Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring Fashion Professionals At Free People
Amanda, Associate Director of Brand Marketing at Free People, highlights entry-level opportunities in fashion and marketing, emphasizing retail roles as a common career path: "a lot of our corporate team actually started working in the stores," with internships and coordinator/associate positions across departments like design, merchandising, social media, and PR providing further avenues for undergraduate students to gain experience and potentially advance within the company.
Entry-Level Jobs, Fashion Industry, Marketing Careers, Internship Opportunities, Career Paths
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Amanda Jimenez
Associate Director of Brand Marketing
Free People
New York University
UCLA Anderson School of Management - MBA
Communications
Apparel, Beauty, Retail & Fashion
Communication and Marketing
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Many corporate team members started in retail roles (part-time, college, or high school), showcasing upward mobility.
2. Internship programs are available at Free People's headquarters and LA office, offering diverse department opportunities.
3. Entry-level positions like coordinators or associates exist across departments (design, merchandising, social media, PR), allowing for skill development and project progression.
Transcript
What are some entry-level positions in the fashion and marketing industries that an undergraduate college student might want to consider?
A lot of our corporate team actually started working in the stores. Some of them were part-time college students, and some started working in the stores in high school. They found career paths or things they were passionate about through that process, which led them to the corporate team.
Another way of entering is through our internship programs. We run internship programs at our headquarters at our LA office, which I help oversee. In all of our departments, we have coordinator or associate level roles, depending on the department.
So, you can enter with very little experience. You could work on the design or merchandising teams as a sample coordinator, working with clothing for photo shoots. Or on my team, if you want to work on social media, you might start as a community manager. You'll understand pain points and answer questions.
As time goes on, you can work on smaller projects, and perhaps then work on a dedicated channel. If you work on the PR team, you'll start as a PR coordinator. You'll work with lower-level editors and on gifting initiatives. You'll also start to see how products are presented ahead of the season.
There are plenty of opportunities. I think fashion is definitely a young person's game, and we love having young people around because we always feel cool. There are always more young people than older people in the office. As I age, there are fewer and fewer of me and more young people. So, I think the numbers are in your favor.
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