What Fashion Recruiters Are Looking for in Job Candidates Today

Uncover the latest job opportunities on BoF Careers, with 2,600+ global roles available today.

For rising expertise and seasoned professionals alike, the style business has a extremely aggressive job market. With usually tons of of candidates vying for the roles, candidates face distinct challenges to face out of their applications and interviews when showcase their differentiating expertise, expertise and understanding of the function and hiring firm.

In an effort to raised equip candidates with recommendation on the right way to distinguish themselves in an oversaturated market, BoF Careers spoke to style recruiters, hiring managers and DEI leaders attending occasions hosted by BoF Careers this 12 months — from panel discussions on Protecting Fashion’s DEI Efforts During Market Disruption in March to The Next Generation of Fashion Talent and the Workplace in November.

Uncover under a spotlight of the insights and recommendation gathered by BoF Careers, to raised perceive how candidates can stand out, whether or not trying to enter or progress within the style business at the moment.

In November, BoF hosted a panel with business consultants Rhianna Cohen, artistic director at Mørning, Pavel Dler, founder and CEO at Culted, and Erifili Gounari, founding father of The Z Hyperlink, to find how to meet the needs and expectations of Gen-Z as they enter the workforce.

Hosted on the Jimmy Choo Academy in London, the viewers of business executives and HR leaders represented the likes of Chanel, Threads Styling, LVMH, Karla Otto, Alexander McQueen, Burberry, Home of Sunny, Margaret Howell, ASOS, Roksanda, Delos, Halfpenny, Fable & Mane and London School of Trend, amongst others.

Evaluate Your Functions Completely

“I obtain a whole lot of CVs and a whole lot of them are Phrase paperwork. PDFs at all times appear and feel rather more skilled. I feel they’re not essentially checked over as a lot anymore. It’s not an excellent first impression — it takes longer to load and you may see the place the spelling errors are,” mentioned Molly Bray, artistic growth strategist at Home of Sunny.

“Positively take note of ending touches — how [your application documents] are despatched over and the professionalism of the e-mail,” mentioned Camilla Williams, managing director of Home of Sunny. “And ship an excellent physique of textual content in your e mail as effectively. Use it as a possibility to speak concerning the model and why you want to work for that firm specifically, in addition to simply in your cowl letter,” she mentioned.

Embrace Change and Be Adaptable

“There are going to be so many new platforms coming in that may will let you do your job so significantly better,” mentioned Lily Stephens-Benjamin, hiring supervisor at Karla Otto. “Lots of people is likely to be used to utilizing older platforms that they’re comfy with they usually is likely to be much less comfy with fixed change whereas the brand new technology are simply adaptable to new expertise.”

You need to do something you can to face out. Don’t do the naked minimal in any respect as a result of lately everybody goes the additional mile.

Stephens-Benjamin advises leveraging tech savviness and highlighting your flexibility: “Know your worth and use that to really feel confident. Should you assume that you’re value greater than you’re being provided, [have faith in that] and at all times push for extra.”

Emphasise Your Individuality

“The sheer quantity of roles in the mean time is difficult [to navigate]. And HR nonetheless must be so selective on this market,” mentioned Caitlin Culverhouse-Steadman, expertise coordinator at Threads Styling. “You need to do something you can to face out. Don’t do the naked minimal in any respect as a result of lately everybody goes the additional mile.”

“Go to networking occasions, attain out to individuals on LinkedIn and in individual,” Culverhouse-Steadman added. Networking can assist you higher perceive who the important thing determination makers are, who you’ll handle your software to and who can assist you progress in your profession.

Ask About Development and Improvement Alternatives

“Working with some younger individuals — they’re coming by means of with sure expectations of what a job ought to contain, what the office ought to appear like, the perks, the development,” mentioned Hannah O’Byrne, hiring supervisor at Halfpenny. “They’re extra fast-paced — they wish to go from zero to 100 right away as a result of everyone seems to be a lot extra formidable now.”

“All the time ask if there’s development within the function. I feel lots of people come face-to-face with that barrier — particularly when coming right into a junior function — the place they get caught. I’ve labored for firms up to now that present a transparent five-year development span. You’ve acquired to have one thing to work for and work in the direction of,” she added.

Broaden Your Search Standards

“As soon as you’re in, it’s a lot simpler to manoeuvre and make contacts. However it’s actually arduous to get into [the fashion industry] within the first place. And a whole lot of internships and placements don’t pay — that’s an actual problem,” mentioned Honor Gell, PR and advertising supervisor at Roksanda. “Positively attempt to go for an company first. I feel getting expertise in-house units you up a lot and preserve happening careers platforms, speak to individuals.”

In March, BoF Careers and The Outsiders Perspective co-hosted a panel dialogue about how fashion companies can protect inclusive recruitment and retention strategies in at the moment’s unstable financial market, with an viewers of range, fairness and inclusion (DEI) professionals, expertise executives and other people workforce leaders from manufacturers together with Burberry, Selfridges and Alexander McQueen.

