Sew You Want to Be in the Fashion Business?

Anne Maxfield's top ten marketing tips for landing your first fashion job after graduation, from researching target companies and making your resume clear to following up after an interview. This article was first published on November 23, 2005.

If you are obsessed with fashion and have decided to make a career out of it, a degree is a good first step. But education can only get you so far. From her recent appearances on FOX and NY1, here are Anne Maxfield's top ten marketing tips for landing your first gig after graduation.

1. Research the companies you want to target, find out whom to contact and know what their product is.
2. Make your resume clear and concise. Be sure typeface and paper are legible when it's faxed. Check spelling!!! Cover letters should be addressed to a specific person and should refer to the job you are applying for. End with a day and time you will call to follow-up.
3. Keep your portfolio neat and well organized. Target it to the company you'll be seeing. Sketches should all go in one direction. Keep photos to a minimum.
4. Interviewing: never turn down an interview. Be on time, dress appropriately, remove visible body piercings, and turn off cell phones and beepers.
5. After an interview: follow up. Write a thank you note. Check spelling!!!
6. Have business cards printed with your name, phone, and e-mail address. Answering machine messages should be short and professional. E-mail address should be professional.
7. Know your salary. Have a definite number in mind.
8. If you want the job, ask for it.
9. Get a business card, and keep records of whom you've seen.
10. Don't burn bridges. It's a very small industry.