How to Land a Great Internship for Fashion Design

The fashion industry has a lot of competition. There is so much competition that it can be hard to get your foot in the door. Being able to land a great internship for fashion is more important than ever to help you start making the important connections that can help launch your career. The right fashion industry internship will give you the hands on experience that your education has been preparing you for. It gives you a real life taste of how it will be to make fashion design a career. You essentially get to try it on for size.

A great internship is also beneficial for the company offering the opportunity, as much as it is for the individual seeking a chance to work in the field of fashion design. Employers get to utilize the knowledge and fresh talent interns bring to their organization. Hiring interns is also a very cost effective move.

Leg Up on the Competition

On the other hand fashion design candidates get an opportunity to get the hands-on experience they need to pursue a career in fashion design. This experience makes them valuable candidates for hire in the fashion world. Landing a great internship in fashion design gives them an advantage over others seeking work in the same field. Most interns go on to work for the companies that offered their internship opportunity.

Length of an Internship

There are different internship programs that last for different amounts of time. Some internships are seasonal and might only become available during the summer vacation months, for example. Other internships are ongoing. Interested candidates can find companies offering internships in the fashion industry through the school's career center or on specific fashion websites. A database full of available internship opportunities is available for students to register for an opportunity.

Some internships are paid while others are unpaid but receive an internship credit for college. There are even some that combine hands-on work experience with online course work to be completed.

Start Building a Fashion Network Now

Tap your resources. If you know anyone working in the fashion industry, or someone who knows someone, don't be afraid to request an introduction. You will be expected to do a lot of networking on your own as you work your way up in the industry.

When you attend a fashion design school, establish professional relationships with your professors and administrative personnel who may be able to recommend you for a great fashion internship opportunity. These people can be the key in getting you the right fashion internship that could catapult your career. Once you secure an internship, continue adding to your fashion network by including your boss and coworkers. Keep in touch with these people because you never know when you might need to contact them for assistance.