(The text below speaks on the issue of unemployed undergraduates that want to enter the fashion industry and the video URL speaks on the question of glamour in the industry and well as what it takes to enter the field.)
Ishaw Thorpe
New Media Final
Thousands of college graduates around the country, and even the world, dream of one day entering the fashion industry.
From design to sales to public relations to show production, this multibillion dollar industry attracts many different people and college graduates are the most eager to enter into this exciting field. However, according to the US Department of Labor, last year 53 percent of undergraduates under the age of 25 were either unemployed or underemployed. And for recent graduates who want are anxious to enter into the job market, more specifically the fashion industry, that statistic is quite frightening.
After she was asked if the statistics of jobs that are competitive to get in the industry discouraged her, FIT student Krista Lee Bora replied, “No, not really because fashion isn’t the only competitive industry. I just think it’s particularly difficult to enter into without previous hard-work! It motivates me to work harder, and plan ahead!” Bora also stated, “I’d like to think that because the industry is so small, if I made the right lasting impression, I could be okay!”
Former Marie Claire intern and recent college graduate Hannah Stacy has yet to land a full-time job. She graduated this past May and soon after began a paid internship at Goodwin College in Conn. as a copyright intern. She stated “I can see myself working in the fashion industry or a related industry. I would enjoy working as a buyer, copywriter/editor, journalist, stylist etc.” She also declared, “Most people don’t get their dream job right away, so I plan on working hard in order to find the right path for myself” when she was asked about her backup plan since her dream job didn’t come right after graduation.
Though a former fashion intern, Brielle Smith is choosing to pursue a different career route, in entertainment. When Smith was asked how she thinks she stands out from the crowd of countless graduates that wants to same job that she also wants one day, she replied “Besides my work ethic, I believe your personality counts as well. You don’t have to try to be friends with your bosses but it’s important to be polite, approachable and positive. If you bring your own charm with those elements, you won’t be forgetful. While it’s good to be focused and do everything right, you don’t want to be a robot.”
Moreover, when Smith was asked if unemployment statistics for undergraduates discouraged her as well, she declared “At times they are, but I know that if I can land internships with a few reputable places and make a positive lasting impression, my accomplishments in school and experience should be impressive. Especially with the industry being small and everyone knowing somebody, word gets around about your work ethic.”
To enter the fashion industry, or any industry for that matter, undergraduates are going to have to work extremely hard like never before, in order to match the undergraduate unemployment rate that the country hasn’t witnessed in a long time. The US Department of Labor says that the undergraduate employment rate has risen 9.4 percent since the year 1985, the year that the government began calculating this.
Erika Tapia gained work experience by working as a sales intern at Nordstrom and as a fashion pr intern at top fashion pr agency PR Consulting. She had already graduated college a few months prior to landing the internship at PR Consulting and just one week before her last day there, she found out she got offered the job as the new production assistant at jewelry company International Inspirations. When asked if she thought if current interns and future undergraduates are shocked when they realize how much hard work it takes to be in the fashion industry, Tapia replied “I’m sure it’s still a shock to many who are oblivious and just want to play with designer clothes all day. I was not one of them. I knew it the industry is cut throat and extremely difficult to be a part of.”
So, for those who are interested in entering this industry, they are to be anything but lazy. These fashion industry hopefuls need to understand that it’s not going to be an easy road to reach their goals and only the strong survive. If you are one of these hopefuls, you need to stop thinking about the glitz and glamour that this industry portrays in the media, and be ready to work. This competitive industry has thousands more graduates chasing it year after year and in order to enter it, you need to be ready to either go hard or go home.
Ishaw T. Press 