BoF Careers talked to a few of the occasion attendees to seek out out what they search for in expertise, and the way candidates can stand out within the software and interview course of at the moment.

Show a Willingness to Be taught

“After we search for expertise out there, we’re searching for people who find themselves hungry, who wish to develop — who’ve a progress mindset, and who’re additionally model ambassadors [and] love the model,” mentioned Scarlett Phillips-Jacovides, senior expertise and growth supervisor at Alexander McQueen. “It’s about your angle slightly than your expertise, as a result of expertise you’ll be able to develop — you’ll be able to develop them, we are able to educate them. […] Anybody can develop, anybody can be taught, that’s the straightforward half. The arduous half is having the starvation and want to try this.”

“I feel simply that they wish to be taught, we don’t care when you don’t have the expertise. Attempt to make a private reference to the model [or] firm. [Establish] why, what you assume you’ll be able to carry and what you wish to be taught. That’s at all times what I wish to hear from younger expertise,” mentioned Ffion Collins, EMEA Recruiter, Deckers Manufacturers.

Present Your Ardour for the Model and Position

“We’re searching for candidates at the moment who’re passionate concerning the model, who’re tenacious to work in an business that may be tremendous powerful, and who’ve the abilities — possibly not the business expertise, however the expertise to suit the profile of the function,” mentioned Melissa Boyd, human assets director at Victoria Beckham.

“I feel simply doing their analysis, ensuring they had been actually conscious of the enterprise and the place the enterprise is in, together with ardour for what they do. Eager to be taught, wanting to realize and wanting a profession — not only a title on their CV — desirous to be right here for the lengthy haul and desirous to progress within the enterprise,” mentioned Salma Sodawala, expertise acquisition supervisor at ASOS. “Now we have acquired nice tales of inner expertise that has been within the enterprise [for] 10+ years, a few of them beginning as graduates, so we might like to see extra of that.”

Having your individual narrative and your individual place is at all times a profit in my thoughts.

“I feel ardour is a key [aspect]. Somebody that enjoys what they’re doing, that enjoys the method and somebody who appears forward. At Selfridges, we very a lot look forward to the long run, we wish to be the trailblazers, so somebody that may get pleasure from that journey with us actively, not solely assist, however […] that wishes to make a change throughout the business. It may be at any stage, simply having that keenness,” mentioned Jacqueline Celis, head workplace recruitment supervisor at Selfridges.

Be Genuine and Sincere

“What I’m searching for in expertise in the mean time could be authenticity [and] honesty, so simply being sincere about your expertise and finally sincere about the place you wish to go and what it’s that you simply’re searching for. I feel that’s most vital,” mentioned Jordan Hudson, company expertise acquisition at Alexander McQueen.

“Lean into your uniqueness and your understanding of one thing. I feel a whole lot of the time, individuals anticipate in the event that they had been to go and take another person’s ideas or sentiments, that may open the door for them. Having your individual narrative and your individual place is at all times a profit in my thoughts,” Geoffrey Williams, international vp of range, fairness and inclusion at Burberry.

“One [piece] of recommendation that I’ll give is that, there isn’t a improper reply so long as it’s one thing that you simply really consider in, your work ethic, the way in which that you simply work. You’ll at all times shine by means of your solutions, being your genuine self is essential and that’s what I search for,” mentioned Jacqueline Celis of Selfridges.

Tailor Your CV to the Position

“For junior expertise, I do know it sounds old style and I do know it sounds boring, however I feel the CV might be a very powerful piece the place you stand out as a result of that’s your preliminary introduction, it’s your preliminary screening,” mentioned Lubomir Jets, EMEA expertise acquisition supervisor at Deckers Manufacturers.

“You’ll be stunned what number of candidates nonetheless don’t tailor their CV for the function that they’re making use of for. It will get worse in additional aggressive roles, particularly in product roles [or] advertising roles the place you get 200 CVs, and 180 of them are precisely the identical. So I’d say [unique] CVs stand out probably the most, that’s your first contact with the model.”

Attain Out to the Recruiter

“Perceive precisely what the function is. I don’t thoughts in the event that they e mail instantly typically and ask fairly particular questions, I feel that reveals that they’re keen they usually’re eager. Which may not imply that they’ll get put on the prime of the listing for the function, nevertheless it positively reveals an curiosity,” Melissa Boyd, human assets director at Victoria Beckham. “Be reasonable about what the necessities for a task are, and the way [your] expertise and talent map throughout to that.”

“Don’t be afraid to get in contact by means of channels like LinkedIn — that will even make you stand out. Get in contact with the recruiter, with the expertise supervisor, allow them to know that you’ve got utilized,” added Lubomir Jets of Deckers Manufacturers.

Uncover the latest job opportunities, with 2,600+ roles on BoF Careers today.