Fashion and design : Opportunities abroad

The UK designer fashion industry is the fifth largest in the world. It differs from its competitors in that it is largely made up of small companies. UK fashion design has an excellent reputation overseas and is often seen as having a leading edge, taking inspiration ‘from the street’.

What are my chances of getting a job overseas?

Realistically, without languages your chances of getting a job overseas are very slim. So, if you do not have languages but have talent, enrol for classes or seek an immersion course. Where necessary, consider a less skilled position in your target country for a few months, and then present yourself as useful and highly employable to your target company.

Working in such a competitive sector and overseas generally requires an outgoing and independent personality, look at the personalities of designers who have got these kinds of jobs. Internships with design houses abroad can be an extremely competitive business and are often unpaid.

Graduates with talents other than those learned in their degree can be appealing to employers, therefore photography, graphics, writing, delivering presentations could all be useful and might be the things that give you an edge over a competitor. 

Overseas companies will be interested in you if you have gathered interesting experience in the UK, supported by language skills. As Laurian Davies at UKFT says, 'although lots of international commerce is conducted in English, you will still want to know what the discussion is about around the watercooler.'

Will my qualifications be recognised?

Not all countries accept the same qualifications and impose different rules and regulations; therefore it is always best to check with the embassy of the country you intend to work in. UK NARIC (National Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom)  is the only official source of information on vocational, academic and professional qualifications awarded in more than 180 countries worldwide. As a national agency managed on behalf of the UK government, it compares overseas qualifications with those in the UK, and provides information on qualifications and education systems outside the UK.

Industrial experience and affiliation to relevant trade associations and professional bodies will always strengthen a candidate’s prospects, enhancing expertise and commercial awareness.

Where are the opportunities?

Given the increasingly international nature of the industry, it is not unusual for new designers to sell their work abroad or to overseas companies. Likewise, there are many examples of graduates working overseas, at least for some of their careers. The countries of particular interest to graduates wishing to work abroad are those with the biggest international reputations - Italy, France and Spain.

Export sales is a growth area and UKFT assist individuals and organisations with the export of textiles, clothing, fashion and accessories from Europe to Asia. As well as providing export advice they support companies and members with overseas export shows and exhibitions.

Design and production vacancies outside Europe are even more difficult to acquire. Unless UK applicants have outstanding talent or expertise, work permit restrictions rule them out.

An alternative approach for graduates who are interested in working overseas for part of their career is to consider working for a UK-based company with strong international links. Working for an international UK-based company might lead to career progression, which involves frequent travel, periods spent overseas or opportunities with suppliers or customer organisations. An example of this type of job might be working for an organisation that supplies retail chains with production sources overseas.