Advice: Education & Career Goals (PLEASE READ POST #1 BEFORE POSTING)

[BetteT]

Companies are much more willing to sponsor ... if you have actual work experience, beyond internships. They have to make a case to the US government that you have some special experience and work skills that makes it necessary for them to hire you, not just any US citizen right out of college. And that takes time. So, I would say your internship, if it leads to a real job, will be extremely valuable in helping you move towards your goal of moving to NY.

So your immediate goal should be building both education and work experience ... you have to get both done, before you will be a good candidate for a US Work visa. Since you have the internship now, in your chosen feild and your education can wait .... I'd seriously consider moving forward with the internship and finish the eduacation when you are able. That is ... if you really are focused on moving to NY to work.

 

[shoegal87]

Thank you so much BetteT for your precious advice!!!
You're totally right, I'll try my best to work and finish my master within December. I'll talk to my boss and see how many permissions they'll give me to study and do some research on my thesis!
It's seriously hard to do both but I'll do my best..

 

[shoegal87]

And Here I am again!!!!
Last week I found out there's an opening (but an internship as usual) in the buying dept of my company and I asked HR to switch from Brand Management to buying. I interviewed with both HR and then with the senior buyer and now it's up to my boss to decide if she's willing to let me switch position.
In the meantime i've been contacted by, let's say the biggest luxury group, for another position as a CRM assistant (yes, always internship) that's however very close to retail as it is buying. they do offer me more in terms of "salary" and of course it comes with all LVMH perks.
I'm awaiting responses from both of them but I know the buyer is willing to take me, it all depends on my boss. My colleagues told me I should switch to LVMH as it's a better opportunity but I feel bad after everything I done in order to have an interview with the buyer to tell them "I'm sorry but i'm leaving for another company"
What should I do?

 

[BetteT]

Here are the questions you need to ask yourself:

Why is LVHM a better opportunity? Is it really better? Or is it just more money? What will it do for your future, compared to having the new position in your company? Can you not learn as much with your own company? What will it do to your reputation if you bail on your company? How connected are they in the world you want to work in? What happens if LVMH or any other future employer ask them why you left ... what will they say about you? Will it hurt your reputation in the future?

Only you can answer these questions and figure this out.

But ... if they won't let you switch, then your answer might be clear ... so I'd probably wait to find out, first.

 

[carsonpr]

Hi,

I am starting this fall at the Savannah College of Art and Design, studying for a BFA in fashion marketing. I was originally accepted to FIT for advertising and marketing but SCAD offered me such a large scholarship that I could not possibly refuse. I'm skeptical about SCAD because it seems geared towards graduating artists/designers, and the fashion marketing program was one of those programs they just threw in there to get more students to attend. I have my schedule for the first quarter and I'm having to take drawing 100, design 100, etc. I don't know how to draw, paint, etc.

My career goal isn't that specific, but I would like a job in the fashion industry where I could exercise my creativity. I'm very good at marketing, such as creating and planning innovative/guerrilla marketing campaigns. Or even owning my own store.

I don't know if I should stay at SCAD and get a BFA in fashion marketing, but i'm not sure what career I could get with that degree from them. I've considered SUNY Purchase for their media, society, and the arts program and also Kent State University in Ohioyuk I don't know! I would also like to get out of Georgia and move to the pacific northwest area but fashion and fashion schools seem to be non existent there.

Any advice on what I should do? Sorry if this isn't clearly organized with a main point. I will admit I am very confused and unsure of what direction to go in.

 

[BetteT]

Yeah ... it's hard to advise you when you don't know what your goals are.

Let me ask you some questions that might help you clarify your goals more:

• Your "creativity" is in the business end of things ... not fashion design?
• So, why is fashion the only business that you want to work in?
• Can't you be just as creative in marketing/advertising/planning etc. in any business?
• Since you got a scholarship, can you tranfer some of these credits to another school later without loosing to much time? Check into it.

Some things to consider:

• If you attend a good college and get a degree in marketing you can still work in fashion, but it opens things up for you to work in other industries. In these difficult financial times, the more options you have the better.
• If you get a degree from a fashion shcool ... in marketing ... most likely you won't be able to use it for any other industry (at least in the beginning).
• If you attend a fashion shcool ... they will probably expect you to learn what their main students learn ... some design. You are already finding that out ... so you need to be prepared for that.
• In the outside world, any fashion company won't expect you to have a degree from a fashion school ... it's not a big deal. They will just want you to be great in marketing.
• If you are really hell bent on being in the fashion industry ... you need to be in NY ... period. So, going to school there will help you start to make connections and get internships in NY ... very important for later.

 

[gimmethatbag]

Undecided And Torn

I've been wondering about this for a long time, and I just hope you all can advise me because I literally think about this every single day and I have been for about three years.

