Published: Monday, September 8, 2008

CARPE DIEM! The WWD Fashion Career Expo Puts Employers and Job Seekers Together for Just One Day

Everyone agrees: looking for a job is no fun. It’s always time-consuming – a particular problem if you already have a job – and can be demoralizing. For people who are shy or uncomfortable talking about themselves, it can be excruciating. The fact is, if it wasn’t absolutely necessary, no one would do it. But, unless you start your own business or have a friend or family member invite you to join theirs, it’s unavoidable. Therefore, the goal is to get the job you want quickly. To do that, it helps to be good at tasks like identifying open positions and learning about companies that have them; writing résumés, cover letters and thank-you notes; and looking and sounding sharp during interviews. The good news is that being good at these tasks will help you get a job faster and make the experience more pleasurable – if not exactly fun – since we all enjoy things more when we do them well. Fortunately, there’s another way to speed up the process: The WWD Fashion Career Expo on September 10 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City. More than 30 fashion and retail companies will be onsite seeking store managers, buyers, sales associates, graphic designers, pattern makers, visual merchandisers, textile designers, customer service representatives, production artists and more. “Its the industry’s best and most focused opportunity to connect candidates and employers,” said Drew Dix, executive director, WWD Classified. “This event has been a terrific complement to our online career center, fashioncareers.com.” To help you get better at the job of looking for a job, here are some tips from experts, including human resource directors and recruiters who will be at the event.  

 Getting Your Foot in the Door
It all starts with a résumé. According to the website of Quintessential Careers (www.quintcareers.com), an online career counseling service, résumés serve four purposes: 1. to help you get a job interview, 2. to structure the interview process, 3. to remind the interviewer of you after you’re gone, and 4. to serve as the basis for justifying the hiring decision to others. The site also emphasizes two “absolute, unbreakable rules:” 1. No typos or misspellings and 2. No lies. One old rule that’s often broken these days concerns length. Once, one page was considered the limit and some, including Paul Salkind, director of human resources at Paul Stuart, still believe “one page should be sufficient.” But for Adele Askin, senior vice president of human resources at Jones Apparel Group, “the résumé should be as long as it has to be. You should cut until you can’t cut any more. You don’t necessarily need to cram it on one page, but make sure every line is great.” How do you make every line great? “Use action words like ‘created,’ ‘managed,’ ‘implemented,’ and ‘upgraded’” and be sure to make your content “success-driven or accomplishment-oriented,” according to “How to Get a Job in Fashion: An Entry Level Guidebook,” which is available at www.24seventalent.com/getajob, the Web site of WWD Fashion Career Expo sponsor 24 Seven. It’s also a good idea to have more than one version of your résumé. The best résumé Paul Stuart’s Salkind has seen “was edited to the position; it highlighted relevant skills.”

Cover Story When it comes to cover letters, specificity counts. “Too often cover letters are generic and lack detail. Don’t say you’re a hard worker; give an example of you working hard,” said Paul Salkind. Francine Robinson, Human Resources Administrator at Rubie’s Costume Company, agrees: “show a good fit between yourself and the company and why you believe you’re the best candidate for that specific job.” Face Time Congratulations! Your résumé and cover letter have netted you an interview. Here are some tips on how to do it right from 24 Seven’s guidebook (you’ll find more tips in “How to Ace the WWD Fashion Career Expo” on the following page):
• Neat grooming is a must. Do a personal hygiene check.
• Make certain your clothes are clean.
• Careful on makeup and scent.
• In fashion, looking the part is especially important. This is your chance to show off your originality and fashion sensitivity. Enjoy it.
• Do your own thing, for sure, but aim for professional.
• Dress for the position you ultimately want, not the position you have.
• Sexy is a definite no.
• Be on time.
• Stay positive and upbeat.  

On that last point, everyone agrees that one of the worst things a candidate can do is “badmouth a current or former employer” in the words of Paul Salkind. So, no matter how tempted you are, don’t!

