A career in the fashion industry can be incredibly lucrative if you are passionate, hardworking and creative, and have the drive to succeed. Fashion is a difficult industry to get ahead in due to the competition being so fierce, but there are a number of ways that you can get started, and put yourself in a good position to get your work noticed.
With that in mind, here are four ways that people looking to break into fashion can start their career and give themselves every opportunity to succeed.
Pick a Niche and Own it
One of the reasons the fashion industry is notoriously difficult to break into is that there are so many different areas of expertise, and the likes and dislikes of people change like the wind, making what was fashionable yesterday a thing of the past. One way to give yourself the best chance of success when you launch your career is to focus on one aspect of the fashion industry and own it, whether that is photography, modelling, designing or styling. If you stay focused and don’t branch out into several areas, you can give your choice your absolute best efforts and give potential employers and clients a clear idea of what you specialize in.
Launch a Website
In the modern age, anybody who wants to give themselves an air of legitimacy and wants to come across as a professional should launch a website. It works like an online CV, as you will put all your best work there, all your social media links and contact details, and include all of your products and services, too. For example, if you specialize in headshots, you should have a page on your site that contains all of your best work, so that any potential clients can find your work, and get in touch if they like what they see.
If people are searching for professionals in your area of expertise, they will be searching on Google and social media, and if they come across a great looking website that features all of your work, they could be in touch.
The Power of Social Media
While a website will help people in the fashion industry to find you, it’s more vital than ever that job seekers and people looking to build their audience take to social media to find what they’re looking for. This includes networking with people in your chosen niche to finding clients and work experience. If you get chatting to the right people, you could find yourself jumping in front of the queue and being offered all manner of great opportunities.
Approach the Right People
You can be the most talented person in the world, but unless you put yourself out there (and this means literally, not just online on social media and websites) and approach the right people, you are unlikely to get the experience and opportunities you need to develop your skills further and stay on the road to success.
Head to networking events, get your tickets to fashion week and send your work off to the agencies you would like to work for or get an internship with. You’ll never know how far you can go if you don’t believe in yourself and put yourself out there, so get your portfolio looking as beautiful as can be and send it out into the world.
