Tips To Get You From Campus To Career
WME x LCF Panel Discussion: Exploring Behind the Scenes Roles in Fashion
WME (William Morris Endeavor) invited London College of Fashion for a networking mixer open to graduates and final year students. Although I am currently in my second year, I was kindly invited and now it's my turn to share what I learnt that evening.
It was a special event curated to enable networking opportunities between young creatives and leading industry professionals in fashion. Hosted by Sagina Shabaya at 180 Strand, there were two panel discussions focusing on behind the scenes roles in fashion and how to navigate a path from university campus to a dream career.
There was a lot to take in. To make sure I remember and understand it all, you can be assured that I made notes throughout. Those notes have been categorised into four points for your ease navigating through. Grab your mugs of tea, you are going to want to take your time going through this…
WME x LCF Networking Mixer
INDUSTRY PROFESSIONAL PANELLISTS:
Madison Chard (Manager IMG Models)
Emma Quelch (VP and Managing Director, IMG Models)
Fran Shepard (VP & Counsel of WME Fashion)
Eric Angelo (Manager at The Wall Group)
Sagina Shabaya (Senior Director of Impact and Inclusion, Endeavor)
Mercedes Benson (Founder of Social Fixt)
Lily Mcmurray (Sondr)
Stephanie Barker-Fry (Knowledge Exchange Lead, London College of Fashion)
Bil-Marjiyah Rahman (Outreach Manager Creative Access)
Shannon Wall (Impact and Inclusion Manager, Endeavor and (Senior Director of Impact and Inclusion, Endeavor)
YOU’VE BEEN NETWORKING WRONG
I’m sure you have heard before that in fashion, it’s not just what you know, but who you know, that will get you ahead. Networking is one of the best and most necessary skills for someone trying to make a career in fashion or any creative industry. But you probably have been approaching it all wrong. Your network is not just a list of contacts, they are people. People who laugh, cry, feel and remember. If you want to stand out amongst all the other desperate creatives trying to make a name for themselves, you need to have a personal touch. It is not enough to email or DM. Why not offer to meet face to face for a chat with a potential contact, rather than directly beg for employment. If you were the recruiter, would you remember a random email you received on a busy Monday morning, or a genuine conversation you had over coffee with an enthusiastic young creative? People connect to people, remember that.
WME x LCF Networking Mixer with graduates and students
BUILDING A PORTFOLIO OF WORK
If you are reading this as a student, grab onto your mugs because I am about to spill some hot tea. Your degree is not enough. I am so sorry to shock you, but you have to hear me out. Academia is not enough to stand out when applying to jobs. Allow me to provide some perspective. Consider how many people are in your current cohort, and how many people are in the cohort years before you, and how many are behind you. Then add on the number of universities teaching the same degree you are doing and how many students are in there. That is how many people you are going up against when applying to job roles post graduation. Fear not, I say this not to scare you but to prepare you. You now have to diversify your portfolio of work with a mixture of professional experience and personal projects. This can look like anything as long as it captures your skills, drive and experience. Muster up the courage to post your work on social media, collate your work on a blog page, promote yourself on linkedin. Or if you are more of a hands-on person create a catalogue or magazine that you can hand out physically. You know you are special, but unfortunately no one else will know unless you show it. Don’t wait for Monday, start now.
WME x LCF Mixer Welcome Appetisers
APPLYING FOR WORK EXPERIENCE
Before you race through Linkedin jobs, please do this first. Write down a list of all the dream companies you would like to work with, find contact details and reach out to individuals directly. This is important. I want you to love where you end up working. Don’t settle for average before reaching for what you deserve. If you are only applying from adverts you immediately put yourself at a disadvantage because you are competing against other applicants. Often, brands are looking for applicants for specific roles but have not yet advertised it. When you take the first step by reaching out, you get your foot in the door first. The early bird gets the worm.
Secondly, if you are responding to a job advert that really interests you, don’t be put off by the title. Before you decide that it is not for you, make sure you read the description and research into the company. If you seem to fit most of the criteria and are held back by some aspects, do not let that stop you. For example, if a job says you need two years experience as a content creator, market the experience you have had. If you have a social media page where you have posted the content you have created - guess what, that counts as experience. It all comes down to the wording you use to market yourself. Focus on your transferable skills and find ways to tailor the experience you do have (even if its hospitality and retail) to the role you are applying for. For example, if you worked as a sales assistant, you have incredible patience, customer service skills and excellent time management (we all know the breaks are not long enough).
Finally, you cannot depend on brands to give you your value. As hard and uncomfortable as it may be, dig deep and find that inner confidence. What many do not realise (myself included) organisations hire you because they think that you are an asset. So own that. You don’t become important when you get your dream job, you realise your importance when you accept and respect your worth.
WME x LCF Panel Discussion: Navigating Your Path from Campus to Career
THOUGHTS TO ALTER YOUR MINDSET
This final section are some key quotes I pulled out from my notes that really stuck with me:
“Even if you’re not in the place you want to be, just keep working to build transferable skills and connections ”
“Being in the creative industry is a privilege, not everyone can afford it”
“Instant gratification is a limiting factor if you’re not able to to stick it out in the long run”
“Are you obsessed about what you want to do enough for times when it is not glamorous?”
“Ground yourself in the rhythm of your interests ”
“You will start to feel uncomfortable in places you have outgrown ”
