SFD095 How to Get Your First Fashion Design Job After College
When you first decide to work in the fashion industry, going to fashion school can seem like the one thing you need to score your dream job. But as many fashion graduates discover, completing that degree is only one step in the complicated and sometimes frustrating process of breaking into the industry.
In this interview, designer Kate Norkeliunas shares all the details of how she landed her first design job with a well-known company right out of college–without having to work retail, take unpaid work, or move back home!
In the interview (which you’ll love), we will cover:
- How Kate decided to change her major to fashion after pursuing a different field for 2 years
- The awesome internship opportunity Kate had in college
- How she boosted her chances of getting interviews before graduation
- What she did for interviews that helped her stand out
- Kate’s take on the number one thing employers are looking for
- What it was like starting her first job for a big company in NYC
- What she does as an assistant designer and the part she plays in the design and production process
- The biggest part of her job–that she DIDN’T learn in fashion school
- The biggest lesson from her first year working in fashion
- And more!
Press the orange play button below to listen here, or listen on Apple Podcasts:
“I was just applying to everything.”
Despite growing up with a dad who worked for Adidas, Kate Norkeliunas didn’t start out pursuing fashion. She studied something completely different for two years before realizing that fashion was what she really wanted to do. While her family connection may have helped her get a great internship, she was on her own when it came to landing her first real design job.
Kate had to hit the streets and interview for TONS of jobs before she got an offer. What she learned along the way will help YOU as you put yourself out there for your first, or next, big opportunity in the world of fashion.
Resources & People Mentioned
- Free resources for SFD Podcast listeners!
- Kate on Instagram
- Kate on LinkedIn
- UNTUCKit
