Interning is your way to get into the fashion industry when you have no experience yet.
Summer is the most popular time to intern in fashion. It’s usually when students don’t have classes and it’s the period that follows graduations so there is the excitement to immediately entering the fashion industry.
With the global pandemic and the closure of fashion offices, summer internship opportunities this year are definitely fewer than usual, but don’t get discouraged because you can already look for a fall fashion internship which is not less exciting than a summer one!
Whether you are among the lucky ones whose summer internship is secured or those whose internship for the summer has been canceled or postponed or you haven’t found anything yet, if you want to intern this fall, you have to start looking for fall fashion internships now.
Fashion is a very competitive industry and when it comes to job applications, first come first served, so it’s better that you don’t think about your fall fashion internship last minute in September or October but plan it in advance to have more chances to get one. Also if you are considering to intern abroad you have to plan this in advance to make sure you have everything you need to move.
There are two main ways to get a fall fashion internship:
1.Start doing your online research by looking for the keyword “fall fashion internship”
Head over to LinkedIn or your job search website and type “fall internship” in the search bar. You can even filter the city if you already know that you want to intern in a certain city. You’ll find out that there are already some opportunities posted.
This is, in fact, the moment when companies start posting fall internships. Don’t stop here. Over the next weeks, companies will keep posting their fall internships so keep looking for these opportunities and apply to those that fit you!
You can for example set one or two days of the week such as Tuesday and Friday when you go through the job websites to see if there is anything new.
Before applying, don’t forget about the rules for the perfect application if you want to succeed and get responses from companies. Having a perfect CV tailored to the company and the position and an outstanding cover letter is fundamental to stand out among the 500 average applicants. So don’t rush your applications but take one day to tailor your documents to make sure you don’t waste opportunities.
If you want to do it quickly and be sure you apply the correct way to not waste an opportunity at your favorite companies, inside the online course Break into the fashion industry, you’ll find 3 CV templates and cover letter examples ready to be downloaded and used with MS Word, as well as the entire step-by-step system of unconventional strategies to stand out and get a job or internship in fashion! You can finish the course in a weekend and you are ready to apply for internships with no mistakes.
2. Cold email fashion companies
If looking for fall internships on the career websites works, this second strategy is more effective. Waiting for your favorite brand to post the perfect job offer made for you can be stressful and it can take a lot of time.
Don’t waste precious time you could be spending in the fashion industry by waiting for brands to open the position made for you, but cold email them every time you are looking for a job.
List your favorite fashion brands and start cold emailing them asking for an internship opportunity for fall 2020. Cold emailing companies is an effective strategy that works because it is more direct, in fact, you don’t apply online but you go straight into the inbox of the recruiters or managers. This means that there is less competition as you are not applying for a job they have posted which hundreds of people have access to, but you are introducing yourself pitching the company for an internship opportunity.
It’s important that you present yourself correctly with the cold email, that you show your strengths and passion for the brand and what skills you’ll bring to the company. Of course, you’ll attach your CV and any portfolio as well asking for a fall internship opportunity.
In case you are wondering, yes, in Break into the fashion industry you’ll learn how to find the emails of recruiters and any fashion professionals as well as what to write when you cold email companies.
Combining the first and the second strategy is an excellent way to make sure that you’ll secure a fall fashion internship soon so you’ll be able to enjoy your summer vacation knowing an exciting internship opportunity is waiting for you this fall!
For more tips on how to get your fashion internship, register for my free webinar where I teach 4 unconventional strategies to get a job in fashion.
