Which area of the Fashion Industry is best for you?

My entire time at fashion school I was constantly faced with the question, “Which area of the industry do you want to get into?”, being asked by my peers, family, friends, and teacher, and after a while, you start to feel the stress…and it’s only been 1 month. There are many different ways to identify which area of this industry is best for you, and you may fit into a few different areas. You won’t know for sure which job you’re destined to succeed in until you dive into work and actually learn what each title requires.

Whether you attend fashion school or you’re a fashion enthusiast wanting to join the world of fashion, I found that keeping track and writing down what my interests and skills are assisted me in determining which jobs I could benefit from. But remember just because you have excellent skills in something doesn’t mean you should automatically lean towards that for a career. You have to be able to enjoy the work you do or else what’s the point of hustling hard to get into the industry if you aren’t going to be happy?

Something that causes a lot of confusion is determining which of your passions you want just as a hobby, and which ones you want to strive for to make a career out of. Some creatives might have a skill for fashion illustration but choose to only keep that as a hobby while they work in Marketing or Buying. But the benefit of being a part of this wonderful industry is you have the flexibility to do more than one thing at a time. A lot of bloggers not only write but also venture into illustration, producing products, creative direction, etc. Whatever you decided to pursue as a career make sure you at least have one hobby that is your “safe haven”, it’s what you go to when you need to unwind and relax and it’s stress-free.

Because of the nature of our world everything is online, you can work for a company while living on the other side of the world or startup your own online business in a day. This gives us way more opportunities for jobs but also it makes the decision that much harder. You need to find what appeals to you most, working in an office, freelancing, owning your own business or working from home…there are so many options now and you could even do a couple at a time.

A trick I’ve found extremely helpful is visualization….also known as daydreaming. When you’re gazing off in the distance what are you thinking about? Which job would give you the ultimate “I’ve made it” moment? What city would you like to live in or may NEED to live in to fulfill your goals? Do you visualize yourself walking around an office, or sitting in a cafe shop working from your laptop? Write down your goals, however big they are and create an execution plan from there. A lot of people go into fashion for the money..but not all fashion jobs will make you a millionaire. You have to go into this industry with the right intentions…because you LOVE fashion and the art and would rather work somewhere in fashion while remaining broke than having tons of money doing a job that doesn’t satisfy you.

Lastly, get opinions from those who know you best. You could ask your fellow classmates, teachers, close friends, or even family members. Ask them what they think you’re good at and what they picture you doing. Sometimes they could come up with something that never occurred to you. However don’t make your decision primarily on what other people say and don’t let others influence you. Take their advice into consideration but it’s ultimately your decision and you are the only one who knows your inner most deepest passions. If you choose a job strictly based on someone else’s opinion you might end up in a job that you’re not passionate about and end up hating it and regret it.

So to put things on a “To-do list” format, here is your guide to help you identify which area of the industry is best for you.

Write down all your interests, skills, and passions. Also write down your weaknesses…identify them so you’re aware of them, and know what to work on.
Distinguish what your hobbies are and what you would like to do as a career.
Determine if you would like to work in an office environment, freelance, or run your own business.
List your goals; if you want to buy a house and settle down in one city, or travel the world with your job, jump from city to city every couple years, be a CEO, financial goals, etc.
Visualize what you want and where you want to be. What can you picture yourself doing everyday all day? What city are you living in? What do you want your daily routine to be?
Ask other people…but ultimately listen to yourself.