Fashion is an incredibly exciting yet highly competitive industry to break into. With more than 60 universities offering fashion-related programmes, and approximately 3,000 fashion and textiles students graduating every year, success is about survival of the fittest. So how can today’s fashion graduates stand out from the crowd?

Experience counts double

One of the key things that will differentiate you from other graduates is your work experience. Experience is like magic fairy dust on a CV and is really worth its weight in gold.

It’s never too early to start and don’t worry if you have to start small; my first experience of working in the fashion industry was at my local bridal wear boutique, which helped me to get better experience during my second year and eventually my dream job at Hussein Chalayan.

Work experience will not only make your CV stand out, it will also enrich your learning, have a positive impact on your design work and extend your fashion network. Intern magazine is an interesting place where like-minded creative graduates can go to find new opportunities and discuss issues that affect them.

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Know your strengths

When you work in the fashion industry you can’t be shy. You need to sell yourself and let everyone know why you are different from the next fashion graduate.

If you don’t know what your strengths are yet, get your peers, family members or tutors to help identify them for you.

For example, you might discover you are an excellent visual communicator, you are strong at developing innovative fabrics or an excellent print designer.

Whatever it is that sets you apart from the rest, make sure you shout about it from the rooftop. Include points clearly stated in your cover letters and CVs, highlight them in your portfolio, mention them in phone conversations, and ensure that your skills are relevant for the posts you are applying for.

Get out there

It might sound obvious but you have to go and make opportunities happen, as they rarely come knocking for you. Don’t lie idle. If you can’t get a job, get a placement. Keep your foot in the fashion industry door, as it is hard to get back in again if you move to a non-related industry.

A multi-faceted approach to getting your first fashion job is best: email, call companies of particular interest, enrol with fashion-based employment agencies and take advantage of networking sites like Artsthread or Behance. Leverage social media to your advantage by creating an online portfolio and informing your contacts about your work via Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or LinkedIn.

It’s who you know that counts

The well known phrase “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” could not be more relevant than in the fashion industry.

As a newcomer you might feel like the fashion world is a huge community, but you will be surprised how small it really is; everyone knows someone who knows someone.

Call in acquaintances – previous fashion employers, your great aunt who works for Chanel, parties who expressed an interest at your show or private view. Tell them what you are looking for, supported by a PDF of your work and CV. You will be surprised how helpful people are.

The power of the spoken word is such that until recently I had never applied for a job or gone for a formal interview – all my work was gained through networking.

Think positively

Sadly it is unlikely that your first step into the fashion industry is going to be handed to you on a plate and it’s more than likely that you will make several applications before you succeed.

Don’t lose faith, keep at it, evaluate why previous attempts have been unsuccessful, ask for detailed feedback and most of all don’t take it personally. Positivity is an attractive characteristic and it yields positive results.

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