The fashion industry can be tough to break into, unless you have friends in high places. Often, the easiest way to get a foot in the door is by interning.Â
Yes, some internship programs have gotten bad raps—especially with all the lawsuits that have been filed against companies like CondĂ©Â Nast. But it can't be stressed enough how important, useful, and what great learning experiences they can actually be. Look around now; most of your favorite editors, writers, and stylists were once interns.Â
Finding the right internship is only the first step, though. It's excelling in said internship that is perhaps the harder part. Standing out, impressing your bosses, making a name for yourself, and leaving a good impression is the most challenging part of the experience. And with fewer companies and publications offering internship programs, the competition is only going to get tougher. So before you send that resume and cover letter, or start your first day, read this guide on How to Dominate Your Fashion Internship. (Trust us, we've been there.)
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Send a professional-looking resume and cover letter.
Be familiar with magazine
Familiarize yourself with the magazine or company.Â
Okay, this sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised. Make sure you know what the magazine or company you're interning for is all about. If it's a mag, read the print (or online version) as much as you can and know it from front to back. Understand who the readers are, what kinds of topics it covers, and which brands or trends appeal most to its audience. If you applied for this internship simply to put the name on your resume, you're already making a mistake.
You have to actually care about the magazine and that which it covers. It'd be even better if you're a fan. You'll be able to do a better job and would be more useful if you knew exactly what types of things the publication, or company, does.Â
Have a general awareness of designers, brands, the industry, and the marketplace.
Be grateful
Check your ego at the door.
Please don't expect to walk into an internship thinking you'll be editing, writing, or styling. As an intern, you will be asked to do photo research, schedule deliveries, work in the fashion closet, and sometimes even pick up coffee or lunches for your editors. Sometimes you'll even be asked to personally pick up things for shoots. When they do, don't hit them with a lame excuse like "I don't know how to take the subway" because 1) if that's the case, you'll probably be deemed too dumb to do anything else and 2) you're a terrible liar. Just be thankful your supervisor even trusts you with those Dior Homme samples.