Do’s & Don’ts of Fashion Job Application

The fashion industry is very competitive and by its exposure, through Instagram, even more people are keen on working in the industry. So if you want to make it and get a job, you cannot afford to make mistakes when applying for a fashion job, so here’s what to do and what not to do when you apply for a job offer.

Do’s

Make your CV creative and unique

Your CV speaks for you. Take care of the design in the details, make it special and above all go straight to the point. Emphasize your experiences that are consistent with the position for which you are applying. Create a streamlined structure that at the same time contains those keywords that immediately stands out when the recruiter looks at it for a couple of seconds. Take a look at our CV templates you can with Microsoft Word and approved by fashion companies.

Email the recruiter

Fashion jobs and internships are listed on sites such as FashionJobs, LinkedIn, Indeed where generally you are then sent back to the brand’s website to fill out a form, attach the CV and cover letter. Everyone does it this way, but to make a difference and be noticed among the 1000 applications received, do something more. For an effective application, send an email to the HR of the company attaching the CV and writing directly in the body your cover letter. Here we have explained how you can find the email addresses of all the people who work in fashion, including the recruiters. Doing so, your application will certainly be considered and they will appreciate the extra effort than all the others who have followed the standard online application procedure.

Research the company

You must know everything about the company for which you are applying. Who were the designers, when it was established, the best collection. Visit the company’s online site, the social profiles and read the more articles you can online. When you apply, you may be potentially called for a first phone interview a minute later. You do not want to be caught unprepared.

Check your social networks

The recruiters today look at your Instagram profile even before checking carefully your resume, so if you’ve decided to apply, clean up your profile and leave only the photos you’d like them to see. This doesn’t mean that all your photos need to be professional, people travel, take pics of dogs and cats, this is normal and recruiter want to understand what kind of person you are.

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Make a last check

Before pressing the send button, make sure your resume, cover letter and email do not contain grammatical errors, that you have spelled correctly the recruiter’s name and that you have done all that is required for the application.

Follow up

If you have applied and you have not received any feedback after a week or so, it’s time to follow up. If you sent an email to HR you can reply to your email to remind your application. If you’ve applied online, it’s time to find the recruiter’s email, send an email and attach your CV and cover letter. Recruiters are busy and get lots of submissions, maybe they missed it. In any case it is always good to ask for feedback and the reason why you have not been called for an interview. Sending a second email also strengthens your interest in the position. Follow up twice max and wait at least a week between one email and another.

Don’ts

Do not use the same CV

Once you have created your template, edit your CV according to the company you are applying for. That does not mean inventing new experiences that you have not done, but emphasizing and highlighting those that are interesting and consistent with the position you’re applying for. If you did an internship in PR and one in social media and you are applying for another position in communication, it will be better to accentuate your PR experience by adding a few more points to the description with activities that are common to the position for which you are applying for.

Not applying

A common mistake is not applying when you don’t meet all the requirements. Do they require that you know how to use Photoshop but in reality, you have no idea how it works? Apply anyway and start studying it. You have never managed a particular thing? Apply and you will learn it as soon as you enter the company. Do not wait to meet all the requirements to apply for any job, or you’ll miss many opportunities. The worst can happen if you apply and you’re not suitable for that position, is that you won’t get the interview. Recruiters could find interesting other experiences and qualities. The only thing to pay attention when applying is the years of experience required, if they need 10 years and you have worked only 2 years, then, in this case, it will be better to not apply.

Do not use the same cover letter

Even more than your CV, the cover letter must be customized for that specific position. Never use the same cover letter for multiple jobs. If you’ve created a cover letter that fits all the job positions, then is not customized enough so it will not be effective. The cover letter should not be a repetition of your resume, but you will have to say something more that explains your interest in that position and company and why you are the right person. If you can, address the cover letter directly to the person who takes care of that job, making it even more personalized.

For more advice on how to get a job in fashion, do not miss the live Webinar on February 26th where we will talk live for an hour explaining everything you need for a perfect job application.