Jobs

Before You Take that Internship…

October 10, 2018

Earning a fashion internship is a good step towards realizing your dream of working in the fashion industry, many people disregard the idea of being an intern, they’re not willing to work for someone or an establishment for minimal pay or at times with no pay at all even. Little do they know that it’s actually the best way to go into the fashion industry. The truth is there’s so better way to learn about something than by doing it, for that reason alone I believe that being an intern is crucial for anyone who desires to go into the fashion industry. Ofcourse there are some people in the fashion world who became successful without going through an internship but even Kanye West did one at the age of 32. Ye interned with the Italian Fashion luxury brand Fendi alongside the Louis Vuitton Creative Director, Virgil Abloh for 2 years before launching his first runway show. So if Ye, an ego-maniac could let go of his ego to actually learn from a professional who are you not to?

Through internship you’d have the opportunity to try out different things, and be able to identify your areas of strength or even discover some area of interest you weren’t aware of before and when you do you’d have the chance to find out more about it while completing other assigned tasks. The job of an intern is even better nowadays because there are a lot of them that are more like paid jobs, so you’re pretty much just absorbing as much as information as you can while assisting and completing other tasks at hands. Being an intern requires hard-work, professionalism and a longing interest to learn new things.

As an intern you get the opportunity to attend events you only dream of or watch on TV and also work with famous designers, models, and this is something many fashion employers are looking for.

You could also see it as an opportunity to build your resume, as internship counts as professional experience, the opportunity to network or build valuable relationships with different fashion professionals that could eventually turn into a full paid job later on. The fashion industry is a competitive one and these things will keep you ahead of others, a lot of employers would most likely favor designers that have completed one or even multiple internships.

But these are just the perks of being an intern, its not all roses, as being an intern can really be frustrating and discouraging. You should know what to expect from your first day as an intern until your last or rather be ready to work you ass off. Interns are often hired by fashion houses and magazines to assist in the day-to-day operations of the company, from running errands like buying food/beverages to assisting with photo shoots, to answering messages and covering events you really don’t give a damn about. You’d also have to tread carefully during the duration of your internship as you wouldn’t want mess up your chances of being retained. In summary, as an intern you’d work your ass off and you shouldn’t expect no form of reward or pay for your work done, cause your only award would be if you manage to translate your internship to a full time paid job.

But this is all from my personal experience as an intern, it differs for various people. You could be lucky and have an amazing internship. Do let me know if y’all agree…or not ?