If you’re looking for your perfect role in fashion retail, the first step is to ensure you are certain which particular sector you are aiming for – designer, high street or online.
Find your role
Next you need to find out what roles exist in your chosen part of the industry and which would suit your skills best. There are a huge range of careers available in a variety of fields – merchandising, purchasing, management, logistics to name but a few. Some retailers offer graduate training programmes while others only take on experienced candidates who have already held a retail position.
Fashion is not just about creativity – there are opportunities for people who are qualified in business, management, design, creative arts or economics. Once you have identified the possible roles you want to go for, do your homework and research them all carefully. Make sure your CV is fully up to date with all your relevant experience. Then research the brand, learn about their products and target market so that you will know what you are talking about in an interview.
Get the Job
A manoeuvre that candidates sometimes make is to apply for one role in order to get access to a company, when the role they really want is not even on offer – they are hoping to get a foot in the door and then work their way up. There is nothing wrong with this as a long-term plan but the important thing is not to tell the employer that this is what you have in mind. If you go this route be prepared to keep quiet and work hard for a while before you get your dream opportunity within the company. You can get more specific advice on this from a good industry recruiter.
Key skills that fashion brands are often looking for are solid customer service ethics, dynamism, flexibility, relationship management and a strong ability to network and make contacts. It can also be more of a way of life than just a job so ensure you are prepared to live the fashion lifestyle.
Think twice before taking any examples of your work from a previous job – you may inadvertently be making yourself look like an indiscreet, disloyal person, who they might think twice about employing. Ensure that anything you do take is not betraying anything about your previous firm at all – just enough to show off your skills and no more! Similarly, try not to bad-mouth your old company. Be as diplomatic as you can while explaining why this prospective new firm is so much more appealing than your previous one.
Finally, it might sound obvious but look as good as you can in the interview. Dress stylishly but not too flamboyantly (unless it suits the brand you are applying for of course!). You can incorporate one or two of that brand’s items in your outfit, but don’t dress head to toe in it as that might be a bit excessive!
David Spencer is a freelance writer with experience in giving job seeking advice. His top tip is to use a specialist recruiter for your chosen industry such as fashion recruitment at www.retailchoice.com
