How to stand out and land a fashion internship
image via @reh__studios/instagram
as told to daisy henry
Get your foot in the door.
In the fashion industry (and beyond), internships are something of a rite of passage. In fact, some of the best writers, stylists and designers I’ve come across first earned their stripes by doing some form of work experience.
When I was doing my journalism degree, I put my hand up for as many internships as I could. Being in a newsroom and getting sent off on assignments immersed me in the industry in a way that attending lectures couldn’t. It was scary, thrilling and firmly cemented my love for writing.
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From the outside, the world of internships can feel a little mystifying. How exactly do you land one? How can you stand out? And do you get paid? From your university course advisor to Fashion Journal‘s careers page, there are plenty of fashion-related internships out there – you just need to know where to look.
Melanie Lan, marketing specialist at Reh Studios
“Even without past work or projects to draw on, a mock campaign or mock brand still makes a strong impression.”
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What do you look for in an intern?
When looking for an intern to join the team, we’re after a genuine passion for the industry and a real willingness to learn. Since our Marketing Interns are social media focused, we do want the candidate to have a genuine interest in social media, whether that’s a basic understanding or, even better, someone who genuinely loves it and spends their own time creating content. Anything beyond that, like experience with events or content strategy, is a bonus.
What kinds of tasks does a Reh Studios intern typically do?
Marketing intern responsibilities typically include end-to-end social media content creation, from concepting and scripting through to filming and final editing. They’ll also research upcoming trends and help concept how we could bring them to life.
How can an intern stand out?
A positive attitude and the initiative to jump in and figure things out matter more to us than ticking every skills box. We also notice when someone has their own ideas and offers fresh perspectives, since it shows a deeper understanding of our brand and where else we could improve.
Do you have any tips for applying?
Applying with a marketing portfolio matters a lot to us too, since it shows your creativity and skills in a way a resume alone can’t. Even without past work or projects to draw on, a mock campaign or mock brand still makes a strong impression. Since marketing is such a creative role, anyone who shows that creativity in their application immediately jumps out to us compared to a plain resume. Our internships are paid and we typically post them on Fashion Journal’s careers page, so interested candidates can apply directly through there.
Do you have any advice post-internship?
My final word of advice is to stay open to learning. Hold onto the network you’ve built during the internship and keep growing it. And put together a portfolio of the work you did while interning. It’ll be genuinely useful for future job opportunities.
Jillian Boustred, founder and creative director
“Creative degrees teach great problem-solving skills.”
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What do you look for in an intern?
When looking for interns, I’m after an individual who is currently studying or has completed a design degree. The main reason I seek this is that it shows they’re committed to pursuing a career in design. Creative degrees teach great problem-solving skills and highlight the importance of curiosity, which is vital if you’re after a career in design.
Do interns need prior experience?
I do look for relevant internships or casual work experience, even if it’s just a retail job. This shows a commitment to the industry and is great for the early development of relevant skills that they can build on while interning at Jillian Boustred.
How can people apply for internships at Jillian Boustred?
Internships are shared on the Fashion Journal careers page.
Lara Daly, Senior editor at Fashion Journal
“The ability to write like a human(!!) is one way to stand out.”
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What do you look for an intern?
I’m always after someone who is organised and really excited to be here. I love it when interns come prepared to make the most of their time with us and want to publish as much as possible.
Increasingly, the ability to write like a human(!!) is one way to stand out. Also, someone who reads and is highly engaged in the culture and conversations within fashion media – they always have better story ideas.
What are some typical tasks an FJ intern can expect to do?
The typical tasks include some simple writing or sub-editing, captions for social media posts or updating our fashion directories. Responsibilities progress as the internship goes on – ideally they experience the full process from ideation to publication: pitching stories or getting assigned a story, setting up their own interviews, meeting deadlines, taking on editor feedback, prepping the story into our CMS and choosing imagery for publication, then sharing the story on social media.
How can people apply for an internship with FJ?
Since our internships are unpaid, they must go directly towards university credits. So typically we have journalism students in their final year of uni. You can apply either through the university program or submit your CV and cover letter to interns@fashionjournal.com.au along with 150 words on each of the following: a treasured memory around a piece of clothing and a favourite FJ-aligned fashion label.
What’s the value of doing an internship?
Personally, I found my internships really valuable in terms of learning how to communicate professionally. It’s (usually) your first exposure to an office environment, and there are so many unwritten rules to take in. For example, knowing when you should (or shouldn’t) pipe up in a meeting, checking Slack messages often, and always coming with an idea for a solution if you’re asking a manager how to overcome a problem.
What’s your advice for future FJ interns?
My advice for during the internship? Be a nerd. Take it seriously, come prepared, ask lots of questions and be respectful of people’s time. Listen carefully and take notes when they tell you something important.
For more on the benefits of internships, try this.
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