Getting a job in fashion is not an easy thing. Typically everyone goes on google to begin the research for the perfect fashion job or internship. Although this standard process is absolutely correct, given the high competition of the fashion industry, sometimes it is necessary to go beyond the conventional online application and think outside the box.
There are in fact other unconventional ways to apply for a job, that by being atypical are even more effective. (In How to Break into the Fashion Industry, I teach you 4 unconventional ways to apply for a fashion job.)
One of the possible options to getting a job in fashion aside from the online application is to approach directly the person you want to work with: he can be a buyer, a stylist, a PR agency, a photographer, an editor …
If there is a person in the fashion industry that you admire and would like to work with, there is no need to wait for a job to open, but you can propose yourself directly for a job.
It might seem
The person you want to work with may not have opened a position due to a question of time or for other reasons, but if she receives an e-mail with your CV and your idea of ​​how you could help, then she could give you the opportunity to work with her .
I receive several applications for Glam Observer even when there is job open, and many times I’ve worked with girls because I liked their approach and their idea of ​​how they wanted to contribute.
So here is what you should do to approach someone and ask for a job.
In most cases, it is for an assistant position or internship. Which could mean working for free for the first time. The positive note is that you will do the job you like by learning from the person you admire because you are not applying for a job offer opened by the company, but you are deciding who you want to work with and what you want to do. And secondly, this could be your trial period that will turn into a real paid job in the following months.
LinkedIn and Instagram represent the perfect place to find people working in fashion. On LinkedIn you can search for the company or agency name, click on the page and view the list of all the employees who work there, filtering them for your city. You will then have a list of all the people who work in that company and their role to choose from. For creative people such as stylists or photographers or editors, it is always better to look for them on Instagram and find their email in the IG bio or from the contact section of their website or the magazine they work for.
Once you have identified the people you would like to work with, it’s time to reach out to them.
Prepare your CV (as a GO member you have access to CV templates for free, choose your favorite one and email me at [email protected] to receive it) and make sure it fits the role you are proposing yourself for.
It’s very important to prepare some sample material of your work, which will be even more decisive than your CV. Especially if you are still at the beginning of your career and you have no previous experience, creating a portfolio of writing, styling, photography or other, and showcasing an example of your potential work is an effective way to get the job. When you create this portfolio and you’re just starting out so don’t have any experience yet, create the material as if you had worked for someone: if you are about to contact a fashion editor because you want to write for the magazine or become her assistant, send articles that you would imagine would be published in the magazine.
If the person you are pitching hires you, what would you do for her? Show the work you could do in this portfolio.
Prepare everything on a powerpoint and save it as a PDF which you will attach to the email together with your CV.
In some cases, for
Write your cover letter in the body of the email and explain why you are reaching out, why you would like to work for her, examples of what you can do, your skills and also your time availability: if you are available immediately, if you want to help her only for a period, for a couple of days, during weekends…
The role of the assistant is to help run smoothly, quickly and easily someone’s job, so these are the skills you should mention in the email: organized, proactive, mulittasker, reliable, discreet, honest, hard worker and ready to deal with the practical tasks.
If you don’t receive a reply after 7 business days then follow up. People who work in fashion receive hundreds of emails a day, so by following up you make sure your mail goes up in the inbox and it also strengthens your interest in the opportunity. Follow up twice max and if you don’t get a response then move on to the next person.
If you find the phone number on Instagram or online, call the person to follow up, mention your email and introduce yourself and your proposal again.
Approaching someone and proposing for a job may seem intimidating, but instead, people consider it very positively. You are seen as an ambitious and enthusiastic person with a great desire to work in the industry that goes beyond to be able to get the chance you want. The worst you can get is a “no” as an answer because they don’t need help or can’t afford to have an assistant (in this case, if you really want that job, you should propose to help for free for the first period). But imagine if you got only one “yes”, it changes your life and career.
So don’t wait any longer and start contacting the people you want to work with today.
