Tips from Past Fashion Interns

Resources from the CSU Career Center & CSU Design and Merchandising

A huge stepping stone to achieving your dream career is to first, be an intern. Internships are one of the most reliable ways to gain pertinent knowledge, skills, and experience while establishing important connections in the field. It also helps you to get your feet wet and find out if a specific job is something you could see yourself doing full time.

Studies show that 60% of paid internships will result in a job offer. Having multiple internships under your belt will greatly increase your chances of employment after graduation. However, trying to find, apply, and actually obtain an internship can be daunting. Luckily for you, we’ve compiled some tips from past fashion interns, as well as some resources from the CSU Career Center and the CSU Department of Design and Merchandising.

What better way to learn the ropes of scoring an internship in the fashion industry than from past interns themselves. Here’s some advice we’ve gathered from interns who have worked at some of the biggest brands in the fashion game.

“Don’t just limit yourself to roles that are being advertised online.Make a list of companies in your area that you would love to work for and send them a speculative application. Worst case scenario is you don’t hear back (their loss right?), and best case is they happen to have a vacancy they haven’t advertised yet and you get an interview. Even if that doesn’t happen, they will probably keep your application on file for any future internship positions.” -Suzie, a past Garment Tech Intern at Missguided  

 “Schedule a small part of each day to actively scour Indeed.com,set up a Google Alertfor your favorite companies, and double-check your resume to ensure it’s flawless. Looking at industry-specific job boards also helps to narrow your search and find your dream internship faster. The following job sites are ideal for students and/or media-obsessed applicants: InternQueen, ED2010, Her Campus Job & Internship Board, StyleCareers.com, Mediabistro, JournalismJobs.com, WayUp, Internships.com, and the CollegeFashionista Job Board (open only to community members)” -Anna, a past College FashionistaStyle Guru Intern

“It is important to make the most of University resources.Whether it is creating innovative business cards, or having a studio portrait taken for LinkedIn. All the resources you can take advantage of will benefit you in the long run. Similarly, if  the year above is setting up a fashion show, they might not advertise that they need help but go and ask them. The experience you need doesn’t necessarily need to be at a brand. Whether it’s volunteering at a local fashion show,  or assisting stylists in your area and just anything you get.” Lara, a past intern atParfums Christian Dior

In addition to your own legwork, it is beneficial to utilize the university resources to help you through the process. If you have any questions about how to get started on finding an internship, or just want an experienced pair of eyes to look over your resume, the CSU Career Centeroffers drop-in appointments Monday through Friday. You can also schedule more in-depth appointments to either talk to someone in-person, over the phone, or through Skype/Zoom. Through these appointments you can receive assistance in job searching, career assessments, mock interviews, and mock salary negotiation. The Career Center also hosts career fairs once a semester on campus and industry field trips throughout Northern Colorado. These events are a great way to chat with industry professionals, and get a feel for the varying types of careers you may be interested in. For more information, visit them at https://career.colostate.edu/.

Whether you are a Fashion Major or in another field of study, an internship won’t just fall into your lap. It’s all about persistence and making use of the resources around you. You have to put yourself out there and get employers to notice what you can bring to the table. Eventually, hard work will pay off and you’ll find yourself working in the glamorous and global Fashion Industry!