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Career in fashion: Which path is right for you?

Being a fashion designer is not the only career in fashion. Read on for career ideas.

A career in fashion can mean many different things. "Reflections" by André-Batista on Flickr.If you have an artsy mind, your own style agenda, and a natural flair and interest for design, then a career in fashion may be suited for you. While many people think that a career in the fashion industry means working as a fashion designer, fashion is a huge industry that offers a multitude of non-designer jobs. Where you land in the glamorous and cutthroat world of fashion greatly depends on your talents and temperament 

Those who want to know how to be a fashion designer usually pursue a fashion degree to enter the field. However, an associates or a bachelor's degree in fashion may not be enough to become an expert in the trade.

One of the best ways to gain experience is to work as a design assistant. If you're working as an assistant apparel designer, you may perform tasks that you've already done in school, such as the following:

    • Creating and cutting patterns
    • Tracking samples
    • Fitting models
    • Supervising the work of dressmakers

Most fashion careers require a lot of enthusiasm and passion. You may not sketch the next collection, but you will get the opportunity to learn hands-on skills from an experienced fashion designer. You may be able to build the necessary network to become a full-pledged fashion designer after a few years of working as an assistant designer.

Classes begin soon. Find your career in fashion and apply today!

Another career in fashion is fashion merchandising. A fashion merchandiser analyzes the behavior of consumers and fashion trends. Other roles of a fashion merchandiser include the following:

    • Forecasting trends
    • Writing complex reports
    • Analyzing sales
    • Monitoring inventory

A merchandiser is also responsible for how the items are to be displayed in the store as well as moving products from affiliated stores.

One of the perks of working as a fashion merchandiser is the opportunity to travel long distance or overseas to manage the store's branches. This type of work requires a knowledge of numbers and a load of creativity.

It doesn't mean that you can't break into the industry if you're not creative. You can take additional design classes or complete fashion courses that will be helpful in your career in fashion and in retail management. Use Reply! to find accredited art schools in your area.

If you love fashion and have a talent for creative writing, then working as a fashion journalist may be right for you. A fashion journalist is hired to write exclusive pieces. The duties of a fashion writer include:

    • Conducting interviews
    • Writing original ideas
    • Collecting information through research
    • Creating attractive layouts of text and images for publication
    • Blogging for the online portion of the publication.

Many fashion journalists also attend high-profile fashion shows and have the opportunity to travel to different parts of the world. With superb writing skills and an eye for the arts and design, you can advance to fashion editor or a senior writer in a reputable publication.

There are other careers in fashion that you may want to pursue, such as a career in public relations, visual presentation and styling, product management or social media management.

Remember that in the fashion industry, you may not be able to fulfill all your career dreams in an instant. A successful career in fashion requires hard work, a healthy sense of competition and passion for your chosen field.

Photo credit: André-Batista via Compfight CC.