Speaking of Money
One of the most awkward moments for many job seekers comes when the interviewer asks about their salary history or requirement. What’s the best way to handle that? If you’re working with 24 Seven, Ernie Buffalino, vp full-time division, said, “tell them to defer this to us. This is a huge benefit of working with a staffing service. We’re more knowledgeable regarding market trends, value and worth than any individual due to our broad exposure to different employers and the research we have at our fingertips, like our salary survey. It’s always a good idea to have a third party do the tough negotiating. If the employer insists, we tell candidates to say the job opportunity is more important than salary, as long as the salary is fair and reasonable. And when the actual offer comes, we handle it from there.” Buffalino suggests checking out 24 Seven’s salary survey at www.24seventalent.com. And if you’re not working with a staffing service? Francine Robinson recommends “including the word ‘negotiable’ if you’d consider a salary less than you earned at your last job.”

After the interview, be sure to send a letter. “These should be more follow-up letters than thank-you letters,” said Adele Askin of Jones New York. “You want to impress and influence the interviewer. You need to set yourself apart from competitors. Reiterate the skills you possess that make you the right candidate for the job.”

 
Don’t Do It!
Besides not badmouthing another employer, what else should job seekers definitely not do? “Don’t apply for a job for which you have no experience,” said Glynis Leader, managing director at Rhona Sutton. The only exception is if “it’s an entry-level job for someone just starting their career.” “Don’t ask about salary, health benefits, holidays and vacations before hearing what the company is looking for,” said Francine Robinson. “Don’t have an unprofessional email address and voicemail message,” said Paul Salkind. “I don’t want to correspond with pillowlips@pinup.com, and I don’t want to listen to a sermon, to music, or to an overly familiar message intended for friends. “

Take the Long View
There’s no doubt the economy’s going through a rough patch. But job seekers shouldn’t despair. Tom Foley, senior vice president at 24 Seven, put it this way: “We tell all our candidates that there always are and always will be jobs for talented people. Budgets are stricter now and the process has slowed down. But employers seek to upgrade their staff when business becomes more challenging, therefore, people should always keep their options open. We advise staying focused on career development opportunities and learning, rather than just a bigger paycheck and to think long term rather than just about the here and now.” The bottom line is that looking for a job is no day at the beach. But if you keep in mind the advice of these experts, your search can go quickly and result in just what you’re looking for.

  

Q & A: How to Ace the WWD Fashion Career Expo
Few people know more about how to get the greatest benefit from a career fair than Bradford Rand, CEO of Expo International and the producer of WWD Fashion Career Expo.
WWD: How important is pre-registering?
Bradford Rand: Very important. Everyone who plans to attend should go immediately to fashioncareers.com. Some recruiters review the résumés of people who pre-register and call them in advance. Plus, if you pre-register, you’ll get in faster.
WWD: What else can people do in advance?
Rand: Review the list of companies exhibiting at the Expo and target at least a half dozen. Next, visit their Web sites to learn about their products, services and corporate culture. Nothing’s worse than not knowing, or being wrong about, some major aspect of the company’s business. Also, there might be open positions posted that aren’t on fashioncareers.com.
WWD: What does it take to make a good impression?
Rand: Get a good night’s sleep, get some exercise that morning and eat breakfast. You’ll need the extra energy to handle numerous short interviews in a few hours time. Bring lots of breath mints, don’t smell like cigarettes and don’t drink too much coffee. Being jittery doesn’t make a good impression. Look professional. First impressions are paramount.
WWD: How many résumés should people bring? And what about portfolios?
Rand: I recommend one résumé for every company exhibiting. Designers, art directors and copywriters, among others, should bring their portfolios.
WWD: What are your tips for successful interviewing?
Rand: Be direct, try not to stutter. Practice in a mirror or with a friend or family member. Have a quick opening statement and fluidly state your skills. Be confident. The importance of a good handshake can’t be overstated. Ask ‘what are the next steps?’
WWD: Is your advice any different in today’s tough economy?
Rand: Yes. Normally I tell people to take a job fair really seriously. In this economy, my advice is to take it really, really seriously and treat attending this job fair as going on a series of actual interviews. Some candidates get job offers right on the spot!