All About Internships and Work Experience Placements

[YaYa's Closet]

I've been looking all through the forums here and I can't find any fashion show job descriptions... (I wasn't sure where to post this question either) But- what do these fashion show jobs entail?

backstage
fashion environment
on-site assistant
runner

[shirleebee]

Every single one of those is a nicer way of saying "gopher".

[carlacarstens]

Originally Posted by briones122692

I don't think college is for me and I was wondering if you have to be in college or be a post-grad to intern at independant mags in NY that have just started. Anything is helpful..

Many magazines require college credit just due to the legality aspect of interning (working long hours and not getting paid). I'm sure there are some small start-ups that would not require this, and you would just have to do research.

xo,
Carla
freefashioninternships.com

[carlacarstens]

Originally Posted by omgitschristine

I wanted to get an internship with this specific magazine here but I am not sure who to contact regarding an internship. On their website they have a telephone number listed as well as emails to the Chief Executive Officer, Vice Chairman & Group Publisher, President, Chief Operating Officer, V.P. Fashion + Creative Director, Editorial Director, Chief Internet Officer, Publisher, Editor-in-chief, Design, Circulation, Finance And Administration, Printing And Prepress, and Production.

Sorry that is a long list. So they have all of those people listed but no HR contact... so who do you think I should email regarding an internship or should I just call them and ask? Thanks for any help.

You definitely want to call a general number and ask. Just say you are inquiring about a potential internship with their magazine, and are not sure who to contact. They will most likely connect you to HR. If you were to contact one of the aforementioned people, you would probably never hear back or not get through.

xo,
Carla
freefashioninternships.com

[YaYa's Closet]

ya, I wanted to volunteer at l'oreal fashion week and I don't know exactly what each job entails. Would be nice to know what I'm signing up for. I've volunteered for Vancouver Fashion Week and they just wanted a resume, they didn't ask you to tell them what you wanted to do.

[carlacarstens]

In most cases, fashion week jobs involve anything from helping set up the show, dressing the models, running general errands, or helping serve as a liaison between the designers who are showing and the people producing the fashion week. It is a great opportunity for networking and being exposed to a multitude of different experiences which could lead to different kinds of internships, i.e. press, show production, etc.

xo,
Carla
freefashioninternships.com

[Raven_McCoy]

I interned at a magazine for more than two years when I was in school, and specifically asked NOT to get credit for it. It was the best education I could have ever gotten for free. Sure in other industries working like a dog for unpaid internships isn't so common, but to get a job in other industries you often need a master's degree and more schooling! Buckle up and pay your dues

[Aaliah326]

cicciolina,
thanks for the input, I will definately let you know if I land anything

[julesrules815]

^^Just curious, but why did you not want to get credit for the internship?

[Raven_McCoy]

The way I figured - there are a certain amount of credits required to graduate, and you pay for each of these credits regardless of whether it's in a classroom or it's an internship. I didn't want an internship to replace any of my classes, and to pay for something I could experience for free. It meant that I was super busy since I piled it on top of being a full-time student, but the point was to get the most out of the resources available to me.

(If work placement is mandatory for your program, of course it's a different story.)

[julesrules815]

^Oh, right! I forgot that you have to pay for the internship credits. Thanks for answering.

[Cicciolina]

Aaliah326 you're welcome! Best of luck!

Raven_McCoy I definitely agree with you. People get far too caught up thinking "Ok, I want to become a fashion writer! Therefore, I must study fashion journalism" when in fact experience counts for so much more. Definitely paying your dues is the way to go now

[STYLEOClDE]

I went on my interview for FIDM, and they said for my major i should major in production development...but they really didn't go into detail for what that is...so can any of you explain to me what that is? is it like, working all types of shifts? cos i want to work for a fashion magazine, styling the clothes put in the magazine, behind the scenes at runway shows or something. what is it, exactly?

[carlacarstens]

Originally Posted by love.cat

I live in England and have recieved two internships but i just dont know which one to take!! I have recieved one working at Seventeen magazine in the fashion wardrobe as an accesories intern which will be amazing as its in New York etc good magazine but i have to think about money. I have also recieved a placement at Quintessentially a large concierge company in london- 2 weeks working in the model division and the rest working within events and the main part of quintessentially (concierge) - i feel this will be good as its a really well known and large company across the world- also i will get the chance to work in diff sectors.

I am not sure what i want to do yet with my career - i graduate next year.

Any opinions etc will be greatfull thanks

This is definitely one of those things that you need to decide on your own. If you want to work in fashion in the future, the Seventeen Magazine internship would be beneficial, although you would have to consider the money aspect. Working in the closet, you would be exposed to how public relations comes into play from the editorial side, as well as learn the ins and outs of how a magazine is produced, etc. Quintessentially does have an international presence, which is great, and learning about events is always helpful, regardless of the industry.

If fashion is where your heart is, have you thought about interning at a fashion brand in London? There is so much talent out there, I'm sure there are many options...

xo,
Carla

[carlacarstens]

Originally Posted by STYLEOClDE

I went on my interview for FIDM, and they said for my major i should major in production development...but they really didn't go into detail for what that is...so can any of you explain to me what that is? is it like, working all types of shifts? cos i want to work for a fashion magazine, styling the clothes put in the magazine, behind the scenes at runway shows or something. what is it, exactly?

Production development can mean many things- in house it means making sure that the clothing is actually produced. In regards to fashion shows or fashion events in general, you would produce the whole show or event- lighting, seating, backstage, dressers, etc.

If you want to work at a magazine as a stylist, you should start in the fashion closet. The fashion director/creative director are usually the ones styling the shoot, unless the magazine outsources their fashion editorial.

xo,
Carla