How to stand out from other applicants when applying for a job in fashion 

Fashion is a highly competitive industry. You might have heard that or experienced it in practice when you applied for many jobs but didn’t get any responses. Whether it’s your first time applying for a job or internship in fashion or you already tried but are considering changing something about your application strategies, you may be wondering how to stand out from other applicants. 

When aspiring fashion professionals first approach the industry and face rejections from companies, I’ve noticed during my 7 years as a career mentor that many of them immediately think that the reason for not getting the job is because they didn’t study fashion or don’t have any experience. However, this is not the reason.

You can get started in the fashion industry even if you didn’t attend a fashion school. Also, even if you have no previous experience. Second, consider that many today possess a fashion degree and some have experience and still can’t land a job or internship. This is proof that these two only are not factors that will guarantee you a job or help you stand out. 

Applying for a Job or Internship

When you apply for a job or internship in fashion, what you are really competing with other applicants is your application strategies and how you present yourself to companies.

Fashion and luxury companies are not looking for candidates who can check the boxes “attended a fashion school”, “have a degree in business, journalism…”, “have 2 years of experience”. They are looking for people with potential, who are highly enthusiastic about fashion and building a career in this field, eager to learn and thinking out-of-the-box. 

In 2023, (and 2024 getting close) the traditional job application strategies are old-fashioned and don’t work as well anymore. So you need other things to stand out. I cracked the job application codes when I was looking for my first fashion internship. I used unconventional strategies and landed 3 internships – Alexander McQueen, Santoni, and Fendi (I chose AMQ 🙂 )

In this article, I wanted to share a few tips that worked for me with you and explain how you can impress recruiters and stand out from other candidates when applying for a job in fashion. 

How to stand out from other applicants when applying for a job in fashion 

Don’t apply online only

Looking for vacancies online is the first thing that comes to mind when you want to find a fashion job. It’s a reflex: you need a job, you Google current openings. “How else am I supposed to find a job, Giada? Knock on the recruiter’s door and ask for one?”, you may ask. That’s exactly what I recommend you to do (figuratively). 

While it’s true that fashion companies post many job and internship offers online (on their career websites, Linkedin, etc.) and thus I encourage you to apply to them, there are several issues with limiting your job search to job boards online: 

1. On average, 500 people apply for the same job. So the competition is high and your application needs to be really, really good. This is important for you to stand out from a giant pool of applicants. It’s not impossible to be the lucky candidate to get hired, especially if you send a brilliant resume and cover letter and ace the job interview. However, the hiring process is generally longer because there are many applications to review.

2. Waiting for your dream job/internship to get posted online can take a long time, so this is not the best strategy if you want to get not just any job but your dream job and fast as well. 

3. The vacancies you see online are not the only ones fashion companies have for you. If you don’t see a job or not enough posted, it doesn’t mean that brands aren’t looking for new people at all or for a specific position. It simply means they are hiring through word of mouth, internally, OR they are planning to hire but didn’t post the offer online YET.

Send Cold Emails

Therefore, I recommend you to adopt a far more effective strategy: sending a cold email to companies. You should reach out to designers, stylists, editors, buyers…depending on the department you want to work in, and ask if they have an internship opportunity for you. Of course, you shouldn’t just say “Hey, do you have a job for me?” but send your application, so the same as you would do by applying for a job offer online 😉

Cold emails are very effective. They go straight to the person’s inbox instead of remaining with a giant pile of other applications when you apply through a job board. This way, you increase your chances of getting noticed by recruiters. Plus, they appreciate candidates who think out of the box. They are likely to be impressed by your initiative and motivation. It can also create a job spot for you even if they weren’t thinking about hiring or not yet! It’s a strategy that works well, especially for internships because brands almost always need an extra hand. So if come to them directly and offer them your help by asking for an internship, they might say yes. If you want to learn how to cold email effectively, I teach about it in my free masterclass.

Don’t send just your resume

A resume is always a must-have no matter the fashion job you apply for. It’s a standard. However, if you wish to go further, push your application. Stand out from other applicants. Don’t do only what’s asked and expected from you aka sending your CV. However, be proactive and send other documents to support your application. 

