Who Says You Can’t Pursue a Digital Career And Work In Fashion?
The digital sector is desperate for young university graduates and those who have left further education. But while girls are snubbing tech careers favouring something more glamorous, the tech industry is crying out for female IT talent. But why sacrifice either of your interests when you could pursue a digital career and work in fashion?
More digital job opportunities exist than in the fashion industry, and it may surprise you that there is often a crossover with many digital careers in fashion.
Despite the global COVID-19 pandemic, there are signs that things are picking up for UK employment. According to the latest reports from the Office for National Statistics, the labour market in Britain continues to recover, and the employment rate is currently 75.3%.
It should also come as no surprise that the UK’s technology market is booming. One source suggests that hiring in tech and IT-related industries is up 12.3% from the same period last year. Around one in eight job opportunities are present in the digital sector.
Digital Careers in Fashion
The following are a few top examples of digital jobs you could consider that will help kickstart your career in the fashion world:
3D Fashion Designer
There are many different aspects to fashion design, and many primarily use technology as part of each role. One exciting example is the 3D fashion designer.
As a 3D fashion designer, your role is to create CGI (computer-generated imagery) versions of in-person productions. 3D fashion design has already gained traction in the industry, but its growth has accelerated recently due to COVID-19 and social distancing restrictions.
You would be responsible for using CGI software to render things like a model’s hair, face, makeup, and, of course, the clothes they wear. A fashion degree is often a prerequisite of this job, along with qualifications or certifications in 3D design and rendering.
Graphic Designer
Most, if not all, fashion brands have an army of staff working for them in various disciplines. One of the top ways of gaining experience in the fashion industry is undoubtedly working as a Graphic Designer.
As the name suggests, graphic design primarily involves handling all kinds of artwork projects. For example, you might get asked to create images for brochures, lookbooks, websites, and other marketing materials. There may even be a possibility of working with costume design teams.
Graphic Designers in the fashion industry often find themselves touching up editorial shots and making the garments designed by your fashion brand to be the focal point in photographs. Each day is different when you work as a graphic designer for a fashion brand.
Social Media Marketer
Digital Marketing is one of the fastest-growing sectors in recruitment. If you’re one of this year’s fashion graduates and have an interest in digital marketing and PR, you could consider becoming a Social Media Marketer.
Luxury fashion brands and high street retailers alike rely heavily on social media to generate brand awareness. Instagram, for example, is one of the leading social networks used by both fashion companies and their customers.
As a social media marketer, your role entails generating brand awareness, publicising new clothing lines, and engaging with social media followers. It’s arguably one of the most fun marketing jobs you could have that combines the digital industry with the fashion world. However, to be successful in this job requires some slick multitasking skills.
E-Commerce Manager
Fashion houses and high street retailers have in common the need to sell their clothing lines on the Internet. In 2020 consumers spent £100 billion online shopping, so it is undeniably a lucrative sales channel for any fashion business.
Whether you’re looking for a fashion internship or a full-time job in the industry, one thing you’ll discover is how there’s a raft of e-commerce manager jobs available.
E-commerce managers perform various tasks, such as populating new stock on a website, ensuring all checkout functions perform correctly and securely, and ensuring all product pages are eye-catching and engage with the brand’s audience.
PPC (Pay-Per-Click) Advertising Manager
While organic searches result in some visits from customers who want to buy garments online, PPC ads ensure a brand’s message gets put in front of all prospective consumers surfing the web.
If you’ve got an analytical mindset, it could be one of the best digital jobs in fashion marketing you could get. In a nutshell, a PPC advertising manager is responsible for creating PPC marketing campaigns to suit various strategies.
For instance, PPC advertising managers could create campaigns designed to conjure interest during important fashion weeks. They might also devise campaigns that draw consumers to an e-commerce website for specific competitive search terms.
SEO Executive
Another of the roles in fashion with an emphasis on digital technology is SEO (search engine optimisation). Whether you get a job with a design studio or a fashion retailer, one objective your employer must tackle is ensuring they’re at the top of relevant search results pages.
As an SEO executive, you would research what your brand’s customers typically search for on the Internet and optimise your website and online store content for those keywords. Your research can also get used as part of PPC advertising campaigns.
Fashion Trend Forecaster
One final digital role within the fashion world you can consider is that of a fashion trend forecaster. As the title suggests, your job is to research and predict what is likely to stay in fashion or become a future trend.
You must have excellent analytical skills along with an intimate knowledge of the fashion industry and previous trends. As you might expect, those who are very good at predicting future trends often command the highest salaries for this type of work.
A Few Final Thoughts on Choosing a Digital Career in Fashion
The Digital Sector is desperate to fill many fashion-related jobs. In addition to the above, there is an abundance of technical opportunities available in areas such as:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Augmented Reality
- Digital Security
- Front End Development
- Mobile Application Development
- Software Engineering
In fact, if you are interested in technology and have a passion for fashion, you can bet any technology job you are interested in exists in the world of fashion.
If you have your career sights set on a fashion-focused digital job, it’s worth signing up with a reputable IT recruitment agency. We say this because many high profile fashion companies don’t like to disclose their identity in job adverts due to the abundance of irrelevant applications they receive. Instead, they often advertise jobs through recruitment agencies due to the level of anonymity this affords them.
Submitting your CV to technology recruitment agencies can open the door to many digital fashion opportunities that may not otherwise be available to you. Recruitment consultants can also offer invaluable advice that will help you enhance your personal brand and give you an edge over competing applicants.
We hope you found this article useful. If you’re ready to take the next step in finding your ideal digital fashion career, why not sign up for our job alerts?
