All About Internships and Work Experience Placements

[firefly**]

^^I'm hoping for similar information...except I'm 21 and an English Major..hoping to get an intership with Conde UK this summer? does anyone know where/if they advertise, or if the best bet is just to send in a cv/cover letter by post as they suggest? any help would be greatly greatly appreciated.

 

[Littleathquakes]

Does anyone know about internships that are in the evening? I'm applying for FIT's evening/weekend program. I want to get an internship to help my resume but they're all for the day time. I'm hoping there are some that can accomodate the evening/weekend students.

 

[BetteT]

I doubt that you will find and evening or weekend internship .... most companies work during regular working hours and therefore you must work when they do.

The only thing I can think of is possible for a photography studio ... if you can find on who has a lot of real fashion shoots, not portraits or anything like that. Photographers often shoot any time of day and any day of the week so a studio that would rent to themor is owned by a photographer, would probably need staff during the off hours.

 

[BetteT]

^^I'm hoping for similar information...except I'm 21 and an English Major..hoping to get an intership with Conde UK this summer? does anyone know where/if they advertise, or if the best bet is just to send in a cv/cover letter by post as they suggest? any help would be greatly greatly appreciated.

If you wish to approach any company and don't have information, I think that you should just do some research. Call the company and ask if they use interns, if they list them anywhere and if not, who should you speak to about it. Get names, addressses, phone number, emails ... and ask if that person has a preference as to how you should approach them about an intership. You may get a bit of a run around .... since the receptionist may not know .... but with perseverence, you might even get to speak with the person hiring interns.

 

[dju dju]

i got a fashion design internship placement ( denmark )by picking up the phone and calling a designer overseas.ended up not doing it because the studio was not registred to have interns and i could not get a residence visa because of that.
it's really heartbreaking but iam looking for another one right now.
i think it's the best way to approach and also try http://freefashioninternships.com/ and http://www.fashion.net/
good luck to everyone and dont give up
x

 

[martah]

Hello!!
thank you very much for your help dju_dju with the advice and the links!
i sent e-mails and letters to apply for a internship for more or less 20 different places, I think by middle next week I will star calling to see if they received my application.I think from what i saw here is the advice I heard from everyone, always call!
Besides that, I am continuing to search!I saw the links you gave and both of them only have internship offers in the usa!
do you know if there are some similar sites but for europe?
it would be really helpfull!

thank you very much and good luck with you all!

 

[dju dju]

martah, iam gald my advices help
iam not sure about similar sites in europe.
i think maybe you should try swedish/danish designers - they are very creative but it's not as competitive as in US.
another things is, even if you get an internship elsewhere, not in your country - you should totally take in.i was going to relocate from middle east to europe for 6 month .
you will learn design and also learn about different culture/country - win-win!
good luck again!
x

 

[martah]

martah, iam gald my advices help
iam not sure about similar sites in europe.
i think maybe you should try swedish/danish designers - they are very creative but it's not as competitive as in US.
another things is, even if you get an internship elsewhere, not in your country - you should totally take in.i was going to relocate from middle east to europe for 6 month .
you will learn design and also learn about different culture/country - win-win!
good luck again!
x

I like most of the designers from northern europe!actually i dindt remember to include none in my first attempt but i definetlly search for some and include them now!
I think I didnt explain right, im not applying for internships in my country, im applying to the rest of the europe!
but mostly, london and paris!where most of the studios of designers and brands are!
I would like to try antwerp but the language dificulty kind of scares me!

thank you very much!!

 

[dju dju]

I like most of the designers from northern europe!actually i dindt remember to include none in my first attempt but i definetlly search for some and include them now!
I think I didnt explain right, im not applying for internships in my country, im applying to the rest of the europe!
but mostly, london and paris!where most of the studios of designers and brands are!
I would like to try antwerp but the language dificulty kind of scares me!

thank you very much!!

belgian designers are so inspiring and amazing! iam sure they all speak english.
iam sure u gona do just great!
x

 

[chanelnumber5]

Hii I'm looking for a work placement in London with a magazine of some kind? I've emailed Lula so far as I think Vogue + Elle won't take anyone under 18 and their waiting list is booked up for like 10 years. It's for May and I will be 16 then. Any help or advice would be great! Also, anyone ever done one at a london fashion magazine before and could tell me what sort of thing you do?

I've not interned at a magazine (in London or otherwise), however, here are some bits of information I've picked up from articles and teachers who have experience and/or contacts in journalsm.

It is Conde Nast's policy not to take on under 18s for work experience, which rules out quite a few magazines. However, here is a little piece on IPC media's policy (source: pressgazette.co.uk - which is useful to have a look around
IPC
IPC says it has a detailed policy on work experience, which it actively communicates to all its magazines. Work experience is defined as “a short period of work either during educational studies or after, from which the individual can gain first-hand experience of the workplace and of a particular role or area of work”.
Placements are available to students aged 14-16 and A-level students, as part of the National Curriculum, and to students in full-time education at college or university.
Placements may also be offered to recent graduates or job seekers on an expenses-only basis for up to a maximum of four weeks. Interns, sandwich-course placements, gap-year students, summer holiday workers and qualified journalists are paid at least the minimum rate or the appropriate rate for the job.

