “Junior”.

But then you don’t hear back from fashion companies and blame everything on your lack of experience.

Or you get discouraged and don’t apply at all because of the required years of experience.

On the other hand, you may have heard, maybe from me if you’ve been following Glam Observer for a while, that the fashion industry hires people without experience as well! 

At this point you might be confused, but here is the deal: If you are looking for your first job in fashion, assistant/junior jobs are not the right types of jobs for you because they require previous experience. 

The words “junior” and “assistant” are tricky in fashion. Indeed, they suggest that you can apply as a total beginner. But in reality, entry-level fashion jobs are NOT the first step to breaking into the industry as a student or recent graduate without any experience at all. 

The career ladder in fashion doesn’t look like this: Zero experience –> junior position, or zero experience –> assistant, BUT like this: No experience –> fashion internship –> (entry-level) assistant –>junior –> manager.

So in this article, we will explore the nuances of each job type Internships vs Fashion Assistants vs Trainees, helping you determine which position best suits your current skill set and professional aspirations in the world of fashion.

Fashion Internships

Fashion internships are your golden ticket to breaking into the industry if you have zero experience, you are a student or a recent graduate. Most companies offer internships in different departments: marketing, buying and merchandising, editorial, product development, etc. An internship lasts 3 to 6 months on average and depending on what you find, you can do one, two, or more internships in your favorite department to gather enough experience and then apply for entry-level jobs. In this article, I explain everything you need to do about fashion internships. You can also register for my free masterclass where I teach unconventional strategies to break into fashion even if you don’t have any experience.  

You can recognize internships because when you look for jobs online, they contain the word “intern” or “internship”. 

Fashion Assistant Jobs

As I said, most of the time, the term “assistant” means the opportunity is not an internship but an entry-level role. BUT some companies use the term “Assistant” interchangeably for fashion internships and entry-level positions.

How to tell the difference? It’s easy: Read the job description.

Scenario 1: If the job posting doesn’t specify experience requirements, it could mean that, for that particular company, an assistant position is considered akin to an internship, and individuals without experience are encouraged to apply. 

For example, look at this PR Assistant offer at Louis Vuitton.

It often happens that a fashion company uses the word “assistant” in the title but in the type of contract it is indicated as “internship”.

Scenario 2: If the job description for any assistant role (such as assistant stylist, designer, buyer, etc.) mentions a need for previous experience in a similar role, it means they are looking for someone who has previous experience. 

While some brands don’t specify the years of experience needed, know it’s recommended to have at least 6 months to 1 year of internships at your back. 

What happens if you already completed one or more fashion internships? 

If you have at least 6 months of prior experience (which can be obtained through internships) and you are looking for your next career move or you want to transition from another industry to fashion, you have 2 options: 

Fashion Jobs for Recent Graduates

Option 1: Fashion Traineeships

This term is often confusing because it looks similar to an internship, but it’s not. 

Although some companies use the words “intern” and “trainee” interchangeably (it’s rare, though), in the common knowledge, a traineeship refers to a short work experience, reserved for recent graduates and/or people with a minimum of 6 months of internships or jobs (if it was at another industry, for example) at their back. 

Typically lasting from 12 to 24 months full-time, fashion traineeships offer the opportunity for young talents to integrate them into the industry so they can get familiar with the department and the tasks, leverage their experience, and develop the necessary skills. 

Luxury groups like LVMH and Kering often advertise and give these opportunities. 

The job responsibilities are similar to those you can be given at an entry-level job or even an internship. So you can think of the traineeship as a regular job. 

Due to the required time commitment, a traineeship is typically paid. 

After the traineeship, if you excel at your job, you could be offered another temporary contract or a permanent job at the same company or another brand within the group. 

Option 2: Look for entry-level jobs

If you reached the point in your career when you did at least 6 months of previous internships, but you didn’t find a traineeship or you found an indefinite contract, feel free to apply for entry-level fashion jobs.

I hope you can clearly see the difference now between an internship, an assistant position that doesn’t require previous experience and an assistant position as an entry-level job. 

Lesson of the day: When you look for job opportunities in fashion, do smart research. 

If you don’t have previous experience, filter the jobs by “internships” and if you still find roles that contain the word “assistant” or “junior”, don’t discard the offer immediately and read the job description. 

Whereas if you have already made your first steps in the industry, you can apply for traineeships or entry-level jobs. 

The next step is applying for your dream fashion internship or job. Need help? 

Register for my free webinar where I share 5 out-of-the-box strategies to impress the recruiters and your boss.