As the great resignation continues and the job market is still booming – there’s no question that it still continues to be a candidate’s market out there, even in the ever-competitive fashion industry. Despite this, graduates are still struggling to secure their first step on the career ladder, being challenged in interview after interview with no offer at the end. This can be demeaning and demotivating to this highly enthusiastic group, who are desperate to be given a life changing opportunity. But what are the reasons that are holding hiring managers back – and how can this be resolved to ensure candidates at every level have an equal opportunity to secure their perfect role?:
- ‘It came down to experience’. How many times, when applying for a role early in your career have you heard this frustrating phrase, wondering how you’re supposed to gain experience when you can’t get any? It seems like a constant battle. Whilst this will continue to have no real fair result, what you can try to do in the meantime is take on activities and small opportunities that will not only help your CV to stand out, but also give you key transferable skills that will help you become more capable for the role, and also tick off those ultra-necessary experience marks.
- The sheer volume of applications. We’re aware the fashion industry is a demanding space to get into, you could be competing against literally hundreds of people for one opportunity. That’s why haste is important when it comes to putting yourself forward for a job. There are statistics over the best time, the best way to submit your application is as quickly as possible, so you’re at the top of the pile once it comes to sifting through CV’s and cover letters.
- Different roles of the same name can mean various levels of seniority in different companies. As the industry grows, with new opportunities constantly arising in markets such as sustainability, content and social, this provides new fields that can be worked in. However, new titles can be confusing, or the evolution of existing titles than incorporate new aspects. This means that one role’s responsibilities may be more or less junior than another of a similar name, so entry level job seekers may be actually applying for jobs that require more experience. The best way to get through this? By reading every job description explicitly so to fully understand the requirements, and if anything is unclear you can reach out to the hiring manager.
- Long interview processes. When it comes to applying for jobs these days, it can often be unclear how long the interview process may be. The days of a one-stage interview seem to be less frequent, instead more drawn-out processes, particularly in this hybrid world of video and face to face conversations. This can be a deterrent on the side of the candidate, if the process of a junior level interview is so complicated – what does this say about the role?
- CV’s and cover letters aren’t personalised enough for the role. We get it, applying for jobs can be really time consuming and feel endless, however you never know which one could be the one, so it’s important to make sure you’re putting your best foot forward with every application, and that includes tweaking your CV and cover letters in order to show you’re going the extra mile. Is there something you can do to ensure yours stands out from the crows? Implement it! Look out for our upcoming blog on how to write the perfect cover letter…