I am just about to start college as a freshman at George Washington University in Washington, DC. I am planning to major in journalism. I love to write, and I have been told I have quite a talent for it. I really want to pursue a career in journalism. That is definitely the career I want. The problem arises when I try to decide where I want to take my journalism degree.

I love fashion. I read fashion magazines obsessively. I have, as an honest assessment, probably about a thousand pages I have ripped from magazines and saved which I later cut images out of and glue into a little portfolio. On my computer, at most recent count, I have 1,828 images saved from various places on the internet. I follow lots of people in fashion on Twitter (probably about 100 fashion-related Twitter accounts). I love fashion blogs, Who What Wear, Refinery 29, and Fashionista.com.

However, I also have a passion for human rights, international affairs, politics, and things of that nature. I read books all the time about genocide, torture, conflict, famine, poverty, et cetera. I love the idea of comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable with journalism. I don't listen to music, I listen to the BBC World Service. I count Nicholas Kristof and Anderson Cooper among my personal heroes. I love muckraking, hard-hitting journalism.

The way I've been thinking for a long time is that that kind of hard-hitting journalism should be my career and fashion should just be a hobby. But I feel like if I don't have more of an involvement in fashion, I might be unfulfilled. But I feel the same way about having a career as a muckraker. Am I overthinking it? Is there some kind of happy medium, a way I can do both? AM I GOING TO DRIVE MYSELF CRAZY YES I THINK SO. Ugh. Okay. Thoughts?

 

[BetteT]

There are human rights issues in fashion too .... sweat shops, child labor, sending all the work overseas creating loss of jobs for workers in the countries where most of that fashion is purchased, to name a few ... not to mention animal rights. Just something to think of.

Next... you never know where the future will lead. When you graduate, you will be throwing your hat in at anyplace for any job that might interest you. Your career path might just pick you. I wouldn't worry about it yet ... untill you have a job offer.

 

[YoninahAliza]

Also, Gimmethatbag, you could still combine the two like BetteT said. Fashion has it's own issues which often go unreported and who knows maybe you could be the one to make them national news! Someone you might want to look to for inspiration and career wise is Robin Givhan who won the 2006 Pulitzer Prize in the category of criticism. She's quite an amazing lady and someone who's definitely change how fashion is reported.

Okay, so now I've got my own problems regarding college. I'm having the worst time choosing what schools I ought to look at and what I should study. I'll be going into my second year of college and I transferred to a community college at home because my first school wasn't the right fit for me. But now I know I want to go to a school in NYC and for it to a liberal arts school. I already have FIT on my list for Fabric Styling but if I can't get in there or decided just to get a liberal arts education I need a few other schools. One of the main reasons why I want to be in the city is for the opportunities to do internships and to just be in the epicenter of the fashion world. I do know I'd like to work in fashion eventually (preferably in magazines) although I'm a bit interested in working in film too. I like to write but I also have a massive thing for films. So what other schools in NYC would you suggest I look at? My gpa in high school was about a 3.5 and my grades in college haven't been completely stellar however it's changing. And I think I've been making a pretty good turnaround.

One school that I've been looking at is Barnard college and I think it sounds amazing. I really love the look of the film program but also that they have english too. And although it's an all girls school it's a sister school to Columbia so I could take some classes on that campus as well. The only issue possibly is the sticker price... quite expensive! However, if I'm only at the school for two years it might not be so bad.

So any other suggestions? Thanks!

 

[BetteT]

MY first thought was Columbia ... but to be honest, I don't know what courses the have. But it's a highly regarded school and it's right where you need to be.

 

[YoninahAliza]

^Thats another school that I've been thinking about. I visited the campus a few years when my cousin was at school and it's one of the prettiest I've ever seen. Also, family connections always help, right? And they have a creative writing degree and film too. So I wouldn't feel the pressure to choose completely right away. Another school I've been looking at is NYU. They have journalism/writing as well. And it's quite liberal arts based.

And I think if I don't get into any schools in New York then Boston is okay as well. So Emerson college is another possibility.

 

[engelauren]

Business of fashion

I really love business and fashion so it just seems to be great if I could combine these as a career! I'm really academic, good grades etc. So I will be applying to tier 1 schools like upenn, dartmouth, georgetown etc. But my dream would be to say work in finance in Prada like calculating budgets. How could I get there? I hope I don't have to go to fashion school for that AND what is the starting salary? And the salary for like a CFO? Because if it isn't that high, I will probably work in wall street or consulting and do something fun in fashion

 

[BetteT]

Absolutely no idea about salaries ... but I would think they are probably similar to other industries, based on your experience and the specific job. And no ... you don't need to study fashion to work in their corporate offices in finance or accounting. No fashion skills needed.

You get there by moving to the city where the most fashion companies are headquartered and apply for entry level jobs at every fashion company that you can find to build your resume (CV). That would be New York or Milan (if you speak Italian) ... and possibly Paris, if you are extremely fluent in French. Other cities to consider would be London and Antwerp ... they both have a thiving fashion scene.

