Fashion Grad Guide

Martha Cliff gives you an insiders guide on where to head for your dream job


“I can’t believe it’s summer term! Where’s the time gone?”

Expect to hear panicked statements like this one a lot over the next few weeks. It’s time for this year’s graduating class to realise they’re no closer to securing any future plans not based around festivals and dissertation hand-in nights out.

As the weather gets warmer, a heart-stopping question is currently stuck on repeat in every third year’s mind. It’s the same one put to them every time they made awkward conversation with a distant relative over the holidays.

“So, what are you going to do next year?”

Jobs in the fashion industry are few and far between

This rings especially true for those of us daft enough to pursue a career in the fashion industry where the statistics are anything but in our favour.

According to Guardian Money the jobs are out there, with almost 70% of fashion design graduates finding full-time employment in 2009.

However only 30% were working in retail and 28% in art and design. The rest could be anywhere: my guess is Roosters.

No need to reach for those sewing scissors just yet though. Here to offer hope is The Tab’s run down of the best places to find your dream stylish job.

Fashion Workie

Whether you are an aspiring photographer, events manager or illustrator they’ve covered it. The site allows potential employers in the industry to post about placements, internships and paid positions. It is essentially the fashion industry’s answer to Gumtree. Take a moment to rifle through and you might find a gem.

Drapers Jobs

Drapers is a name you need to familiarise yourself with if you plan on reaching Miranda Priestly status. The fashion equivalent to the Financial Times, Drapers is a magazine designed specifically for those in the industry, covering all the fashion retail sector.

They also have a kick-ass job site. It eliminates the endless scrolling of most job-hunts by allowing you to refine your search by location, job category and even salary. So simply type in London, managing director, £90,000 per annum and Bob’s your uncle!

University of Kent

You know what your mum always used to say; “You’ll find it where you least expect it”. The University of Kent’s ‘Fashion Careers’ page is oddly useful, listing websites you should be visiting, where to go next and what career would best suit you.

“A million girls would kill for that job”

UCA Fashion Recruitment

Personally, I’m still sore from the fact UCA offered me Music Journalism when I applied for Fashion Journalism. Despite this, their recruitment page is top notch.

Listing recruitment websites that you will never have heard of and won’t find on Google, it is an insiders guide to fashion’s little black book, and has the added bonus of listing jobs overseas for those of you who need to find the halfway point between a grown up job and hippy dippy travelling.

Twitteratti

Finally, for those of you most likely to steer off topic when job hunting and end up on Twitter, here is who you should be following to refocus your attention and ambition.

According to the Telegraph, four out of ten British students are seeking a job in the fashion sector. So take your places, CVs at the ready, on your marks…get set…go!

Want to add to your CV? Write for us! Contact [email protected]