Blogs: Cat is chasing her dream job

Cat graduated from her fashion design degree at the University of Leeds and is currently on the hunt for her dream job. Despite all her efforts, however, she is yet to receive an offer.

Hi, I’m Cat and since finishing my degree in fashion design one month ago, here are my vital statistics:

• Have drank approximately 100 sugary cups of tea
• Joined Twitter and am following 25 fashion/job-related organisations (as well as the Made in Chelsea cast, obviously)
• Applied for 21 jobs
• Joined 16 agencies
• Attended three interviews
• Had zero job offers 

So, becoming a Buyers Admin Assistant (BAA) is turning out to be harder than expected. As my job hunt continues, I thought I’d share a few bits of advice that I am picking up along the way.

First of all, have a clear idea of what job you want but be willing to broaden your horizons. I had an interview to become a BAA at a shop fittings company as I thought I could learn the same skills then eventually transfer them to a fashion role. However the interviewer picked up on the fact that my CV was screaming 'give me a fashion job' so in hindsight I should have made it more shop fitting-friendly.

Don’t settle. One agency wanted to send my details to a jewellery company which was a two hour commute away and was paying an incredibly low salary. After a year of unpaid internships during my year in industry, I refuse to be paid anything less than £17,000 a year. I told them not to send my details because I believe that I will find my dream job if I keep on trying. 

Attitude is key. My friend recently got a job at Abercrombie and Fitch and believes that other candidates had stronger portfolios but her enthusiasm won the team over. However do not be too keen. At a group interview today, one girl decided to show her enthusiasm by answering every question in great detail. This irritated everyone - including the interviewer, who asked her to stop talking.

Be proactive. After applying for so many jobs, I was beginning to wonder where I was going wrong. So, after a graduate buying scheme turned down my second application, I emailed them explaining how much I wanted the role and if they could offer me some feedback. The next day I received a phone call saying they had changed their mind and offered me an interview.

My plan for the next few weeks is to try and get some temping work in an office so that I can start building up some admin assistant skills. I will keep up to date with trends in the fashion world and if I get really bored I should probably teach myself some retail maths.

Apple founder Steve Jobs once said, ‘The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.’ Hopefully I find it soon.