 

[Zucchelli]

What other ways are there to get into Fashion?

I mean college wise. How can I get into Fashion without having a fashion degree? I know it would be easier, but there's not a broad choice where I live and most of them are useless from what I've heard of people. I'll be going to college next year, so I need to decide what i want to study. I'm interested in doing Languages, Computer science and maybe psychology. I've considered Business, but.. no. Going abroad to study at other colleges isn't an option unfortunately. Like many I would love to be a designer, but that usually requires a degree if you want to get employed. Are there any other courses you would recommend? Perhaps from personal experience?

 

[BetteT]

So ... what are you saying when you say you want to get into "Fashion" ... do you mean you want to be a fashion designer? Or just anything in fashion?

Languages, computer science and psychology won't help you much ... in Fashion. Well, being fluent in French could help if you ever move to Paris to work for a fashion house ... they would expect you to be fluent.


To be a designer and actually work for a fashion company you most likely need a degree or a lot of experience working with and selling your own line. Some have made it without the degree ... but you have to have the passion and the skills ... and you would have to proove yourself before they would consider hiring you.

Do you sew? Can you draw ... fashion illustrations in particular? These are the two skills you need most to start to learn to become a designer, so I suggest you start there and learn these first, then decide if you still want to be a designer.

But there are dozens and dozens of careers open to college grads in the Fashion Biz ... Just like any buisiness, they need accountants, graphic artists, printers, IT people, lawyers, everything .... so you can always approach it that way. There's Public Relations, Advertising, Journalism ... all within the fashion industry. Study whatever you want, get you degree and then use it to just get a job at a fashion company and then make your move to whatever departments. It will eventually require a move to a fashion city.

Do a search of this forum (Careers, Education ...) for some theads about each of these ... or there are also threads that sort of list some of the various careers in fashion, use keywords like education, career, careers, magazines and you should find them.

 

[nikita27]

Fashion Design thru Management route

Hi Guys,

I thought this was the right forum to ask this question based on the fashion experience residing here in abundance.

I am going for a career shift and want to design my own label one day. However, I am only getting admission in the Fashion Management courses in the major Fashion schools because of my extensive 9 years experience in Management (not necessarily in Fashion). If I accept the admission in Fashion Management (Masters), is there a route from Management to Fashion design? or would it be a wrong step?

Thanks,
Nikita

 

[BetteT]

I think that Fashion Management will teach you a lot of the skills needed fo run a fashion business ... and that is really important if you want to run your own company. But it won't teach you anything about sewing, drawing, cutting, fabrics ... nor give you any practice. Usually young designers right out of school will work for some other designer doing simple stuff ... and don't work for themselves for a long time.


So, to my mind, getting the Fashion Design degree under your belt first, so you can actually get paid for designing would be the most helpful ... if you really, really want to be a desginer. Unless you have a financial benefactor/investor ... you won't be doing your own line and making any money from it until you get a lot of experience under your belt, anyway. So Design can come first, and then you can learn about how find ivestors and run a profitable business ... by a combination of experience and schooling.

 

[nikita27]

Thanks Bette. The issue is that I am 29 and most of the top fashion schools (European) have an age limit. Moreover, I was hoping for something less than 3 years tenure design degree from a top fashion school as I am already late in the game.People have told me that if I start in Fashion Designing now, I would start from bottom with people who might be 21-23 yrs of age and the obvious choice for an employer would be a younger blood. How do people chnge their career to Fashion Designing at a later age?

 

[BetteT]

Who says "younger" is better as far as being and employee? Isn't there something to be said for maturity and therefore, being more responsible, having a better work ethic?


If you want to design ... you must have the technical skills .... so if you don't go to school, how do you learn the skills? Most likely, on your own ... just by doing it. Maybe, even if you are in Fashion Management, you can get find an internship with a smaller designer who likes you well enough to mentor you and teach you as you work for them. But I would think that you would still have to have the sewing, drawing, draping and pattern making skills down, before anyone would let you get your hands on their designs.

 

[Jeannieoct]

Work with Zara, H&M, Urban Outfitters, etc

hey all i'm still a newbie here. i am really interested in fashion industry since i was a kid (and my parents currently working in fashion industry) i like sketching some ready to wear clothes. so i guess i wanna be the one working for a world-wide retail shop like Zara, H&M, Urban Outfitters, Bershka, Topshop, etc as the designer behind that label.

then who should i contact in addition to get that opportunities? do i have to take fashion school? (yes i'm planning to get course & diploma in fashion) do i have to work with the company first start from the very low position?

anyway, i have some experiences in fashion industry. i have worked in Jakarta Fashion Week (i come from Jakarta, Indonesia) lately. and i'm still seeking opportunities to work in fashion industry.

thanks for ur advices.
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