You'll be in charge of catching a shopper's attention.
If you have keen eye for fashion and an interest in the business aspects of the fashion industry, consider a job as a fashion merchandiser. Generally, this career will have you working for either a specific fashion brand, or a department store or boutique. You'll be responsible for visually marketing the product to customers through attractive window fronts and displays that will grab the shopper's attention. The industry can be hard to break into and usually requires that you work your way up from an assistant or internship level.
Instructions
1. Get a degree in fashion merchandising.
Get a degree. A degree in fashion merchandising has become the standard for getting a job because the field is fairly specialized with specific computer programs, terminology and mathematical formulas you'll need to know. Schools either offer an actual degree in fashion merchandising or a degree in fashion where you can concentrate your studies in fashion merchandising. Most employers won't prefer one or the other, as long as you can demonstrate that the bulk of your coursework was in the fashion merchandising concentration. Schools offer programs from the traditional two-year associate's degree to the four-year bachelor's degree and even a master's degree in fashion with an emphasis in fashion merchandising. Choose schools where instructors are either still working in the industry or have strong ties to it, as he or she may be able to set you up with contacts for a position in the field after graduation.
2. Take a visual merchandising course.
Enroll in classes. If you aren't ready to commit to a degree program, take a few classes in fashion merchandising at your local community college. Some online colleges also offer what's called an award of completion in fashion merchandising, which usually consists of six courses related to the field including an overview of the fashion business and introductions to design, merchandising and fabrics. One of the most important classes to take is the basic visual merchandising class. In this class you'll learn the terminology that fashion merchandisers use, learn exactly what a fashion merchandiser does and what strategies are used to increase sales.
3. Get an internship to get real experience in the field.
Get an internship. The best way to get real-life experience in the industry is to get an internship. You can either choose to do your internship while still in school, as many colleges offer course credit for internships, or you can get an internship upon graduation, which could turn into an entry level position if the company has an opening and likes your work. To get an internship, search fashion job boards such as Daily Fashion Jobs, which is a well-known internship job posting board, or contact the company you want to intern at and propose your own internship. Often, this works the best as once an internship is open to the public it's tougher to get the position. The career center at your fashion school or your past instructors may also know what companies are looking for fashion merchandising interns.
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