The Diary of a Fashion Intern is a new weekly series where you can read the inspiring stories of fashion interns.
Last week Lilly Meuser introduced herself and today in this second part she will tell us her job interview experiences.
How to get an interview. How to perfectly prepare for an interview. How to dress properly. All these questions seem to at least appear once in anybody’s lives. And I guess there is no universal answer.
I have already had a couple of interviews. Whether it was for a place at fashion journalism university or certain internships and mini-jobs. It has always been a different game. Of course, there are similar ways of how the interviews are structured, but the rest depends on the company, the job/internship you apply for and obviously your own personality and motivation.
I now want to tell you a little about my recent experiences.
Throwback:
I got the contact details of the PR agency through my second internship at a Label in London. They were incredibly supportive, as I always helped them out during the most hectic and most painful time of the season and never complained about anything.
(First tip: It does not matter how glamorous the internship is. It can always be a door-opener for your next steps. So be positive, humbled and never forget that it is just the beginning of your journey.)
I instantly mailed the email address they gave me and further more decided to print out the CV to personally hand it in. I sadly did not get to meet the busy manager and CEO at their office but I passed my application to a girl at the door and told her that I would be pleased to hearing from them soon.
I did not receive a response for days and days.
However, I never lose motivation when it comes to something I would love doing so I mailed them over and over again. I resent my CV and letter of motivation and surprisingly got a response of the CEOs assistance who invited me over for an interview.
***Check out our fashion companies-approved CV Templates***
As you all might know: The days before an interview are the most stressful.
You lay in bed and repeat the phrases you intend telling them over and over again. You think about the most appropriate clothing that fits the company but still represent your personality. You read the company’s history a million times until you are almost better aware of the detailed then the company itself. And not to forget: you hold endless conversations with yourself – brightly smiling – in front of the mirror. The day of the interview almost feels kind of relieving, doesn’t it?
I decided to wear something young and fashionable that still looks serious and grown-up. So I wore a black casual leather jacket, a good white shirt, black trousers with an orange and white stripe on the leg and clean white sneakers.
(Second tip:Â Always pay attention to a good manicure and do not wear too much make-up -Except for the case that you are looking for a make-up internship/job).
(Third tip:Â Always take a couple of your CV in printed version with you in case they do not remember everything).
The interview itself has been really calm and quick. My boss told me before: Imagine them with panties sitting on the couch interviewing you. That is how I did a couple of interviews but no one ever realizes it and I really stayed focused and calm with this imagery in mind.
They asked me for the reason why I decided to apply for a PR internship and why I moved to London, what kind of experience I have and why I think that I have the qualifications for a PR intern position. I tried to stay professional but friendly and with a certain sense of humour as well to break the ice in the first minutes. I experienced a friendly atmosphere in the end and I were quite convinced I made a good impression, even though the interview only took fifteen minutes.
(Fourth tip:Â Try to present yourself and your experience as impressive and important as possible, even though it might have just been an assistance position. If you have answered the telephone some time or if you welcomed costumers: Nobody knows that you were not the person managing the incoming calls and it is not wrong that you had to held conversations with important people who are working together with the company. And it definitely sounds like a lot of responsibility.)
They told me they would get back to me soon so I waited… And waited… And waited. On day six I decided to mail them and two days later I received a mail of a college saying, that the girl responsible for me would be on holiday and she would get back to me as soon as she would be back at the office. I waited…
I got the offer for an internship position at their agency two days later and I could not be prouder.
Now I am sitting on my FlixBus for about twelve hours to get back to London.
Somehow nervous, but more than motivated to finally get started I am writing this article now.
Always think of the internship as some kind of ladder to your success. And do not forget to have fun.
I will keep you updated about my journey and experiences I will make during the next couple of months.
Stay tuned and have a lovely day.
Lilly x
