If you read our post on how to write a CV that works with fashion companies, then surely you got an interview that you will have successfully passed and got your internship in Fashion!
First of all, congratulations! Now it’s time to show the company what you’re capable of. Making a good impression while you’re a fashion intern is essential not only to get a permanent job later but, above all, because this is how you start creating your reputation within the fashion industry, which is mainly made up of connections. The next big chance of your career will come if you show how much you are worth to everyone.
Once you’re in, you’re in. It is much easier then to be able to turn your fashion internship into a permanent job in a company that already knows you and knows how much you are worth, compared to getting a promotion entering a new company.
This is because, first of all, when you are a fashion intern, nobody will pretend that you are a magician of excel or that you will face all situations alone, so it is the right opportunity to amaze everyone by showing that you are capable and exceed expectations.
I also started as an intern and following these simple rules that I am about to share with you, I got two job offers: one from the company where I was doing the internship and another, from a company with whom I was in contact for work.
Here’s how to be the best fashion intern ever and get a permanent job right away
1.Be proactive
Did you finish your work? Do not stop there staring at your laptop or looking around. Ask your boss if there’s anything else you could help him with.
If he doesn’t have any other tasks for you, you can:
- Study the programs, processes and files with which you will work: as soon as you start as a fashion intern you are not very familiar with the company programs and this is the right time to become more practical. Same with the excel files you work on that maybe someone has already set up for you. Analyze those files and try to understand them thoroughly. Spend some time doing the analysis, even if you are not asked, so you will understand more about the progress of the business and when it will be necessary, you will have the answer ready.
- Ask someone else if you can help. If your boss has no other job for you, why not helping some of your colleagues? In this way, you will not only show how proactive and willing you are, but you will also learn more about another role.
2. Make things right away
Everyone in a fashion company is in a hurry. Although it is true that we do not save human lives, everyone wants to get things done right away. When I was asked to do something I did not even wait a second that I was already working on it to deliver the best job possible in the shortest time. Do not procrastinate on things, because if you don’t do something now, that activity will still remain on your to-do list and at some point, you will have to do it yourself. Take care of it now and see how satisfied you will feel if you can even complete all your work before the end of the day.
3. Be on time in the morning and do not be in a hurry in the evening
Arrive on time and even better, if you can, arrive earlier than your boss. 15-20 minutes earlier is great so You’ll also have time to get into the working mode, check your activities for the day and even your boss’s to-do list so when he/she will get into the office you can help with his agenda. In the evening, don’t count the seconds to 6:00 pm. No one forces you to stay beyond your regular work hours but is a good rule to not leave before your boss unless he asked you to go after you asked if there is anything else you can help him with. This applies if you have already completed all your activities of the day. It is obvious to say that you can’t go until all the work has been completed. This is why it is not convenient to waste time during the day. I rarely happened to stay after 19:00 (office hours was 9-18) because during the day I was always very productive and arrived at 18:00 with the whole to-do list completed. As a fashion intern, you have to show that you want to work and that you love what you do to the point that it’s not a pain if you have to work late at night.
4. Take notes
During your first days at the office as a fashion intern, someone who could be your boss, the HR or one of your colleagues, will explain you everything. From how the company works to your laptop password, to your emails, to the people with whom you will have to work. Take note of everything, because even if at that moment it seems an obvious information, I assure you that the next day you will forget something and there is nothing worse than going to your boss to ask again a password or how a program, that he explained you for two hours the day before, works. Take a notebook and write down everything. If you do not feel comfortable writing while someone is talking to you, kindly say that you prefer to take notes while they are explaining.
5. Be humble
You must learn as much as you can from anyone.As soon as you arrive at the office, as far as you can be prepared, you can not know what the business is like and how people work in that office. So be humble, show your desire to learn and socialize with people. You must be a sponge at the beginning and want to absorb and learn as much as possible. Be kind and helpful to everyone, because you never know who you are talking to.
The first few days at the office as a fashion intern are always a bit confusing, but over time, you will gain that confidence and knowledge and then you will be able to express your opinions and even propose improvements to the business. During the first meetings, it is better to listen in silence to understand how people think, how the business works and what their vision is. After a few months, you will have acquired the necessary knowledge that will allow you to express your thoughts, constructive opinion and your vision of things. People will observe you during the internship to understand what kind of resource you are, what is your way of thinking if you have integrated with the rest of the team and if you have understood the needs of the business. So be spontaneous but always give the best of yourself.
If you follow the advice above and show you have a good view of the brand and reasoning skills then your internship will be great and you will surely get a permanent job and other career opportunities.
