All About Internships and Work Experience Placements

[sinople]

Originally Posted by SanFranGirl

i am interested in interning while I pursue a fashion design degree. I am clueless as to how to go about this though. I would imagine all the companies get flooded with requests for internships and don't really want to hire anyone without any experience. Any information or advice would be adored

I'd say that since you're in school, use that to your advantage. By that I mean, talk to your teachers about the fact that you're looking for an internship and if they know of anyone who would be interested in taking on an intern. The advantages are, if they're friends/acquaintances with people in the industry and are recommending you specifically, you'll be ahead of everybody who just cold-calls. Also, if you can get your teachers to advise you on what to put on your resume and in your portfolio, that would be a good thing also. Think of it as your course in networking. (Also, do the talking with your teachers by making appointments to meet them during their office hours, rather than during/between classes, which will just annoy them. Whereas, when i was in college, generally no students ever bothered to visit the faculty during office hours, so the students who did were seen as being more enthusiastic.)
Oh, and never forget the lesson we learned in Professional Practice: Always be nice and polite to everyone, including/especially the receptionist. S/he's probably the one you'll be leaving your resume with, and as such, has the power to put it on top of the stack, the bottom of the stack, or ooops between the wall and the filing cabinet where it'll never be seen again. (Also, when deciding between two candidates of roughly equal skill, who would you choose to work with--the rude, unpleasant one or the polite friendly one? That's the other vital part of networking, is to come off as someone pleasant to be around especially when things get busy or stressful.)

[bryanna_nicole]

hi guys, i'm holding an internship seminar for how to get into the fashion industry, does anyone have any tips for getting into magazines and design houses for internships? thanks so much.

[Lena]

try http://www.fashion.net/ and search their job section, hey have some internships there
www.wwd.com has a special area just for internships, one needs to apply all personal details, schools etc and wait to be contacted by them.

[irresistable_loz]

It is a lot harder when your not in school... it took me around four months to get experience at Vivien's modelling agency in Australia (althoug given they are the biggest agency in australia..). Talk to your teachers, they are sure to have contacts. Then the other advice I can give you, don't aim for the biggest label at first. When I got into magazine I started off with Girlfriend, which isn't fashion at all, but at least you have something on your CV. Look around for start up designers, just in the first or second years of running. They are usually the ones that will need the help at first, and then you have something to offer the larger companies when you decide you want to move up. Of course, it would probably be easier for you to get into a bigger company internship if your at one of the major schools, like Parsons or FIT if your in New York

[irresistable_loz]

with magazine internships its a lot easier if you have a teacher or someone with contacts, it makes the job a lot easier. If you start off with even just one week work experience in a fashion department of a non fashion magazine, it can make it tonnes easier to change to a fashion magazine. (I started out with one week at Girlfriend mag in Australia then moved to Follow, a high fashion Aussie Mag). The other thing is just send your CV everywhere... something might come up!

[DP_woman]

I would love to get an intership at Gucci. From what I have seen, people get these opportunities through their university/college. Gucci posts retail internships at certain schools like NYU, or Univ. of Hawaii....for their local store. There is no minimum requirements, and no experience necessary. You just have to be at the right place at the right time. Since I live in Michigan, I guess I'll have to settle for less--its highly unlikely that any of the big designers will offer internships at such small locations. Nordstrom offers summer internships, you can apply through their website.

[*Princesse*]

I'm very interested in fashion (haha would I be here if I wasn't!) and I want to learn more about working in the industry - particularly at a fashion magazine, but really, anything petaining to fashion. Does anyone know of internship opportunities that a high school student like I am could have?

[cassavetes]

Hi, I am interning with an up-an-coming designer in NY who was from the top fashion school and her stuff is carried in the top stores, it's been several months, but I learnt nothing.

Everytime I went to her studio, I didn't have to take off my jacket as I stepped in because I was immediately sent downtown or uptown, former for dropping off things to the showroom and PR office, latter for dropping off patterns or picking up samples. I lugged bolts of fabric in rain while they could have given me a ride because as I got back, they just drove back from the same area moments ago. She also sent her interns to return her sweater to Barneys or books to bookstores.

Please tell me is it what's supposed to be like interning for designers? Be it Dior or H&M? I really don't mind working for no money, but it irks me working for no knowledge. I literally had to squeeze the knowlege out of them, asking"why this why that" and got the shortest reply possible.

They have no problem finding new slaves though. They don't seem to care and I have never seen them giving anything -- free or reduced priced designs --- to any interns. Remember " The Devil Wears Prada" in which the auther was complaining having to run ANNA's errands? Buying coffee or drycleaning? But she got paid doing that! And she was driving her Jaguar on the opening scene while doing that! (but it is still bad)

Please tell us your interning experience, how good or how bad. Should I stay or should I go?

[Diorling]

Originally Posted by cassavetes

Hi, I am interning with an up-an-coming designer in NY who was from the top fashion school and her stuff is carried in the top stores, it's been several months, but I learnt nothing.

Everytime I went to her studio, I didn't have to take off my jacket as I stepped in because I was immediately sent downtown or uptown, former for dropping off things to the showroom and PR office, latter for dropping off patterns or picking up samples. I lugged bolts of fabric in rain while they could have given me a ride because as I got back, they just drove back from the same area moments ago. She also sent her interns to return her sweater to Barneys or books to bookstores.

Please tell me is it what's supposed to be like interning for designers? Be it Dior or H&M? I really don't mind working for no money, but it irks me working for no knowledge. I literally had to squeeze the knowlege out of them, asking"why this why that" and got the shortest reply possible.

They have no problem finding new slaves though. They don't seem to care and I have never seen them giving anything -- free or reduced priced designs --- to any interns. Remember " The Devil Wears Prada" in which the auther was complaining having to run ANNA's errands? Buying coffee or drycleaning? But she got paid doing that! And she was driving her Jaguar on the opening scene while doing that! (but it is still bad)

Please tell us your interning experience, how good or how bad. Should I stay or should I go?

From the sound of it, you're an unpaid PA. I would leave, you can find better. By now I would have been like "bitch, return your own sweater, Im here to learn"

[.francesca]

regarding magazine internships - check magazine websites, much of the time they'll have a section/email address for inquiring about internships.

some off the top of my head:

http://www.surfacemag.com surface magazine

http://www.somamagazine.com soma magazine

http://www.flaunt.com flaunt magazine

http://www.nylonmag.com nylon magazine

good luck!

[iheartsushi]

hiya, this is my 1st post ! j'adore this forum ! it's awesome.

anyho's, i wanted to ask if you guys knew any fashion internships in Europe or New York for highschool student ?
i'd really appreciate it if you guys replied !

[KaraDanielle11]

Hey guys,
I was wondering how I would go about finding an internship at a fashion magazine or even just a womans magazine? I've been searching the internet for postings without much luck.
Thanks!

[kitty87kat]

go to the magazine's webpage, under contact us, you could try emailing one of the editors or something!

[fashionspot2000]

What are your best and worst fashion internship experiences? I am applying for internships and I would like to know what to expect and to avoid.

[lilsweetie]

How do you go about obtaining fashion internships? Do you have to be majoring in something related to fashion? Because I'm majoring in journalism right now but want to go to fashion school after i graduate and id really like to gain experience any way i can! Please any input would be helpful!