Fashion is a very competitive industry and more and more people want to work in this field nowadays. That’s why the conventional application path don’t work anymore in this industry. Getting a job in fashion is not like getting a job in any other industry. It’s all about standing out in your application and do that extra effort to get noticed among the other applicants. In additional to create an exceptional CV and a personalized cover letter for that position (never use the same cover letter for all the jobs) these are 8 proven ways to get a job in the fashion industry that will boost your job search.
1.Email the recruiter
Everyone applies online by filling out a form and uploading their CV, Cover letter and other required documents. But although this is a strategy that you should keep using, to go further and stand out in your application you have to do something else. The most direct way to contact someone is through emails. Therefore especially for jobs at prestigious companies whose number of candidates is on average 500, send an email directly to the recruiter so that surely your application will not go unnoticed but will be even more appreciated. By doing so you will show that you have that extra something and that you spent time researching the company, the team and especially the recruiter’s email contact.
It rare to find the email contact of a recruiter online, that’s why, as Abby, a student of Break into the fashion industry explains in a video review, this strategy impressed the recruiter who asked her how she managed to find her direct email address since online is not reported anywhere. “You hit the jackpot when a recruiter is impressed by your strategy” . In Break into the fashion industry Abby has learned how to find the emails of anyone who works in fashion even when they are not listed anywhere online.
2. Attend fashion events and collect contacts
Participating in industry events is the best way to meet in-person the people you admire. Try to attend as many events as possible and bring your business card with you, but above all try to collect as many email contacts as possible so you can reach out to these people and send in your presentation and CV. Many people in fashion have gotten a job in this way and it happens very often at our fashion panels that people leave with a job offer or a meeting outside the event to discuss a career opportunity.
3. Consider the relationship of the fashion groups
The big fashion groups such as LVMH and Kering for example, are like a big family. Even if inside there are brands in their own right, it is as if everyone, in the end, is part of a single company. The relationships are therefore much stronger and there are online portals in common and accessible to the employees of each brand of the group. Switching from one brand to another is much easier if you are inside the group. Everyone dreams of working for Gucci so it is more difficult to get a job there, why not join another brand of the group such as Brioni whose number of applicants is for sure lower? Switching from Brioni to Gucci will be much easier than entering a brand within the group for the first time.
4. Follow up
If you are really interested in a position, you need to reinforce your application by following up. Follow up after 7-10 days from your application and from the day of your job interview if you don’t hear back from the company. In this way you will strengthen your interest in the position. Some fashion managers consider only candidates who follow up after the application because they show that they are really interested in that position and not to consider it one of the many to whom they applied.
5. The informational interview
Research your favorite brands and the company’s key people. Find them on LinkedIn and introduce yourself by saying you admire their career and would like to meet them for 15 minutes to get some career advice. This meeting is called “informational interview” and I will serve you not only to ask career advice but it’s also a great way to establish a relationship with someone within the fashion industry,
6. Cold email people
Don’t wait for your favorite company or the person you admire (such as a stylist) to open a position to apply. Research who you want to work with and then reach out to them directly via LinkedIn, Instagram or email. Many people end up getting internships and job this way. Nowadays, because of the Internet and social media, there is no excuse to know every person inside the industry.
7. Find a mentor
A mentor can be someone who works in the field, a professor, your boss during your internship, a expert of the industry. Research people you admire and contact them for career advice. A mentor is a guide who will support you in the beginning phase of your career. Generally, people who work in fashion are always busy so it is always better to have more than one mentor. Glam Observer members and students can count on my support and those of other industry professionals thanks to the monthly mentorships.
8. Intern as much as you can
I cannot recommend interning highly enough. It’s a great way to meet people and get recommendations for future work. If you work hard, make yourself indispensable and your work is valuable, then your internship can lead to full-time jobs or recommendations.
Want to learn more tips to make it in fashion? Register to my free online masterclass where I share my 4 top strategies to get a job in fashion. quickly
This was a greattttt article. Thank you!