How to start your career in fashion from scratch

Thousands of fashion enthusiasts like you wake up every day with the dream of getting a job in fashion. For many, however, this dream becomes almost a nightmare as soon as they begin the job search process as the fashion industry seems very close, and entering it looks almost an impossible challenge, especially with no experience. But trust me, it is absolutely possible to start your career in fashion from scratch. Everyone did it: the most famous designers, stylists, photographers, buyers … everyone started their career with a short resume. And if they did, you can too get a job in fashion even if you don’t have experience yet. So let’s see how you can start your career in fashion from scratch.

First of all, this is not an easy industry, so be prepared for a lot of hard work and perseverance.

Secondly, let’s dispel the two most common (false) myths related to getting a job in fashion:

1. You can’t work in fashion if you didn’t’ study fashion
2. You can’t work in fashion if you don’t have experience in this industry

The first myth is false because fashion companies hire equally those who studied at a fashion school and who have not. Especially for fashion careers such as PR, marketing, styling, editor, and buyer … it is absolutely not necessary to study fashion and I assure you that most of the people who hold one of these roles do not come from fashion schools.
For a career as a designer, it is more likely that companies are looking for someone who studied something related to fashion, but also, in this case, there are exceptions.

In the vast majority of the cases, fashion companies prefer and give more importance to the experience than your education. However even if you have no experience yet there is space for you. Like I said in the first paragraph, everyone started from scratch. If you think about it it’s kind of logic, right? Everyone starts somewhere and if you are only findind jobs that require experience, it’s probably because you are making some mistakes in your job search.

So what’s the first step if you don’t have experience yet?

The first thing to do is to start with fashion internships.

It is impossible to get a full-time job in fashion if you don’t have at least 6 months / 1 year of internships at your back. No company will offer you a full-time job without previous internship experience. This 6 months/1-year period does not have to be consecutive in the same company. You can do 2 months of internship at XYZ, 1 month at ABC … what’s important is to accumulate a total period of at least 6 months of internships before applying for a full-time fashion job.

Luckily, companies publish way more internship opportunities than any other type of job. So you will have a wide choice.

And yes, internships in 90% of cases do not require previous experience, therefore they are suitable for students or recent graduates.

Even if you are still studying, you can already start building your career in fashion by interning in the summer during the school break or accepting part-time internships to manage together with your school. In this way, you will carry on your experience and if you can accumulate some quite good internships during college, then you can apply directly for a full-time job after just graduating.

I often receive emails asking if you can intern even if you’re not a student anymore. The truth is, there are two main types of internships: those just for students, usually for college credits, and those open to anyone: new graduates, people with little experience or even those who come from another industry.

Therefore it is important to read carefully the job description and requirements of each fashion internship before applying. If an internship is only open to students and you are no longer in school, find the next one.

Even though I’ve just said that companies publish fashion internships quite often, getting one is not so simple because of the competition in this industry.

Now I want to tell you something that I hope you will carry with you forever. In a competitive industry such as fashion, you cannot wait for opportunities to knock at your door. Whether you are at the beginning of your career or later, you have to get out there and build your name. Be resourceful. If you use unconventional strategies that impress recruiters, you win!

Fashion internships are therefore the first step for those who want to start a career in fashion from scratch … so how do you get your first one?

The first thing you should do to get your first fashion internship, of course, is to build your CV and Cover letter. It’s super important that these documents are fitted to each job, so don’t write them today and use them for all the jobs, but tweak them every time.

If you are looking to get a creative job such as a fashion designer role, a portfolio is also a must to have. In this article however, I explain why a portfolio is not for fashion designers only and how to build one for each career option.

In addition to the traditional online application, you can try unconventional strategies such as sending an email directly to the recruiter or the person you want to work with (the stylist or editor…). In this free masterclass, I share 3 unconventional strategies to break into fashion and give more details on how to email directly people and companies. Click here to register for free. Do not just wait for your favorite company to publish an internship or job online, but apply spontaneously. Students of my online course have seen amazing results using this strategy as they have impressed the recruiters.

Together with fashion internships, these are some other career options you can explore if you are at the beginning of your career:

• work backstage during fashion week as a dresser. Brands are always looking for help during a fashion show for a couple of hours/one day to help with some practical tasks. If you live in a fashion capital, you should consider this opporunity during fashion weeks. If you are not living in a fashion capital you might want to reach out to brands first, and if you get one or more of these opportunities, you could book your flight to your favorite fashion city and enjoy this experience for a day or two. Even if this experience is very short (and intense!) , you are still entering the fashion industry and slowly building your experience plus your first connections. Plus you can for sure add it to your resume.
• If you dream of a career at a fashion publication you can start your blog or reach out to some other fashion blogs or online magazines
• If you are an aspiring stylist, reach out to some stylists and ask if you can help/assist even for a couple of hours per week or for one set only

Each experience, even the smallest and shortest, will bring you one step closer to the fashion career of your dreams.

You won’t likely start directly with the role of your dream such as editor, stylist, buyer…there are many steps to get there.You’ll start by doing the most practical tasks and assisting other people. Most of the internships in fashion are practical, but I assure you that even bringing coffee or making photocopies will take you one step closer to your end goal. Even when you think you deserve a better job after everything you studied, just know that everyone, even today’s top fashion professionals, started from the bottom doing the most practical stuff such as packing and unpacking boxes and running the boss’ errands around the city.

Don’t underestimate the power of connections.

When you are at the beginning of your career in fashion, you have zero experience and most likely zero connections as well. In fashion, most of the jobs are assigned through word of mouth. So whether you are still studying or have just graduated, if you have decided to start a career in fashion, you cannot fail to start building your own fashion network.

Thanks to Instagram and LinkedIn today it is easier than ever to get in touch with an editor, stylist, buyer … If you are intimidated by senior figures, start creating connections with fellow interns or assistants, you will feel more comfortable sending a message on IG or LinkedIn.

Build genuine and not only interest-based relationships and when the time is right, then you can ask.

When you start your career in fashion from scratch, it’s important to start somewhere. Once you are inside, it will be easier to find the next opportunity, especially thanks to the connections that you are building. If the company you work for cannot extend your internship period, your colleague could recommend you for a job in another company.

In order for this to happen, it is absolutely necessary to work hard, be responsible and reliable and handle every task, even bringing coffees, with the utmost precision and seriousness. From the moment you set foot in the company, whatever role you are playing, you are building your reputation within the entire fashion industry, not just in that company.

Although from the outside fashion seems a large industry, in the end, everyone knows each other. So establish a great relationship with everyone and be the one to recommend.

It takes patience and above all a strategy in place to see results. Do not apply for a single internship and wait for the company’s call. Apply for 10 internships every day until you get the job. Results come from the actions we repeat daily and constistently, not from something we do once.

Want more tips and a strategy for your job search? Register for my free masterclass here