<p>DD15 is kind of an Elle Woods - beautiful, smart, blonde, but not into
"serious" subjects. She likes the idea of working in the fashion industry, probably majoring in fashion merchandising. I've looked on the web sites of some of our state schools that offer fashion merchandising degrees and it seems like they prepare a student for a retail career of long hours for low pay. Is this the case? If so, what does a person with a fashion bent major in to be taken more seriously as a professional and, hopefully, not wind up on the sales floor of the Gap after college?</p>
<p>IDK, but my cousin's daughter graduated from NC State with a degree in that. She had some interviews with textile companies but she decided to stay at NC State and get a grad degree. I don't know what the grad degree is called but I was told it's in that same vein.</p>
<p>If she wants to work in fashion, she should go to a respected art/design school like Parsons or FIT. Their students get internships with major fashion companies doing things from design to public relations, depending on major. "Fashion merchandising" at a local school just seems like a glorified entry into menial retail work.</p>
<p>Fought through this very issue with D. I though it was too risky for long term success and happieness - suggested marketing as a way to get to a similar end. I really did not want to send her to FIT because i think that is very limiting for someone so young. If they don't like it - they are essentially stuck in the industry, because they don't have a marketable college degree. Get the degree THEN go do a year or two at FIT if you're still interested. We ended up in Graphic Design/Visual Communication with a double M in Marketing. I think this works for her no matter which way she wants to go - and she found out she's really quite talented in the graphic design area. Good Luck!</p>
<p>My husband went through Macy's training program when he first got out of college. He became a buyer for furnitures, instead of ready to wear. He ultimately left the industry in a few years because of the pay and hours. I hated his job because he was never home for any holidays. The same training program also trained people for fashion merchandising. The track was department manager, assistant buyer, multiple department manager, buyer... At some point you decide which route you want to go or what vacancy is available - merchandising or store manager. The hours are very long and unpredictable, and pays are not very good until you become a head buyer or regional manager (multiple stores). For the amount work, I think there is a better way of making a living. My husband's hours were worse than mine, and I was in investment banking.</p>
<p>My cousin graduated from FIT and is by all accounts happy and reasonably successful with her job in the fashion industry (by reasonably successful I mean that she isn't rolling in dough but also isn't being paid a pittance). She doesn't work for a department store--she works for a clothing brand. I'm not 100% positive what she does because she's changed jobs since the last time I saw her, but I know that at one point she was dealing with textile manufacturers and has made several trips to textile factories overseas. In her case, she started out at her state's well-regarded flagship university but didn't like it and ended up transferring to FIT. She's been working in the industry probably about 5 years now; she did feel somewhat overworked/underpaid with her first employer but I think her current job is better.</p>
<p>My niece also went FIt in CA and graduated a year ago. She works in CA now and is very happy. When she first started out with this company right after graduation, she was given the opportunity to work in China, which she did for about 8 months. It was a great learning experience for someone so young, and it will look good on a resume.</p>
<p>After my brief career as a teacher, I considering entering a dept. store buyer trainee program. I then realized that I could be a lawyer and make a whole lot more money for the long hours. I've always personally loved retail, but I know that there are a lot easier ways to make a living.</p>
<p>Not talking about the major specifically, but I know of successful people in the field. I know of someone who sets up stores for a clothing chain and she does very well. I know of someone who does this for a showroom for a designer and also does very well. I also know of someone who was a buyer for department store and did well at that. I do not know what their college majors were, and I know that the person who set up and works full time on a showroom for a designer does not have a college degree.</p>
<p>My roommate from college graduated with a fashion merchandising degree. She ended up becoming a manicurist. I believe she made more money doing this and could set her own hours. When she first graduated, I think she worked for Lancome--but it was in a major dept store, with dept store hours.</p>
<p>I know of two people who graduated recently with some kind of fashion degree (both from state schools, neither of which are flagships).</p>
<p>One is working as a waitress, the other as a nanny.</p>
<p>Missy, Fashion, whether it's retail (like Gap, Macy's), or wholesale (meaning brands that sell to retail like Ralph Lauren, Liz Claiborne) is a vast and diverse field.</p>