They do not necessarily publish the top magazines (Marie Claire probably being the most fashion orientated of all). However, if your struggling to find a fashion magazine, try and just get magazine experience in general. I know Stamp Magazine or whatever may not exactly be what your looking for, but IMO getting some experience at a magazine, and then trying to get experience at a fashion magazine might work out better, as although the experience isn't fashion relevant, it is magazine revelvant, meaning that you'll be seen as more capable etc. It also gives you an opportunity to develop contacts in the industry and connections in the company, and if you work hard for them, they'll also give you a good reference.

 

[LittleMolly]

Hi,

I would love some advice how to get some experience in the fashion industry. I'm looking for some work experience or an internship in New York for a while, up to 6 months, and I need some help on what to write in a cover letter to introduce myself. My CV is up to date and I need something to send with my CV expressing my interest in jobs/internships etc. I'm currently in a Account Management role in my current firm and quite high up and have a largely client facing role but I would like to transfer and do something similar in the fashion industry as my current industry doesn't interest me in the slightest but I have no fashion experience. I thought maybe an internship/work experience would be a good place to start and make my CV more headed in the right direction.

Any tips or advice on how I can approach this would be greatly appreciated as I have to leave my current job soon before it depresses me even further!!! Thanks so much!! xxx

 

[MUXU]

^i'm really no internship guru but i tend to just bluntly send emails to designers (not big big designers like givenchy or prada, very much out of my reach anyways) and ask them if they need interns. i guess you can do the same within your genre of work but in fashion.

i did two internships before when i was a highschooler in canada. the first one i got through school and the second one i got through a designer i emailed and im currently being considered for an internship here in london at Christopher Kane which i also came across by just bluntly emailing the studio for openings.
i read some of the posts above. i would loveeee to intern with ann dem. and other european designers which i adore. maybe one day i will but right now i will just stay within my region which is really not bad, full of designers hehe. i have school anyways

 

[martah]

hi muxu, thank you for your post!
it made my hopes a litlle bit higher!
I sent emails and letters but no one is answering right away and im trying to give them a little time to analyse things.i dont know if i should call or at least when should i call, when is too early or too late!
im also trying big brands and not so big designer stuidos based in ldn and paris.
i hope someone will answer or ill figure out the best wy to make some pressure without being anoying!

 

[mme]

^i'm really no internship guru but i tend to just bluntly send emails to designers (not big big designers like givenchy or prada, very much out of my reach anyways) and ask them if they need interns. i guess you can do the same within your genre of work but in fashion.

i did two internships before when i was a highschooler in canada. the first one i got through school and the second one i got through a designer i emailed and im currently being considered for an internship here in london at Christopher Kane which i also came across by just bluntly emailing the studio for openings.
i read some of the posts above. i would loveeee to intern with ann dem. and other european designers which i adore. maybe one day i will but right now i will just stay within my region which is really not bad, full of designers hehe. i have school anyways

Good luck with Kane, I really hope you get it! Do you mind me asking which designers you interned for in high school? (I live in Toronto too).

 

[Miss-V]

Originally Posted by loverunway
Hii I'm looking for a work placement in London with a magazine of some kind? I've emailed Lula so far as I think Vogue + Elle won't take anyone under 18 and their waiting list is booked up for like 10 years. It's for May and I will be 16 then. Any help or advice would be great! Also, anyone ever done one at a london fashion magazine before and could tell me what sort of thing you do?

Ok firstly, its truely impossible to go for Vogue or Elle unless you have something amazing. the best thing to do is focus on other areas of fashion then consider magazines, i worked at fashion houses, specifically pr and buying areas which deal with the same things i.e samples, sending out clothes fo shoots, requests etc as magazines and worked my way like that

 

[Lux.]

Does a person with a journalism degree have the same chances in getting an internship/job in a fashion magazine as a fashion journalist than a person who has an arts and design related degree?

And what do you suggest to someone who has a journalism degree and wants to focus in fashion to do, before going right away to a fashion magazine? Because I'm going for Journalism major, but working in the fashion area is very appealing to me - I'd like to know the type of experiences that would give me the bases to then be able to pursue a job in a fashion magazine.

Thanks!

 

[Miss-V]

I'm currently studying atm and i feel like i'm wasting my time, I dont want to be studying 2 yearss of textiles art etc when i know i could be interning. is it worthwhile skipping it taking the chance and potentially getting further quicker? or should i just do the 2 years. im so stressed, because of my past experience i have a really solid chance at getting good internships quick, so far i've had a interview at gucci and vivienne westwood are like when can u start?

so what do i do?
continue at school and stick it outt or drop out and intern?

 

[gius]

Lux. -art/design and journalism are not the same
They require different skill sets
You would place a designer in the design dept and a journalist in writing articles.

My advice is to build your portfolio
If you want to do both layout design and writing, try both of those things and put them in your portfolio

--

Miss-V if you don't like studying textile art, why are you there?
Some schools allow students to take as long as they like to finish a program
A few courses one year, the rest another

 

[jeweledvixen]

I've looked over this thread but I don't think this question has been answered yet (and sorry if it has!).

When should one start applying for summer internships?

I know that most places are still looking for spring interns, but I'm in Los Angeles and need to know if I can find a spot for the summer asap (so I can secure housing, etc.).

I know about the Conde Nast program, but what about internships at other magazines (like Nylon), PR firm or with a photographer?

Thank you!

 

[Lux.]

Thank you for the help, gius!