#numerical reasoning
Now as many fashion students like me, we have had to go through the stress inducing and emotional process of applying for an industrial 12 month placement as part of our University degree. When I first accepted my University program in International Fashion Marketing, I was naive to believe that everyone just gets a placement and it was a certainty as part of the course. Only in this year of going through the process of placement applications have I realised how wrong I was
To learn that on average, 60% of the people are offered a placement struck me with panic; will I be good enough to be offered a placement? what will happen if I can’t find one? What happens if I graduate and I have to go against people with this experience that I failed to achieve? To think my future and success in the industry could very well rest on me succeeding in finding a placement and getting such vital experience before I have even finished second year has definitely added a lot of stress, not only to me, but to everyone in the same situation with the same thoughts running through their heads. You are suddenly competing with the people you sit with, go out with, maybe even live with; you can feel everyone’s determination to be the ones to get the job.
Since September it has been drilled into us to apply for everything that comes through, build portfolios, practise assessment tests, thoroughly research the companies and do everything in your power to stand out from other candidates. You are literally thrown in at the deep end. Not only do you have to do all this, but you have to concentrate on uni work, maybe even hold down a job and try to get some work experience on the side to increase your chances. It does spread your time very thinly, do I spend my day filling out this application form and completing online tests in the hope that I get an interview or do I spend this spare time doing my report?
When you put your time and effort into making your applications as passionate and impressive as possible, sometimes having to go through multiple choice questionnaires, written interview questions, and several online tests before you even get a telephone interview, let alone a face to face one, you begin to think will it really be worth it? As many people will know, for companies to not even let you know you were unsuccessful and to hear off other students that they have been contacted for assessment centres is very disheartening and you do think you have completely wasted your time and could have done that report or revision instead.
But then, there’s that glorious moment when you get that email that says you’ve been invited to that interview, you feel you have finally got a real chance! I must have applied for about 15-20 roles and out of it I got 1 video interview, 1 interview and 2 assessment centres.
My first assessment centre was in January, 3 months after starting applying for roles. the group tasks went well, but once I was by myself I crumbled, what were the answers they wanted me to say? have I lead people? how have i persuaded people? I became hesitant and waffled, I just didn’t know how to answer these questions as I had been researching about the company, not about my own skill set. A few weeks passed and I had a video interview, having to talk to a webcam with a question flashing up on the screen was very unnerving, no interviewer to bounce off and read their reactions, although you were allowed 30 seconds to prepare an answer. I am naturally very shy and introverted so I know this inhibited me in these interviews, I have the knowledge and determination to be an ideal candidate but I just couldn’t put this across in words, I just wanted to be given a chance to prove myself.
A couple of months passed and I was getting no responses and started to panic, maybe I would be in the 40% that just don’t get a placement? Shall I just give up now? I was determined and tried to keep positive, I changed my tactics and decided to try and source my own placement as well as apply for ones advertised, hoping I would have a better chance applying at smaller companies.
A few weeks passed and In the space of a few days I had a PR interview and a marketing assessment centre lined up, as well as a work experience week and a possible sourced placement with a buying office in the process. First of all was my interview, I live in Manchester and travelled all the way to London for it, which involved a 10 minute group task and a 10 minute interview. I spent a week putting a portfolio together for them to haphazardly flick through it, could they really pick someone based on this short amount of time? After everyone had been interviewed they then chose 4 people they wanted to interview again in front of everyone who they didn’t want, including me, by this time I was just expecting to be automatically rejected.
A couple of weeks passed and I was emailed by the buying office with my sourced placement forms, finally! all I needed now was for my University to approve this. A couple of weeks later takes us to the week just passed, the start of my work experience and I still hadn’t heard off my University, will they approve it? what shall I say to the buying office when they start asking if its been approved? Anyway, I got on with my work experience and loved my first taste of working in a proper industry related role, a lot of spreadsheets and a lot of computer work, but very very interesting!
Finally, 7 months after I first began applying for my placement year, i finally got that email off Uni that I had been craving “you are now officially allowed to accept your placement”. That weight of worry and anxiety had finally been lifted off my shoulders and was ecstatic that my efforts had finally paid off. I could finally relax and not have to continue applying whilst having to revise for my end of year exams and not have to face the uncertainty about what I will be doing; do I hold out for a placement or do I sort out my living arrangements for final year?
I know there will still be fellow fashion students who face this uncertainty and my advice to you is don’t give up yet! there are still so many opportunities out there and you have to keep on trying. I’ve been there where I’ve felt like giving up and accepting the fact that I won’t be getting a placement and come through the other side and soldiered on. Don’t just rely on the advertisements the University provide, email companies if they provide any paid placements, not just retail brands but PR companies, marketing companies and independent brands, they will be wanting fresh young influences on their brand!
It may sound weird but twitter is an excellent resource, there are many pages that advertise placements and paid opportunities such as https://twitter.com/Fashion_Workrm and https://twitter.com/ukfashionintern so it’s worth having a look! Even if you are not successful in gaining a placement, there are still so many work experience opportunities that companies offer, every little helps and you can end up with summer placements and work experience weeks, fortnights and months, which will rapidly build up your experience.
I would also suggest your interview techniques and anticipate questions that will come up and prepare your answers in advance. practice the numerical and verbal tests on http://www.shldirect.com/practice_tests.html
You will succeed if you are willing to work damn hard for your dream and to keep on trying and never give up, there are always experiences and internships on offer, you just have to seize that chance and say this will be your time to shine.
I hope this post offers an insight into the application process and the ups and downs that it entails, if you have any questions about my own experiences I am always here :)
Good luck guys, I know you can do it,
Amie
Check out my blog post on the highs and lows of applying for a fashion placement year!
http://fashionisourreligion-x.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/keep-calm-and-carry-on-applying-for.html