I always recommend sending a cover letter even when it’s not expressly requested. It can explain more things about you that a resume cannot. A cover letter allows you to develop the information you included in the CV. It helps express your enthusiasm for the role. Remember to always tailor it to the specific position. 

You can also send a video presentation of yourself, or a TikTok resume. It helps to build a more direct and personal connection with the recruiter and be remembered. 

So, if you want to stand out, get creative with your application. Add some extra documents instead of your resume. 

Build a portfolio

Another great way to stand out and be remembered by recruiters is by sending a fashion portfolio. It’s usually not requested unless you apply for a job/internship in fashion design, styling, photography, writing, or another creative job. So if you send one applying for a marketing, buying, merchandising, e-commerce, social media…position, for which a portfolio is not a must but a nice to have, recruiters will be impressed by your initiative. 

Contrary to what you might believe, you don’t need experience. Don’t wait until you get a senior role to build a portfolio. You can use any relevant projects you did at school, university, or freelancing. You can even use experience just for the sake of building a portfolio! In my online course Break into the Fashion Industry course, I teach exactly how to create a portfolio without previous experience. 

Develop your skills

In the past, when few people had access to higher education and there was less competition, the school one attended and what one studied mattered a lot. Nowadays, since almost everyone has a degree, it’s not a rare thing anymore. So, the thing recruiters pay the most attention to now is the skills.

The more skills you have, the more qualified and employable you are. If you speak several languages, know how to use some computer programs like Photoshop, WordPress, and Google Analytics, if you are super organized, have an analytical mindset, or have any other hard or soft skills, they are a valuable asset for companies. 

There isn’t enough time to learn every skill in the world, and there is no need. By the way, because it depends on the role you want to pursue. You don’t need to know how to sew and sketch if you want to work in PR. Also, you don’t need to know how to write a press release if you want to become a stylist. However, if you are wondering if there is a skill that is useful in every fashion job, the answer is yes: it’s Microsoft Excel. 

Excel is used in 90% of fashion jobs. From creative roles to business-oriented careers, and therefore it’s requested in almost any job offer. So I highly recommend learning it. I teach it in my online course Excel for fashion. 

Polish your online presence

If you think that how you are perceived by brands is only defined by the application you submit, you are wrong. Your online presence plays an important part too. 

It’s common for recruiters to check the candidates’ social media profiles. Unfortunately, many applicants forget that or think that the digital presence doesn’t matter. Besides making sure you have clean and professionally acceptable, good-looking social media profiles (not only LinkedIn but also Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok…), which is the basis to not create a bad first impression about you, you can use your online presence as an advantage to get noticed by recruiters and expose your work. For example, you can launch a blog or a newsletter, or even show your passion for fashion on social media. 

Additional tips to show your motivation and stand out from other candidates

The answer to that may sound obvious and simple to you: because you love fashion, right? In this article, I explained how to answer the common job interview question. The questions include “Why do you want to work in fashion?” However, today, I want to share with you 2 additional tips that you can apply to demonstrate your motivation to work in fashion. These can show your enthusiasm for the specific role. 

Network Via Informational Interviews

First, I recommend you to network with fashion professionals. There are many ways to do so. It can be by connecting with them on LinkedIn, attending events, and more. However, there is another effective strategy you may not have heard of yet: Informational interviews. 

If you want to learn more about a career in the fashion industry, you can reach out to a fashion professional. Ask them for an informational interview. It’s not meant for asking for a job. However, rather informing yourself about the different careers and start growing your network. If you mention in your cover letter or job interview that you talked to some fashion professionals to learn about the fashion industry and the different careers, your motivation will shine through. 

Take Online Courses

Another way you can show your passion for the industry is by taking online courses. The person who interviewed me for my internship at Alexander McQueen wasn’t impressed by my degree in Luxury fashion management. However, the online courses I took that I indicated in my resume because it was a proof of my interest in fashion and my dedication to learn more about it outside of my formal education. Therefore, I recommend you to adopt the same strategy. 

Ready to launch your fashion career even if you didn’t study fashion and have no experience? Register for my free masterclass where I share 3 insightful tips that will get you started in the industry.