How To Get Ahead In Your Fashion Career

Looking to get ahead in your career? So’s everyone else in the fashion business! But you can help yourself be more effective in driving your career forward by following our tips below:

Always Be Open To New Opportunities

The first key thing in getting ahead in your career is to always be open to new opportunities. It’s sad to say but there’s no such thing as a job for life anymore, however much you like it and in today’s financial climate some people get laid off at a moment’s notice. Your company could be merged or acquired or the work you do could be outsourced. By keeping yourself always open and aware of new opportunities, you will always be ready to act when new opportunities present themselves.

Take a Course

Whether you are fresh out of university looking for your first role in fashion or whether you are already working in the industry but feel like your career needs a boost, taking a course is brilliant idea. Not only does it ensure that your skillset doesn’t stagnate, it can really help you to expand your knowledge base and make you much more marketable as a candidate. You don’t necessarily have to spend thousands on a professional qualification or postgraduate degree either. Thanks to the internet, there are now thousands of FREE online courses from some of the world’s top universities on offer. Called MOOCs, (Massive Online Open Courses) there’s courses in all subjects on offer and whilst they don’t give you a qualification as such, they do give you a certificate of completion and shows employers that you are someone who is proactive about their skills.

You can search for MOOCS from universities such as Harvard, Yale and some top UK universities at:

• Coursera
• FutureLearn
• edX
• Network

What are you like at networking? Do you do it? Do you even know what it really is? Networking is essentially mixing with like minded individuals in your industry. Although there are some ‘formal’ networking groups that you can go to in some areas and industries, the best networking is done informally at industry events. You should start attending as many fashion industry events as you can and networking with people there. Simply by talking to people and getting to know them expands your network and you will be surprised at what opportunities that you can uncover. It’s also good to be seen at these sorts of events as it can increase your profile.

Work With A Specialist Recruiter

If you’re looking to improve your career prospects in the fashion industry then working with a specialist recruiter is essential if you are going to drive your career forward. Don’t think of a specialist fashion recruiter as someone you just work with when you’re definitely looking for a new role, your relationship should be more than that. Keep in touch and keep them updated with any changes in your circumstances or skillset. Make it clear to that you’re always open to hear about any relevant opportunities too.

Getting ahead in your fashion career never going to be something that is easy in such a competitive industry, but follow our tips and you will find that it can be made easier.

Call 020 8237 8900 NOW to start your fashion career.