How to Become a Fashion Buyer in Ireland
Today's fashion industry is booming, and trends popular in the U.K. are spilling into the Republic of Ireland. Becoming a fashion buyer in Ireland will be no easy task, but following these simple steps will get you on that road. The rest will be up to you with some hard work, dedication and commitment. Once you get there the opportunities are worldwide and limitless. Fashion buyers can work for retail stores, department stores, fashion designers, wholesalers or boutiques. Fashion buyers are responsible for selecting merchandise that will sell, forecasting future buying strategies and negotiating contract terms with potential suppliers.
Because Ireland has only a handful of colleges, many students travel to America for their studies, so a potential candidate must determine the place of education before starting the journey. Dublin Institute of Technology offers two programs: Retail and Services Management and Retail Management and Marketing. Michigan State University offers a degree in Retailing and required class requirements do include buying. When deciding on a college, look for majors that offer retail, management, marketing and buying as class requirements. You will need to know how the fashion industry works. Less emphasis is placed on the actual degree, but more on what classes you have taken and your knowledge of the field. The closer your major is to the fashion industry, the better chance you have over someone who has an Accounting or Child Development degree.
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Things You'll Need
- Bachelor's degree
- Retail internship
- Management internship
- Buyer's internship
Instructions
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Enroll in the University of your choice.
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Contact your university's career placement center. They can get you started on a work study or internship program. The perfect beginner internship would be a post in retail. Learn as much as you can, try to find a mentor in the company and move forward. This will give you insight into how the fashion industry actually works. However, being a fashion buyer is not entirely about clothing.
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Develop the ability to work well under pressure, become highly analytical and build a strong knowledge for computers. Being open to a flexible schedule is a plus; some days you will be working behind a desk preparing orders and reports, while other days you will be traveling to other countries to check out the latest trends.
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Using your university's career center, create your resume and distribute it within the center. Oftentimes the university center is the first place businesses will post job offers, specifically for new graduates. Be sure to list all the relevant classes you have taken as well as internships and any other practical experience. Fashion buyers must be creative, imaginative, perceptive and objective. A creative way to make your resume stand out would be to print it on a colored paper.
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Deliver your resume to likely businesses, starting with any companies for whom you've worked as an intern or in a work-study program.
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When searching for new possible job opportunities, use websites such as monster.co.uk to see who is currently hiring. When you show up with your resume, always ask to speak to the manager and place your resume in her hands yourself. This way the manager has face recognition a good first impression.
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Drop your resume even at establishments that are not currently hiring. You never know what could turn up. Neiman Marcus, for example, has programs for new buyers entering the field. Places like this are always worth a visit even if the program is said to be full. If you can prove yourself to the manager, an exception can always be made.
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Network with everyone you know so that you never miss an opportunity to pass along your resume.
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Tips & Warnings
Many internships last a semester or summer. Do as many internships as you can. This will look good to potential employers after graduation. It will also give you hands-on experience and the edge over the competition.
Beware of any job that requires you to pay a fee. Many times these are scams.
