All About Internships and Work Experience Placements

[snowqueen]

Ok im not sure if this is the rite place to ask but ill ask any ways. This year in my school we do work experience. I live here in the uk. Well any ways i really want to do myn in something fashion oriantated, b ut im not sure were to ask etc. does any one have the address or details of any companies etc. that would be worth a try asking. Hope this makes sense lol

thanx

tia maria xXx

 

[silvi]

Srry i can't help you tiamaria....

I'm also looking for a experience job in the fashion sector...I really want to find out how it is in the fashionworld...so when I gratituade from highschool, I can make choses in wich direction I will go...
Could somebody help me? btw. I live in Belgium in Antwerpen

 

[snowqueen]

its ok, i was begining to think my post had gone un-noticed

 

[stilista]

It depends where you live, Tia. Most of the fashion companies are in London, so unless you are able to travel there every day, you will obviously need to look closer to home - so that may be a smaller designer who would need someone to help out with office tasks or a shop that could introduce you to their buying department....It really depends where you are and what would be an option in your area.

 

[snowqueen]

yeah i was thinking that but then i was thinking more of high street chains which take on work experience people and have stores etc nation wide or something

 

[Kimkhuu]

Depends if you're also looking for money, or just experience. If you only want experience and no cash, there's a whole bunch of companies out there who would be ready to take you. Just browse on the net fashion related websites of designers in your area and contact them by e-mail explaining what you have to offer.

 

[snowqueen]

id do it for free as its work experience and you dont get paid for doing that.
Yeah thats worth a thort. Thanks for your help im so whats the word undisive, i can never make desisions by my self lol

 

[renferme]

Ok.....here's what you do......

Think of some brands, or chainstores or designers you want to work for - don't be too fussy - fashion trade gets swamped with requests for experience and IMO it doesn't matter whether it's Burberry or TopShop, it's all valid experience.

Directory enquires - call them and ask for head office phone number of whoever it is.
Call the number and ask to speak to the design manager (if they ask you why you are calling - be honest, they may or may not put you through to the design manager).
Once you get through to someone ask if they take students on work experience. If they do, they'll probably ask you to write in with a c.v.....
I'ts fine to call once and check if they got your c.v. but don't harrass them, they are busy people and they won't appreciate it. If they want to see you, they'll be in touch, no amount of nagging will change that.
Don't give up after five rejections. I took a girl on a couple of years ago who was very talented yet still had to send out seventy letters to get a single two week placement!

Before you ask - I'm not doing placements at the moment. I work from home so its not practical.

Good luck!

 

[snowqueen]

thanks for all your help you are all so kind

 

[PrinceOfCats]

Yeah, I know someone who just rang Fenwicks [a major department store] and asked to shadow their buyer for a week and got accepted just like that. So it's worth trying everywhere you know...

 

[chloegirl]

Hey Guys,

I'm studying abroad next year in a town just outside Paris and was looking for ideas or places that I could intern. (in Paris) I'm really looking for any kind of fashion related internship but am really interested in fashion marketing/advertising.

If anyone could give me any leads or tips, preferably english/french speaking companies or magazines that would be GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks so much for any help!

 

[fab_fifties_fille]

I think it's concepts in Paris (lingerie company) take on graduates/undergrads for internships...I'm not sure whether it's just if you have certain contacts or not but you could always get in touch with them, I'm not sure what kind of areas exactly they offer internships in ... maybe you'd try a bit of everything or shadow one of the main people in the company. I think conepts is the correct name...hope it's of some help, good luck

 

[aidadinner]

Many companies in Paris take interns, its called a "stage" you probably knew that.....for example LVMH has a program. I know someone who interned at Chaumet in marketing as well.
Most of the big fashion companies' websites have a stagiare category in their employment section, just start sending your CV everywhere and clarify that you are currently a student since most interships require student status.
hope that helps a little, I have been looking for a job here for a year now and it is really hard but an internship may be easier to get.

 

[chloegirl]

thanks so much for the help!


aidadinner, do the fashion houses take english speaking students? to my knowledge most are bilingual. i do speak french but it is a bit rusty and i'm hoping an internship will help me improve. thanks!

 

[SanFranGirl]

i am interested in interning while I pursue a fashion design degree. I am clueless as to how to go about this though. I would imagine all the companies get flooded with requests for internships and don't really want to hire anyone without any experience. Any information or advice would be adored

 

[sinople]

i am interested in interning while I pursue a fashion design degree. I am clueless as to how to go about this though. I would imagine all the companies get flooded with requests for internships and don't really want to hire anyone without any experience. Any information or advice would be adored

I'd say that since you're in school, use that to your advantage. By that I mean, talk to your teachers about the fact that you're looking for an internship and if they know of anyone who would be interested in taking on an intern. The advantages are, if they're friends/acquaintances with people in the industry and are recommending you specifically, you'll be ahead of everybody who just cold-calls. Also, if you can get your teachers to advise you on what to put on your resume and in your portfolio, that would be a good thing also. Think of it as your course in networking. (Also, do the talking with your teachers by making appointments to meet them during their office hours, rather than during/between classes, which will just annoy them. Whereas, when i was in college, generally no students ever bothered to visit the faculty during office hours, so the students who did were seen as being more enthusiastic.)
Oh, and never forget the lesson we learned in Professional Practice: Always be nice and polite to everyone, including/especially the receptionist. S/he's probably the one you'll be leaving your resume with, and as such, has the power to put it on top of the stack, the bottom of the stack, or ooops between the wall and the filing cabinet where it'll never be seen again. (Also, when deciding between two candidates of roughly equal skill, who would you choose to work with--the rude, unpleasant one or the polite friendly one? That's the other vital part of networking, is to come off as someone pleasant to be around especially when things get busy or stressful.)

 

[bryanna_nicole]

Magazine internships

hi guys, i'm holding an internship seminar for how to get into the fashion industry, does anyone have any tips for getting into magazines and design houses for internships? thanks so much.

 

[Lena]

try http://www.fashion.net/ and search their job section, hey have some internships there
www.wwd.com has a special area just for internships, one needs to apply all personal details, schools etc and wait to be contacted by them.

 

[irresistable_loz]

It is a lot harder when your not in school... it took me around four months to get experience at Vivien's modelling agency in Australia (althoug given they are the biggest agency in australia..). Talk to your teachers, they are sure to have contacts. Then the other advice I can give you, don't aim for the biggest label at first. When I got into magazine I started off with Girlfriend, which isn't fashion at all, but at least you have something on your CV. Look around for start up designers, just in the first or second years of running. They are usually the ones that will need the help at first, and then you have something to offer the larger companies when you decide you want to move up. Of course, it would probably be easier for you to get into a bigger company internship if your at one of the major schools, like Parsons or FIT if your in New York

 

[irresistable_loz]

with magazine internships its a lot easier if you have a teacher or someone with contacts, it makes the job a lot easier. If you start off with even just one week work experience in a fashion department of a non fashion magazine, it can make it tonnes easier to change to a fashion magazine. (I started out with one week at Girlfriend mag in Australia then moved to Follow, a high fashion Aussie Mag). The other thing is just send your CV everywhere... something might come up!