Fashion buyer roles?
Discussion
Hi all,
one of the weirdest posts I've made -
My kid sister is looking for a role as a Fashion Buyer
She's degree qualified (2/1 Business at Cardiff) and has had some experience in non fashion buying but has just returned from a years travelling and now (I know, great timing!) wants to get serious about the job hunting
She has made lots of applications but it sounds as if its a very closed shop (NPI) to anyone without good contacts
Can anyone assist with any suggestions or other help on this?
Cheers
one of the weirdest posts I've made -
My kid sister is looking for a role as a Fashion Buyer
She's degree qualified (2/1 Business at Cardiff) and has had some experience in non fashion buying but has just returned from a years travelling and now (I know, great timing!) wants to get serious about the job hunting
She has made lots of applications but it sounds as if its a very closed shop (NPI) to anyone without good contacts
Can anyone assist with any suggestions or other help on this?
Cheers
http://www.retailchoice.com/JobSeeking/Buying.html
She should just keep trying, applying for the advertised ones and just writing to anyone and everyone, be realistic with the wage equirements until she gets a foot in the door and be willing to move as you really have to chase the good jobs.
She should just keep trying, applying for the advertised ones and just writing to anyone and everyone, be realistic with the wage equirements until she gets a foot in the door and be willing to move as you really have to chase the good jobs.
musclecarmad said:
Yeah it's tough.
Telling you how I see it from an independent POV:
She has got an ok degree from an ok uni but nothing special. She then went off travelling around the world and now has come back with little in the way of fashion buying experience and wants a job as a fashion buyer as her first major job in what can only be described as an unfavourable economic environment.
There are many many girls that would love this job and there are many stunning girls that are very well educated that go for these jobs who have good contacts etc.
I will say it will be very tough for her to get a good 'fashion buyer' job.
Agree 100% mate, and for that matter so does she!Telling you how I see it from an independent POV:
She has got an ok degree from an ok uni but nothing special. She then went off travelling around the world and now has come back with little in the way of fashion buying experience and wants a job as a fashion buyer as her first major job in what can only be described as an unfavourable economic environment.
There are many many girls that would love this job and there are many stunning girls that are very well educated that go for these jobs who have good contacts etc.
I will say it will be very tough for her to get a good 'fashion buyer' job.
More 'clothing' than 'fashion' but Tesco HQ are looking for trainee buyers.
http://www.tesco-careers.com/jobsearch.cfm
http://www.tesco-careers.com/jobsearch.cfm
my ex left westminster university with a 2.1 in fashion design and has been in buying for the past 2yrs. she started at austin reed and has just left selfridges to join house of fraser.
a few points:
'buyer' is not an entry level role. first rung is buyers admin assistant, then assistant buyer. yes, its a lackeying by another name for the first few yrs.
money is piss poor. the ex is an asst. buyer at london head office and is on 19k. being the nature of the industry, this is seen as a decent wage.
there are a huge number of sloaney types who have their job due to connections, but you have to understand that commercial buying does not allow for idiocy and talent shows through. there are plenty of normal girls in fashion, my ex included (yorkshire girl, postman's daughter).
don't be too desperate. staff turnover is quite high and if she has a year or so experience with, say, a mid range high street chain, she won't get a look in for entry level positions at a high end retailer. 'too experienced' is a common knockback.
having said that, the high street is very well respected within fashion. volume sales is what everyone aspires to afterall and the range of suppliers to be dealt with is more diverse. as you'd expect, arcadia is the one they all want on their cv.
as I said, entry roles are dogsbody roles. it can be rewarding if a project is dumped on you that can be turned into success, but 99% of the time you'll be doing the work noone else wants to.
careerist buyers (i.e. those who don't use it as commercial experience for their own startup) are generally a b
hy lot who are overprotective of their patch and will disparage their underlings at every opportunity. also, as the buyer is the head of a small team, their coke and booze fuelled failings rub off on that team via association. its not unusual for a junior buyer to be sacked through no fault of their own.
there are plenty of jobs outside of london, which will pay just the same. linguistic skills open up the opportunity to work for an agent - the go between for foreign factories.
its not as fun or glamorous as people think. the ex hated selfridges with a particular passion. perks are typical girl pleasers - healthy discounts and sample sales.
writing on my mobile so I'll stop here. any questions I'll answer or pass on. I am interested why she'd choose to be a buyer as a first choice, for many its a stopgap.
a few points:
'buyer' is not an entry level role. first rung is buyers admin assistant, then assistant buyer. yes, its a lackeying by another name for the first few yrs.
money is piss poor. the ex is an asst. buyer at london head office and is on 19k. being the nature of the industry, this is seen as a decent wage.
there are a huge number of sloaney types who have their job due to connections, but you have to understand that commercial buying does not allow for idiocy and talent shows through. there are plenty of normal girls in fashion, my ex included (yorkshire girl, postman's daughter).
don't be too desperate. staff turnover is quite high and if she has a year or so experience with, say, a mid range high street chain, she won't get a look in for entry level positions at a high end retailer. 'too experienced' is a common knockback.
having said that, the high street is very well respected within fashion. volume sales is what everyone aspires to afterall and the range of suppliers to be dealt with is more diverse. as you'd expect, arcadia is the one they all want on their cv.
as I said, entry roles are dogsbody roles. it can be rewarding if a project is dumped on you that can be turned into success, but 99% of the time you'll be doing the work noone else wants to.
careerist buyers (i.e. those who don't use it as commercial experience for their own startup) are generally a b
hy lot who are overprotective of their patch and will disparage their underlings at every opportunity. also, as the buyer is the head of a small team, their coke and booze fuelled failings rub off on that team via association. its not unusual for a junior buyer to be sacked through no fault of their own. there are plenty of jobs outside of london, which will pay just the same. linguistic skills open up the opportunity to work for an agent - the go between for foreign factories.
its not as fun or glamorous as people think. the ex hated selfridges with a particular passion. perks are typical girl pleasers - healthy discounts and sample sales.
writing on my mobile so I'll stop here. any questions I'll answer or pass on. I am interested why she'd choose to be a buyer as a first choice, for many its a stopgap.
she manages but its very much a student lifestyle. she did manage to rent in w2 for over a year but has now moved back to harrow.
she's in a minority from what I've seen, many are parent funded or living at home, others live off rich boyfriends. last I spoke to her it sounded like she was ready to admit defeat and move back to the provinces. hope not as she has real talent.
19k is considered good money at the bottom of the pile. she has friends who work for well known designers who put in a 50-60hr week for no recompense other than travel expenses.
she's in a minority from what I've seen, many are parent funded or living at home, others live off rich boyfriends. last I spoke to her it sounded like she was ready to admit defeat and move back to the provinces. hope not as she has real talent.
19k is considered good money at the bottom of the pile. she has friends who work for well known designers who put in a 50-60hr week for no recompense other than travel expenses.
having studied at London College of Fashion myself and deciding not to go in to industry, I can tell you that she is facing an uphill battle. She is likely to have no contacts in industry if all is as you describe and, as someone else has said, unless she'll work for peanuts whilst living in one of the worlds most expensive cities. She will also more than likely start in admin or as an assistant, she'd be better of trying to work alongside the industry and, when she is older, try and make the transition. But be warned, fashion is cut throat!
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