Finding a job in fashion is not exactly one of the easiest things in the world. On the contrary, it represents the biggest obstacle of all those who dream of entering this sector. The fashion industry is very competitive, there are so many people who are keen on working in this sector that, although there are many fashion companies or agencies, the job offers are always less than those who are applying. Most of the times, the job research process become stressful and in some cases hopeless.
Generally, every company publishes the job offers online, but just because word of mouth is the most powerful way to get a job in fashion, in a large part the jobs, especially those that are not internships, are assigned for word of mouth: one person knows another who works in a company and changes role by moving into the new, without the offer ever being published online and therefore without you being able to apply. This is why in this post, I will explain the importance of a spontaneous application and how to cold pitch companies to get a fashion job.
Cold pitching companies for jobs means that the company does not have an open position that is right for you, so you will have to contact the company by introducing yourself, showing your interest and explaining your ideal position based on your previous experiences. If you worked in marketing previously, and your favorite company currently has no open position in this department, you can contact the company explaining your skills and saying that you are interested in working there.
Compared to when you apply for a position opened by the company, the chances of getting a job through a spontaneous application are lower, especially for large structured companies. But many times, a well-made spontaneous application allows you to receive a job offer: maybe the company needs someone with your expertize but has not yet published the job offer because they are looking among their contacts or because they will shortly open it or the person covering your future ideal role resigns one week after your cold pitch email. You never know what happens in the company, so why miss opportunities? Some companies may be impressed by your spontaneous application to the point of setting up an interview to meet you in person and open a position for you or keep your application for a future position. The need for cold pitching companies is even stronger if you work as a freelancer where you’ll spend 60% of your time introducing you and your services to potential customers or companies you would like to work with. If you’re scared of a spontaneous candidacy because you think it is indiscreet, just think that you have nothing to lose and the worst that can happen is that no one will get back to you, in any case since there is no open position, you would not have had anyway the chance to work for that company.
Cold pitching companies
A spontaneous application is much more effective with small or startup companies. So if on Instagram you notice a brand or any company which you would like to work with, don’t hesitate to send an email right away, without waiting for a position to open because in general new companies rarely hire new people by posting their job offers online. This is also valid if you would like to work with a stylist or blogger: they could announce on their social media that they are looking for an assistant but they will never use sites like LinkedIn to post a job offer, so email the person directly explaining why you would like to work together and what would you like to help with.
How to submit a spontaneus job application:
- Identify your favorite companies
Make a list of companies you would like to work for and after monitoring them for a while, if no position opens, get ready to cold pitch them. Make sure you do all the necessary online research on the company and be prepared to customize the application. Some companies allow you to make a spontaneous application from their Career page, if this is the case, it’s easier because you can upload your resume and add a message with your motivation. - Find the recruiter’s contact
If there is no option to apply spontaneously, it is time to do some research. Start from LinkedIn and look for the recruiters working in that company. A large fashion company will have different recruiters in charge of a specific department. If you can’t figure out which department is an HR from LinkedIn, you need to start from someone and then reach out to the other recruiters of the company as you do not receive feedback. I explained to you how to identify the emails of all those who work in fashion, generally, most use the format [email protected]. From LinkedIn you find their name and surname and so the first big step, to find the contact is gone. If instead, you want to work for a new company, the best person to contact is the founder himself unless you saw on Linkedin that there is someone who takes care of the recruitment. - Write a powerful email
Writing an e-mail that is so effective to impress the recruiter is not so simple and represents the most difficult part of the spontaneous application. You have to be professional, make a brief and concise description of yourself, because for the rest you will attach the CV to the email. You have to explain in a total of about 7 lines who you are, why you would like to work in that company and why you are spontaneously applying and in particular what your skills are and in which role or better still department you would be an excellent resource based on your experiences and skills. You have to “sell” yourself to the company by highlighting your best skills and referring to goals achieved during previous experiences, better if you can make examples with numbers. If you want to spontaneously apply for an internship, you can leverage your studies and play the card of your desire to gain experience and in this case, it can help offer forinternship even without compensation.
Here is an email example:
Dear [HR name],
My name is …. and I am [current job, just graduated in]. Thanks to my previous experiences in which I played the role of … and I took care of … I developed skills in … . I would like to be able to contribute with my skills to your company that I have esteemed for a long time [you can enter specific company details to demonstrate knowledge and ensure that it is not an email that you copy / paste to everyone]
Please find attached my resume for more details regarding my previous experiences. In particular [this experience] allowed me to …
It would be a privilege to be able to meet you in order to evaluate my skills and the possibility of a placement in the company.
These are my contacts [phone number] and [email] do not hesitate to contact me for further information or to arrange a meeting.
Kind regards,
Name and surname
4. Follow up
If you have not received a reply after a week, you can follow up by sending a second e-mail emphasizing your interest in a career in that company and asking again if it is possible to meet up or setting up a call.
