Are you always in the loop of current fashion trends? Do you have an eye for detail and you twitch every time you see an oddly co-ordinated outfit? Do you have a passion for styling and you mentally style random people in your head? Then the fashion industry maybe the right place for you! Here are 9 fashion-oriented career options that can help turn your passion into a profession. So get your stylish stiletto-clad foot in the door and own it!
1. Fashion Designer
Designers are the brains behind the clothes we are wearing now. Using their creativity and artistic talents, they thrive on making everyday people look and feel their best…and HOW!
How to make it: Get a degree in design. Be open to ideas and inspiration. Bend the rules once in awhile. Intern – a lot. Be willing to work underpaid or overpaid. Great designers are not made in a day.
2. Fashion Merchandiser/ Buyer
The awesome store-window displays and the rad collection you so love is all done by merchandisers and buyers. They work on the backend of a brand or a label.
How to make it: Know your brands and designers inside-out. Know your customers inside-out. Monitor trends and be able to think months in advance as to what will work in the next season.
3. Production Manager
Behind the glitz and glamour of fashion are the production managers who are making the magic happen. From getting textiles to heading the manufacturing process…literally the backbone of the brand or label.
How to make it: Be curious. Get a knack on how things are made. A business degree is an added bonus. Production management is also offered as a course module in some fashion schools.
4. Professional Stylist
From working with celebrity clients to putting together the loveliest outfits for fashion shoots, magazine editorials, music videos etc…stylists are the people who make people look more beautiful than they already are!
How to make it: Look out for fashion trends and have an eye for detail. Know color schemes, body types, face shapes and have killer coordination skills. Good communication skills and business knowledge is a plus.
5. Fashion Journalist
Fashion journalists research and write about fashion trends. They work for magazines, online sites and blogs. Reporting on trends and bringing to you fashion related news from all over the globe.
How to make it: Develop a passion for writing and fashion. Be quick and think on your toes. Always, be aware of anything happening in the world of fashion. A degree in journalism is an added bonus.
6. Public Relations/ Sales/ Brand Manager
The middlemen between the product and the consumers, they are responsible for the growth of a brand or a label. Getting the right sources and making the brand visible is as important as the clothes themselves…and how they nail it.
How to make it: Know consumers and trends. Master the art of effective pitches to clients. Know how to track down consumers and audience. Go all out. A degree in business is a huge plus.
7. Fashion Photographer
Travelling to scenic as well as the shadiest locations to get that perfect shot are fashion photographers who make the fashion world come alive. Working with models, celebrities and designers..they are our windows into the fashion world.
How to make it: Develop a passion for photography and be ridiculously good at it. Know all the right angles. Be able to give the right directions and have an eye for killer compositions.
8. Fashion Blogger
Why work for someone else when you can work for yourself?! It’s also an amazing way to gain a personal following! And the best bloggers get paid by brands to model and review their products. Also, the perks are pretty great!
How to make it: Start a blog, obviously. And be as active promoting it as you possibly can. Watch out for fashion blogger competitions and activities, and network diligently. It will take a while to make it big; until then, seek out every opportunity to work with established fashion publications and magazines. And need we say that you need to keep posting some amazing OOTDs and street style photos? Check out the POPxo Blog Network for some inspiration!
9. Social Media Specialist
Didn’t think you could make a career out of just being an Instagram follower, a witty Tweeter, an avid Facebooker or even a Snapchat addict? You’re SO wrong! Because brands and companies now consider social media AS important a growth path as their product or content and have whole departments dedicated to and run by social media specialists.
How to make it: Get your phone out and… snap, like, caption, share – it’s ALL gonna come in handy! Watch out for postings on social media (duh) for openings, and confidently pitch yourself. (Psst! POPxo is hiring Social Media Coordinators too!)
Images: Shutterstock
MUST READ: #Guilty: 21 Little Lies We’ve All Told About Our First Job!
MUST READ: 12 Things Your First Job WILL Teach You (That College Didn’t!)
