So you want to be in the fashion industry?  You’ve gone to school, you’re on top of the latest trends, or, at the very least you’ve seen every episode of “Project Runway” and you’re ready for the big time.  Not so fast…While most designers fresh out of school would like to have their very own couture line it’s not going to happen day one.  Nor should it.  You may have the design, draping and pattern making skills to create a fantastic line, but you also need the practical skills and business knowledge you can only gain by working for a variety of companies and a variety of people. 

How do you get your foot in the door?  Where should you start looking for the kind of work that might lead you to your dream job?  Yes, it’s cliche, but start at the beginning.  You may be a talented artist or designer, but you might need to start out as a design assistant.  Cutting swatches and creating color boards may be a tedious job, but it’s how most people get started.  Look for openings at some of the bigger companies in your area.  They’re usually a great place to start and a talented design assistant can move up quickly.  Are your skills more technical or merchandising related?  Look for assistant positions in pattern making, technical design or merchandising.  Again, focus on larger companies. Smaller companies are looking for someone with an existing skill set, they don’t have time to train you.  The larger companies usually do. 

Can’t get a job with a brand name label?  Look for private label manufacturers.  It may have less “Brand recognition” but the job functions and opportunities are the same.  Or, think about companies that are apparel and footwear companies, but maybe not what you’d traditionally think of as “Fashion.”  Uniforms are a big business, and much more stable than fashion brands.  Lifestyle brands focus on one or more types of activities such as golf, swimming, skiing, surfing or more.  Orange County, CA has a much larger base of lifestyle brands that Los Angeles, the fashion capital of California. 

Maybe this is taking you away from your ultimate goal of having your own couture line?  Probably not.  Where do you think Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan and more got their start?  All of them benefited from a hands-on fashion industry education by working for other companies before starting their own. 

The biggest mistake you can make…Don’t go into an interview expecting them to offer you a head designer or merchandiser position.  Be prepared to show samples of your work, if relevant to the job.  Talk about what you can bring to the job.  If you don’t have work experience, talk about your enthusiasm, your desire to learn, your desire to work for this particular company.  Most interviewers know that someone interviewing for an assistant position won’t have much experience so they want to know who you are and why you will benefit the company, not the other way around. 

Finally, What do when you get the job?  Make yourself invaluable.  Don’t be the person who shows up late, or worse - hung over, to the office.  Be on time, be presentable. Do things you swore you’d never do like get your boss coffee.  Most important, be a sponge, soak up everything you can.  Ask questions, take notes, be prepared and get your work done.  Establish yourself as an asset to your company and to your boss and, when the time is right, ask for an opportunity to do more. 

Looking to learn more, come by our FBI networking event Wednesday, July 28 at the California Market Center - 110 East 9th Street, Suite C786, Los Angeles, CA  90079, meet professionals in the Fashion Industry and start networking your way into a new job. 

Jill Mazur is an apparel industry consultant with Fashion Business, Inc.  email:  jill@fashionbizinc.org

What information are you giving the people in your network about yourself and your activities and what are you doing to build your network?  Why do I keep blogging about this? Because, it’s that important.  Keeping your network up-to-date with your activities, job situation, etc. is one of the most important things you can do for your career.  If you’re not on LinkedIn yet, better get started right away. It’s free, and it’s one of the best investments you can make in yourself. 

Go grab a glass of milk and a cookie – I have a story for you with a very happy ending.  Who doesn’t like a happy ending, especially in this economy – and it all has to do with networking.   A client of mine was in a pretty desperate situation – her production manager gave notice right before their busiest season ever.  While it may still be an employer’s market out there and hundreds of resumes for every available position, it’s not always easy to find the right candidate for the job.  

Think about this…have you ever gone to DSW in search of a pair of shoes, only to come home with one or more boxes of shoes, none of which was exactly what you were looking for but still suits your needs?  I usually walk out of DSW with a major headache and no shoes to show for it, but I digress.  Anyway, my client felt like she was shopping for shoes at DSW – plenty to choose from, but not exactly what she’s looking for. 

I racked my brain to see if I could find anyone in my network for her, but there was no one off the top of my head that seemed like the right person for the job.  I asked around and got some recommendations, but again, not the right person for the job.  The thing about your network, especially when job hunting, is quality, not quantity.   The more you know – professionally - about your colleagues the better off you all are.  It’s not just the skills you, or they, currently have, but your past skills, your interests, your activities and more.  Make sure your profile is up to date and includes these things as well as your work history. 

Back to the story – I was looking through my weekly LinkedIn update – the email I receive with updates from my network on all of the items mentioned above – new jobs, updated positions or skills, activities, reading lists and more.  I came across the name of an old colleague of mine and decided to click on her profile to find out what she had been up to.  Turns out, she was looking for work.  I was only familiar with the work we had done together, but by looking at her profile, I realized she had many of the skills my client wanted.   I quickly sent an email and just as quickly received a response.  She came in that day for an interview and left with a job!  A JOB!!  Both she and the client, hopefully, have their happy ending.  It didn’t hurt that I knew her personally and could vouch for some of her work experience and her management style, but she got the job on her on skills and merits. 

