Ask Fashion Girl

Dear Heather:

Being a Buyer sounds like Heaven--sign me up for any career that includes shopping! To become a Buyer, you would attend a good fashion college and study Merchandising. At FIDM, we call the major Merchandise Marketing, and you can see a listing of every class you'd be taking to get your specialized AA degree. In just two years, you'll be prepared to hit the ground running in the fast-paced fashion industry!

During your last quarter at FIDM, you would have the opportunity to do an internship. However, it's pretty much a rule in the fashion industry that a person applying for a job in the Buying area must have at least two years of retail experience, so during high school and fashion college you can get started preparing yourself by working in retail. One thing that the FIDM Career Center recommends is that you work as a Sales Associate for a store for which you'd like to eventually buy--that way, when it comes time to present your resume to the higher-ups, they might even be familiar with you and your work history!

To get your foot in the door of a Buying career, you'd start first as an Assistant Buyer. Then you'd work your way up to Associate Buyer, and finally achieve Senior Buyer status.

It's great to hear that you're ready to pursue your career goals. Good luck on the first step of this path: helping customers at the retail level at your favorite store!

Sincerely, Fashion Girl