Industry Spotlight: Beauty & Fashion

Basic Information

What kind of roles exist in the beauty and fashion industries?

MARKETING / PR

  • Social media management

  • VIP, Influencers and Celebrity Relations  

CREATIVE

  • Designer: apparel, footwear, accessories

  • Visual creative 

  • Graphic designer

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT / STRATEGY

  • Business strategy

  • Marketing strategy

RETAIL

  • Buyer

  • Merchandiser 

Successful candidates will have these skills:

  • Background knowledge / industry of fashion and apparel industry

  • Strong interpersonal skills

  • Creativity

  • Interest in visual arts 

What companies and locations should I consider?

  • Adidas

  • Alexander Wang

  • Calvin Klein

  • Diane Von Furstenberg (DVF)

  • Estée Lauder 

  • H&M

  • Levi Strauss

  • L’Oréal

  • LVMH

  • Rent the Runway

  • Tommy Hilfiger 

  • Tory Burch

  • Zara

  • And many, many more...

 

So, how do I land a fashion or beauty role?

How should I navigate “informal recruiting”?

  • Keep a running list in an Excel file of contact info you’ve gathered from business cards, career fairs, panel speakers, etc. with their name, company, role, contact, and a short blurb so you can remember details about them

  • Search through the Harvard alumni database for alums working in areas that interest you. Tick the checkbox on the left side indicating that alumni are open to career networking, and shoot them a short email asking to hop on the phone to learn about their career path

  • Search through LinkedIn to find current Harvard students who have interned or worked in fashion/beauty and reach out to them via email, Facebook Messenger, etc.

  • Pay attention to WIB-opps emails and other relevant email lists and make a note of any contacts or deadlines 

What kind of questions should I expect in interviews?

(Psst.. this article is a great starting point)

WORK STYLE / BEHAVIORAL

  • Why do you want to work at X company in Y role?

  • What did you gain from your previous role?

  • What is your working and communication style?

INDUSTRY QUESTIONS

  • Why are you passionate about our brand?

  • Who are your favorite designers, models, influencers, etc. and why?

  • How do you think our industry space will change in the next 10 years?

  • What’s a trend you’re excited about?

  • What could our website and social media accounts improve on? 

PERSONAL QUESTIONS

  • What are your favorite fashion or beauty-related magazines? Websites? Blogs? 

  • What social media platform do you use the most and why? 

How do I learn more? 

  • Learn about & stay on the lookout for available roles: 

  • Read up on relevant publications (online & in print) to determine the kinds of roles & work that interest you:

    • Elle

    • Harper’s Bazaar

    • Vogue

    • Marie Claire

    • Allure 

  • Once you identify areas of interest, reach out to Harvard College & HBS alumni in fashion to learn more about their day-to-day roles and career trajectories