Help getting back into Fashion Buying after a long break

[willowtreewii]

'm looking for some help in making myself employable. I used to work in fashion buying but had a long (10 year) break due to a serious illness.

I'm in good health again but unable to get as far as interview with the 35+ jobs I have applied for. I've applied for entry level through to the mid senior level I was at when I left the industry (junior buyer).

How can I make myself more employable? I don't really have a network in the industry anymore - most of my old colleagues are not around/overseas (I worked for a European brand).

At my age I feel unpaid work experience wouldn't be the right route (40 yrs old). I'm thinking about studying for a way in but not sure what route to go down. Accounting, procurement? The fashion buying process is quite different to these and being young and on trend with recent work experience is more valued than financial qualifications.

I worked in the luxury market previously for some really amazing brands.

Bump

So sorry to hear about your illness but it's great that you are in good health again. I think it might be worth reaching out to these agencies that primarily source for the fashion/creative industries. It would be good to have a conversationabout how the current job market is now for fashion buying or talk about the possibilitiesof exploring otheropportunities that might interest you and ask about ways to upskill your CV/career. Good luck with everything!

Four Seasons Recruitment
www.fsrl.co.uk

Handle Recruitment
www.handle.co.uk

Christian Bassett
www.christianbassett.com

Veblen
www.veblen-int.com

Jackson Rose
jacksonrose.co.uk

Would you consider stepping into a different sort of buying role? I’ve been in gift buying (various family and heritage attractions) since I became a buyers admin at 23 and have worked with a really wide range of ages, at 29 I’m generally one of the youngest. It’s quite varied in that I look after a lot of categories, but I love it!

If I were you I'd go I to a junior role in any type of buying not just fashion. Easier to move across when you have something on you CV.
I'd also look at supply chain jobs, I'm an ex buyer and it's the logistics and merchandising that's important when it comes to buying so if you can do that and make a relationship with the buying team then you'll get your foot in the door

Thank you for the agencies, that’s so helpful. There was a company called Success Appointments that used to be the go to agency so it’s good to know the current ones.

I’d absolutely consider different categories and have applied for other areas but no luck so far.

What area of the uk are you in?

I have worked on supply chain in my freelance role is that’s definitely something I can look into further.

I remember Merchandising jobs were very analytical and I’d need to brush up on finance / analytics there.

London

I think you will struggle with fashion if you don't have recent experience

Like PP said, buying for similar products : fragrances Or gifts might be easier

I suggest you speak to recruitment agents tell rather than just sending CVS

Online is so important nowadays so you may need to brush up on that

I think I’ll struggle too. Online as in training up on online analytics?

I used to work in the industry & think so much is based on contacts as it's quite small. Have you had any feedback?

Echoing the others to look at other industries. Retail and grocery buying is recruiting heavily right now, and automotive is well paid and actively recruiting buyers in the electric vehicle market especially.

You shouldn't have to know too much about online analytics just what's selling. A side step is a good idea as it's always been so competitive but there are probably fewer jobs now.

Recruitment agencies have told me I have a strong CV but there’s very little out there at the moment in terms of jobs (covid)

I do have strong experience up to a point then have this huge gap with just freelance and unrelated volunteer work.

I used to get jobs by contacting the companies I loved directly and just writing every couple of months until I was invited in for interview - it worked as a young graduate but think I might need more than that at 40

Anyone think an unpaid internship would be worth pursuing?

What I’m finding difficult is getting my emails/letters to the right person and actually even getting a response

could you look at procurement for the CS? I left fashion after dc as I didn't want to travel & felt it was increasingly unstable.

Have you looked at returners programmes? Might be something with transferrable skills even if it's not quite the same!

Or networks for your industry on Facebook or LinkedIn? I'm in a few women in marketing type ones and I know people would help out someone in your situation.

I think you need to consider another industry.

I bailed out of the fashion industry at 30. Hardly anyone was older than me then. It’s a young industry for young people.

All that long haul flying to visit manufacturers.😢

Having recently been job searching (different industry) it was proven to me yet again that it's nearly impossible to get a role without a recruiter to help you these days. If you can get a recruiter who has relevant roles in your industry interested in you, your chances of making it to interview increase tenfold

Would you relocate ? So many of the fashion buying roles are in Manchester nowadays

No I couldn’t relocate and I also left because the travel wasn’t compatible with my health and young child at the time.

I’d definitely consider another area. There were lots of buyers in their 40s and 50s when I was in work but they were senior and had been in the industry for life. It’s a small world and often the same people moving between companies

The recruiters I have been in touch with have not really looked at my CV - I’ve managed to track them down on the phone and have conversations (eventually) but I can tell my CV is just another in a huge pile

Would love to hear from more people currently in the industry on what the market for jobs is like at the moment