It’s been a year since I graduated and I am still looking for my dream job.– Sound familiar?
Fashion Faux pas no.1 – To try and get your ‘dream job’ in fashion is almost impossible you are looking for something that may not even exists – except in the vicinity of your imagination. I am a fashion journalist, working as an editor for my own magazine that came about when I realised the difficulty in finding jobs.Hours, weeks and months of applying through the basic list of fashion websites that offer jobs to creative individuals I figured out that you need to be committed and know what sort of company you want to work for before you even scroll through a list of jobs on websites and apply to roles for which you may or may not get a reply for.
So, a couple of hundred e-mails of ‘unfortunately on this occasion your application has not been successful’ after, I figured I need more than just a general fashion job site to get what I want. Here is the ultimate guide of job sites you want to have an online presence with.
YOUR DIGITAL TRUTH
Always be true to your skills, abilities and what you can do. Showing off is really the way forward to getting the type of job you want, learn the skills required for what you want to do and put it out there in the world – digital and real – and show recruiters what you are made of. Be true online and offline – this means that yes show off your skills on a social platform or portfolio websites and repeat this when you are in an interview – have a print portfolio to take in with you even if your social media channels are buzzing – this shows professionalism and also that you are aware that you do not just cater to a digital platform. When you create online profiles with Linkedin and other job websites – make sure you are sticking true to what you have done and what it is you aim to do and achieve in the future. It shows dedication and shows you are looking ahead in your career.
THE FASHIONWORKIE APPLICANT
Fashionworkie.com is a fantastic website that offers all creative jobs which range from internships, freelance and permanent roles. I have to admit Fashionworkie is the godfather of fashion jobs when you are looking to gain experience, learn and develop yourself as an artist. Most of my jobs have been from the website and I networked my way to the top which lead on to other jobs that helped me further my career.
Fashionworkie is the best website out there for creative individuals wanting to set a mark in the fashion world. Almost every intern I have hired and spoken to have used Fashionworkie. It offers quality individuals topped with quality job offers. One of the best assets of the website is that there is a whole paid section of freelance work offered and you have top notch companies such as Vogue, Elle, Hearst, Grazia, Karen Millen, Zara, Farfetch, Net-A-Porter, Mr Porter and many other established and emerging creative companies that are willing to pay for hard work.
THE INTERN LIFE
It’s easy to get carried away with various job titles and roles that offer you a new experience and yes it is fun to try out new opportunities as a student and intern but make sure you don’t get side tracked to another field and stay true to your work and aesthetics. Job sites like UKFashionjobs, Intern wardrobe, totaljobs and internwise offer creative jobs for the individual wanting to try and experiment with their career. There are all sorts of various and often random jobs that I must admit are interesting at times can really help you figure out what sort of creative job you want. It can get daunting at times and it is hard as a student and intern to figure out what it is you want and sometimes you feel the pressure all too much.
I KNOW WHAT I WANT
If you know you want to work with a fashion magazine then Hearst Careers, Conde Nast UK, Bauer Media Carers are just a few of the career websites you should be looking at. As a fashion journalist myself I have online profiles that I regularly update as soon as I get a new project or freelance job. Perks of joining these is that you are the first to know about career events, new jobs and you are being viewed by industry professionals who can see your growth and development online and possible offer you a role. Also, a programme called Conde Nast Talent pool offers unpaid work for students and interns wishing to gain industry experience.
UAL job site is also the perfect choice when looking for paid freelance work for creative individuals, however beware as they mostly pick students from UAL for the role – however if your work is good then you should consider applying for jobs through this site. You need to log in and create yourself a profile and then get browsing on the cool industry opportunities offered. BOF (Business of Fashion) is the leading digital platform for all business of fashion. BOF published articles and features about working in the fashion industry and also has a section for fashion jobs that are niche and specific.
#SOCIALMEDIA
I can’t stress how important this is for creative fields – especially when you are based in London. I recently read an article on ‘how important social media is for recruiters’ and one recruiter mentioned that if interviewee’s did not have an online presence they would be weary and would probably not consider them for the role.
Point noted. Get your social media going ladies and gents. This can also lead you to get jobs and as recruiters and companies are always browsing online and specially Instagram to look at how many followers you have. Your online digital presence says a lot about your lifestyle and who you are and what sort of jobs you may want. Most creative companies post jobs on the social media – again focusing on Instagram and targeting creative individuals, companies prefer a more personal approach and you can contact them directly which a much quicker way to secure the role as opposed to applying via email or job sites where you are competing with more than 1000 applicants. So take time to follow social media accounts of companies you wish to work for!
H&M now recruit models for their campaigns through social media – fashion and creative jobs rely on exposure and this is what social media gives you a solid base of followers who are interested in your life and the people you work with. Social media can be the beginning of many wonderful opportunities in creative fields.
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Visit | FASHION WORKIE
Visit | CONDE NAST CAREERS
Visit | HEARST CAREERS
Visit | BAUER MEDIA
Visit | UAL Careers