So what are you waiting for?  Go out and update your network today.  You may have a job by tomorrow!

Jill Mazur is an independent apparel business and technology consultant working with Fashion Business, Incorporated.  Email:  jill@fashionbizinc.org

When I say “Job Creation” I’m referring to new jobs or positions created in our industry, not the act of filling an existing position. For example, several years ago, it became a necessity for many companies to have an on-line presence. Whether it was a web site devoted to the company or brand or an actual on-line marketplace would be determined later. What most companies lacked was an existing employee with the knowledge and skills to create and maintain a website. There were a rash of jobs created specifically to support websites and ecommerce positions. Now these jobs exist or are outsourced at most apparel manufacturers. So I’m wondering what the next set of necessary jobs skills will be.

Many companies have moved away from internal or domestic production in favor of outsourced or full-package production. With the economy the way it’s been, retailers demanding lower stock levels and quick turnaround, are we headed back to a domestic cut and sew production model? If so, we’ll need to be able to ramp up domestic production. Sewing and cutting contractors, dye houses, trim and fabric suppliers may start filling long empty spaces in and around downtown. Production managers and assistants would be required to manage cut and sew operations. Marking, grading and patternmaking skills would be in demand. Wouldn’t that be nice? Instead of losing more jobs to off-shore manufacturing, we’d start creating new jobs to be able to support the retailers’ need for speed-to-market.

FBI is working hard to help create new jobs in the apparel, footwear and fashion industries in general. Specifically, we work with new and existing companies to help them grow by providing the resources and training they need to survive and thrive. Where else in Los Angeles or San Francisco can a designer with a great idea for a new product go to get help finding a qualified contractor, a respected accountant or business advice to create a profitable company? Where else can a business go to find seminars, classes, even certification programs on industry specific software and skills? I can’t think of any other place than the FBI. And yet, most fashion companies aren’t aware of the benefits of an FBI membership. At a starting price of just $200 per year it’s the best investment a company can make.

Jill Mazur is an independent apparel business and technology consultant working with Fashion Business, Incorporated.  Email:  jill@fashionbizinc.org

Fashion Business, Inc. is asking for your input to help us conduct a study of the apparel, footwear, textile and accessory industries. Specifically, how the recession has affected job opportunities within these industries over the past 12 months.

We’d like to know a few things about your business. This study is anonymous – any information you include about your business will be kept confidential and only used for data gathering purposes. We will be happy to provide you with the results of the study, should you so desire. Please indicate this on your response, along with your email address.

1: What is your sales volume today (in dollars)?

2: Over the past 12 months what percentage of your sales volume has increased or decreased?

3: In the past 12 months, have you had any layoffs or reductions in staff? If so, how many people or percentage of your work force.

4: In the past 12 months, have you hired staff for any existing positions?

5: In the past 12 months, have you hired staff for any newly created positions?

Thank you very much for your time today. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Jill Mazur

Independent Apparel and Business Consultant

Email: jill@fashionbizinc.org

What sets you apart from all of the other people out there searching for jobs?  Is it who you know?  Is it your winning personality?  Is it your past experience?  The answer is “Yes” to all of the above.  But you already knew that.  What else can you do to set yourself apart?  I’d say it’s “What You Know,” at least as far as it relates to software.  Yes, software.  “But I’m a DESIGNER!” Or “MERCHANDISER!” Or “SALES REP!” Or “Fill in the Blank.”  “What do I need to know about software?”  As much as you can.  A talented designer should always be able to sketch.  But can you scan the sketch into Adobe Illustrator© or a similar tool – add colorways, create an inspiration board or portfolio?  Merchandisers, can you create a line sheet or look book to knock a buyer’s socks off?   Sales reps, how are you analyzing your business these days?  Are you able to look up your customer’s information and create your own reports and queries from your manufacturing system or reporting tools or are you relying on some else to do the heavy lifting?  Skills like these that set you apart from your peers and open up new doors. 

These days it’s not enough to know basic Microsoft Office© tools like Outlook©, Word© and Excel©.  Keep adding to your repertoire.  It never hurts to list the software applications you’ve used on your resume.  Employers may have resume scanning software that looks for key words such as Illustrator©, PLM, Excel© or more, since those are the skills they require.  If you don’t have those skills listed, your resume might get passed over even though you’re highly qualified for the job. Think about the tools you currently (or previously) used at work.  Think about how you can improve your knowledge, and then do it.  Does your company offer system training or tuition re-imbursement? Are there classes you can take at night or on the weekends?  Is there a “Super user” in your department who’s willing to give you some extra training sessions during lunch?  Is your company installing a new software application?  Can you volunteer to work on the project?  Update your resume with your technical skills and don’t be surprised if more companies start showing interest in YOU.

Jill Mazur is an independent apparel business and technology consultant working with Fashion Business, Incorporated.  Email:  jill@fashionbizinc.org