Breaking into the fashion industry is a highly competitive venture. Every year, thousands of applicants hope they can turn their love of fashion into a career, with only a small few being successful. As brands continue to grow and use more social media as parts of their marketing strategies, demand grows for those looking to enter the world of digital fashion.
But just how should you go about looking and applying for digital fashion jobs? Below are some steps that can help take you from reading about the biggest brands to actually working for them!
Know What Employers Want
When looking to apply for jobs in the digital fashion industry, it is important to know what skillsets employers are looking for in their potential new employees. An interest in fashion is a given, but do you also have a strong command of written communication and do you have any retail experience? You may not have done an internship, but if you’ve been blogging while working in a customer service role you can still exhibit the qualities desired from digital fashion leaders.
Find the Right Vacancy
It may sound like common sense, but when looking for a job it’s very important to find positions that balance your interests with your skill set. If you’re creative and enjoy writing, then you may flourish in public relations and marketing. If you’re more analytical, you may want to try a position in E-commerce. If you’re unsure what area you should try and target, make a list of your skills and interests and then start looking at the qualities associated with each job.
Your Resume and Cover Letter
Keeping your résumé up to date is essential, but so is tailoring it along with your cover letter to each positionyou apply for. For each vacancy, look at the qualities and experience that they deem essential and desired and try to write about them in your CV. Your CV should say why you’re perfect specifically for that job, followed by your résumé which has all of your detailed information. If you are submitting an application electronically, consider placing a hyperlink to your LinkedIn profile or personal website (if you have one). If you’ve been blogging for years about your favourite brands and built a small online following, it will go a long way to showing your keen interest in entering the digital fashion industry.
Interview
Like all jobs, interviews can seem daunting but with suitable preparation you can make things a lot easier. Unless you’re told otherwise, it’s best to dress smart with professional clothes in a relaxed manner. Arrive suitably early so you aren’t just in time or hanging around and remain calm. Employers know that interviews can be stressful, so they’ll try and make you as comfortable as possible. Remember that an interview is a chance for the employer to understand how you can fit in but also an opportunity for you to check you would be happy working there. Always have a few questions to ask them such as career progression, training programs and what other industry events the company attends.
Keep on Top of Fashion Trends
In the fashion industry, it is important to be aware of the latest trends. This can usually be found on various E-commerce websites or within “Lookbooks”. A lookbook is a collection of photographs compiled to show a new range or collection and most brands will have one on their website however; sometimes they can be hidden from the public. If this is the case, then you can use search operators within Google and type a ‘search string’ in the search bar using speech marks; ‘lookbook‘ and ‘name of company’. This will help you find more lookbooks of the company you would like to work for and can put you in good stead in the interview room having previous knowledge of their collections and collaborations.
Good luck with your job interviews and with searching for your dream job in the digital fashion industry!
