WORK EXPERIENCE ROUND 2

Over summer I not only had the fortune of working for a PR agency for a week, but following that I also had the most fabulous opportunity to intern for two months with Eddie Handmade- a leather label that provides high-end work wear accessories.

I have wanted to work in fashion for as long as I can remember. But as everyone knows getting into the industry is basically impossible, and the jobs are extremely competitive. Luckily whilst scrolling through the Lincoln University job shop, I came across a two month internship opportunity for a 'Fashion Marketing Assistant'. Reading through the job description I was instantly excited and quickly applied. Although I am studying Public Relations, I do have some knowledge of fashion marketing and my business and textiles A Levels came in handy when writing about my experience in my cover letter. In order to show my engaging and socially active mind, I posted links to my blog and tumblr, (which apparently proved that I had good fashion knowledge, and was what got me the job!). 

After informing them of my degree and what I wanted to get out of it, the position quickly changed to Public Relations and Marketing Assistant, which was absolutely perfect for me!

So here I was, interning as a PR for a real life working business. My mind was blown. I was so excited to finally be getting my foot in the door of a competitive industry, and I was determined to do the job right. 

So from Monday to Wednesday every week for two months, I would travel an hour and a half to Sleaford every morning (I woke up at half 6 and arrived home at 7PM), and I would spend my hours tweeting and facebook'ing, writing press releases, drafting product descriptions and contacting the media, bloggers and journalists. To me, doing all of those things everyday was a dream. The job was 100% worth the long hours, to be able to wake up every morning doing something which I want to make a career out of was something I could never complain about. 

The job wasn't just office work, I also assisted on photo shoots (which I wrote a blog post for their website about). And I also travelled to London to attend a trade show, which was one of the best fashion experiences I have ever had. Truly amazing. 

The final feature campaign photo for Eddie Handmade SS'15 (the photo shoot I assisted on!) 

My advice to anyone wanting to get into a competitive industry is definitely doing tons of work experience. And how do you get these? RESEARCH. Check local companies near to you, check your Uni jobshop (like I did) and apply apply apply. Having a jam-packed CV after you graduate will look so impressive to employers, and will help you to stand out against other applicants wanting the same potential grad job.

My work experience at Eddie Handmade was definitely my biggest achievement to date. I feel very fortunate to have had this opportunity. I gained amazing contacts, and I worked with incredible people who have had years of experience in the fashion industry. 

I'll end this blog post with the article I wrote for their website. 

And remember, experience never fails to impress.