- · Alter your cover letter for each company so it’s extremely relevant. I altered mine dependant on whether I was writing to a swimwear company or a lingerie company.
- · Create an online portfolio. I would send a link to every company I contacted. They might be very impressed with your skills and level of work completed.
- · Send your CV in a PDF attachment. I downloaded a font from “Dafonts” and created a banner with a small logo that mirrors the banner on my portfolio. As it’s a downloaded font it could change when opened by someone else who doesn’t have this font on his or her computer. Ensure the layout is perfect! Check the spacing between paragraphs and bullet points all line up. It needs to be visually immaculate to mirror an immaculate Intern.
- · Be consistent. You can mirror your portfolio, cover letter and CV so they all link visually together. Small touches can make a big difference.
· You can also search for internships on
www.fashionworkie.com
“The power of social media” is a reoccurring phrase used
widely today and all for good reasons too. I read this week in The Business of
Fashion how fashion brands now rely mostly on social media for advertisement,
but to also interact with a their customers, instead of expensive advert
campaigns. They suggested it’s not about how many followers you have but the
quality of the follows in order to project your brand or work.
I decided to tweet companies about Internships. Social media
is crucial to spreading a brand across the world, fast. Therefore, using it
could also show that you are adapting to the industry too.
The company JCrew are a really good example of how social
media is being used to good effect as they have an area with a separate careers
account, I got a response in a day. Have a look to see if the company you wish
to contact has an employment account, and ensure you use that so it looks like
you’ve researched into the company.
Check your bio is up to date if you are tweeting. I added
the university I am at in mine just so they can gain a better understanding of
what I do/ study. I think getting a balance between professionalism and showing
off your personality is really important when using social media too.
So while searching for an Internship I was lucky to go to
Salon de la Lingerie in Paris in January this year. Despite being a major
buying event, as a student and being a little sneaky, I got a ticket to enter.
While stands weren’t busy I was able to talk to some of the stands and enquire
about possible Internships. This was great to gain a couple of contacts and create
a good opening to a cover letter.
The chances of going to an event like this while searching
for Internships is slim, therefore other suggestions that I used in finding an
Internship are below.
Writing to the company directly by email or snail mail if
you prefer a lot of companies won’t advertise company emails in regards to
hiring unless there is a role they are wanting to fill. Unfortunately,
Internships aren’t often advertised. I often emailed through the websites
general enquiry, however there is a large chance that your email may not be
seen. I’ll admit I haven’t had many companies respond back. When contacting companies through enquires
always ask for your email to be forwarded to whom it may concern. I found it
could take a couple of weeks for your email to reach the correct person so be
patient. It can be frustrating as you are completely in the dark as to whether anyone
is reading your emails.
It is important that your cover letter stands out and the
opening sentence has something quite catchy, such as “After speaking to… at
Salon de la Lingerie” or “After basing my last project on [Company Name]”.
It’s also worth spending some time searching for an enquiry
page about employment and careers as some have a separate web page and email
address.
From a very British tourist currently in Memphis, Tennessee
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