There’s more to the fashion industry in terms of employment than being the model or the designer. In today’s fast-paced industry, and with technology driving innovations, the employment options are almost unlimited. If you’re able to bring savvy, training and ingenuity to the table, the fashion industry can be your playground.
Check out cool jobs where you can earn a just-as-cool living in the fashion industry, beyond the top-of-mind options:
1. Brand Manager
This is a job where you’d be responsible for strategies on product placement, marketing and prime audience engagement with a particular brand. You’d also work with brands for partnerships that would maximize its presence in stores, on the Web and in the hearts and minds of the general public (consumer.) The great thing about a job like this is that you’d be able to have a hand in several facets of the industry and might even get to see a product go from fabric and threads to a lifestyle staple.
Salary: Varies (Up to $100,000+)
2. Stylist
If you have an eye for putting together great looks, know how to handle budgets and actually have a love for shopping beyond picking up an item or two for yourself every now and then, this may be the
3. Communications Coordinator
If you have public relations mojo and media or writing experience, this is the job for you. Communications coordinators’ jobs are often closely related to brand managers and they are tasked with creating media relations strategies, building relationships for marketing and brand exposure and working with events.
4. Booking Agent/Talent Manager
If you have an eye for the next big sensation in fashion and can pair that with sales and business acumen, this may be the job for you. Take a cue from the career of industry pioneer and icon Bethann Hardison, who got her start as a booking agent and is behind sparking the success of supermodels including Veronica Webb and Tyson Beckford. The industry always seems to have room for new faces, and if you’re the person behind finding and managing them, you could be well on your way to a lucrative career.
Salary: Varies, sometimes with commission
5. Visual Merchandiser
With the advent of e-commerce, this job’s face has changed tremendously. The traditional professional is responsible for composition and creativity of storefronts, in-house and window displays for retailers and these jobs are also in demand for the Web, where professionals manage the front-page entrance of a consumer Website. Sometimes they also manage the online archive of offerings, pricing and inventory updates and even content creation for e-commerce sites.