<p>Believe me you can make good money in the top tier. Million dollar salaries for general managers and vice presidents are common. I'm associated with a Fortune 500 firm that has about 30 of them.</p>
<p>On the bottom of the pyramid are zillions of worker ants who work incredibly long hours under incredibly stressful conditions. The entry level pay is not as low as some other industries -- like publishing for example -- and on the other hand if you love clothes, love style, want to travel, want to be involved with the buzz, it's FUN, exciting and never, never boring.</p>
<p>Design is a class in itself. I think what you're talking about is a more general position in the industry.</p>
<p>Many large brands have training programs, both ad hoc and formal. Many others just hire from fashion and merchandising schools. A typical entry level job would be assistant buyer or assistant sourcing manager. Skills required are taste level, passion for product, good communication, good teamwork and willingness to put in the hours. After that there is no limit to where you can go. If you stick with it, you will be rewarded financially.</p>
<p>The sales floor of Gap is where most apparel execs pay their dues. The top CEOs are merchants to the bone. They want to interact with their customers.</p>
<p>Whether your daughter takes the career specific route at a fashion or merchandising degree or whether she gets a general BA in a totally related subject isn't really pertinent. I work with buyers and sourcers on all levels who have degrees in political science, botany, even law and engineering! Many are FIT and Parsons grads, but many also have general liberal arts degrees. Most are very smart, interesting people who love their work.</p>
<p>The important resume building activity is to work at Gap, or Macy's, or J.Crew, or Prada, on her weekends and summer holidays. Many brands have summer internships. Get a feel for the business on any level.</p>
<p>Then after graduation plung in with brand that appeals in an entry level job. If she loves the work she'll catch on quickly and move up quickly. There is plenty of money at the top.</p>
<p>If you can open your own successful store there is money to be made. Most of today's chains were once just a store somebody started in one location.</p>
<p>My friend just opened a store...usually you need lots of $$ to start up those things (she has successful hubby).</p>
<p>A friend who majored in something of that vein at a small sch. that nobody has heard of has been steadily employed in the fashion industry for the last 25 years. She had an early interest in fashion and started sewing her own clothes when we were in high school, often creating things without a pattern. She still sews beautifully making everything from clothes to draperies to bed linens.
She really did start out working as an asst. manager at The GAP in the mall right out of college but has been working for Liz Claiborne now for many years and has done well.</p>
<p>wow, people really hv very different opinions :S
i really want to know the career prospect of fashion merchandising undergrad...
keep this thread up, i'm sure it helps many ppl :)</p>
<p>My cousin graduated with a FM degree from a NY State university in the 80's. She went to work at a major department store in NYC for a few years and has been a VP with Ralph Lauren since the 90's. She is doing extremely well!!!!</p>
<p>If I may rant on a slightly related note: I used to make all of my own clothes (seriously - everything but jeans and winter coats.) I thought that since DD is interested in fashion, she should learn to sew. It was easy to find a simple pattern she liked. But the fabric is another story. The fabric stores have 1)fleece for those blankets everyone makes, 2)quilting prints, 3) bridal fabrics, 4)sari fabrics, and 5) fabrics for halloween costumes. Almost no "fashion fabrics" at all. I guess everyone stopped making their own clothes when I did!</p>
<p>FIT grads do very well, from what I understand. My friend's daughter has taken courses there to augment her BA. She is a fashion editor of a magazine. There are jobs that pay very well in the fashion industry, but her work which is more journalism is not particularly high paying but she loves it and it can support a person decently.</p>
<p>my college degree includes an emphasis on fashion merchandising because i'd taken enough of the related classes. i had also taken a number of marketing classes in the business school. upon graduation, i went right into retail management positions. later, i did some commissioned sales work in fields outside of fashion. the commissioned sales pay was very good and the work enjoyable (i was good with customers) but hours included holidays, weekends, and nights. the retail management positions were also ridiculous hours . i absolutely couldn't picture myself having children and continuing to work those types of hours so i left the field altogether. as a college student, i did picture myself as working as a "buyer" someday. </p>
<p>i do sometimes miss the sales environment though and may someday return to that. skills learned on the sales floor have been helpful to me throughout my life even in other positions.</p>