When I finally landed my dream summer internship working with a fashion company, everyone told me to watch out. Immediately, I was warned of the mean girl environment and the Devil-Wears-Prada-like treatment of the interns. Being stubborn and driven, I followed through anyway. Here are my survival tips.
1. Learn how to dress.
Working in the fashion industry is like waking up in Oz. Everything you expect to be true about the professional world, isn't always set in stone. Because of this difference in environment, my behavior and attitude had to be adjusted. I had to be more professional. First and foremost, I began dressing for a mature environment. Early morning sweatpants and wet hair were left in my dorm room. I was suddenly adorning business casual looks mimicked from people I saw on television, on the street and online. Not only was how I was dressing a reflection of my professionalism, but also a test to see how well I actually followed the fashion industry. My flip flops were traded for heels (unless I was on the train of course). I made sure that the length on my skirts and dresses were appropriate. However, the fashion industry allows for some wiggle room. Girls I worked with had purple hair and still looked super professional. I learned that one edgy piece was just enough to make any regular outfit glam.
2. Be innovative.
3. You are not above the menial tasks.
When you're an intern, you get the to do the most basic tasks like getting coffee and steaming clothes. But, you also get the ability to be the best coffee getter and clothes steamer. Take advantage of learning to do the smallest tasks as excellently as you can.
4. Be confident.
One of the most important rules in fashion and life is to learn to be confident. Once you accept yourself for who you are, you are able to appreciate exactly what makes you, you. When it comes to fashion, being confident will help you dress better. You will learn what looks good on you and what doesn't. It makes you take risks and feel secure while you're doing so. When it comes to your professional life, confidence radiates. It will help your voice be strong even when it feels shaky and stand your ground when you need to.
5. Learn to work on a deadline.
The most challenging aspect of the position was meeting deadlines for the articles that I wrote. Often I was introduced to designers at the end of the week and expected to have a ready-to-post interview within less than a week. A difficult aspect of this was the fact that I had to work around other designer’s schedules. I knew that they were busy, but a delay in interviewing them made for a late Sunday night writing the article to meet my early deadline on Monday morning. I really had to learn to push myself to work on a deadline. When I did, the results were incredible.
6. Don't agree with every trend.
The best thing about fashion is you get to choose your role in it. If you don't like a trend, you don't have to wear it. You can even try to make it different. You can bring something old back into the light again. It's all up to you and you get a voice and a choice.
7. Don't expect all comments to be nice.
While criticism may not be intended to be mean, sometimes it just doesn't come out nice. Don't take it personally. Take critiques for what they're worth and learn from them.
8. Don't judge people by appearances.
9. Value art.
On my first day on the job, I ran errands all over Manhattan picking up different pieces from different designers for a shoot the next day. On my final stop, I picked up a leather fringe open front choker. It was absolutely gorgeous and seriously expensive. The designer demanded that I carried the 24 inch piece above my head on the subway so it didn't get tangled, folded, or bent. If you respect art and the work the designer put in, you have to follow through and make sure that the piece gets delivered the way it was intended to.
10. Appreciate other women.
My internship adviser is a female in the business industry and is almost singlehandedly overseeing every aspect of her business. Not only is this completely difficult, but it is almost unheard of. This has really inspired me to empower myself as a female business woman. After working for this internship, I have begun to push myself to apply for nonprofit status for an organization that I have co-founded. Had it not been for this internship, I highly doubt that I would have the tools, skills, or confidence to do so. Women are dominant in the fashion industry. After I realized this, I noticed how they can and are conquering everything else.
