Textile design : Your skills

Studying textile design enables you to develop your subject-specific knowledge and design skills. It gives you a number of key skills that are sought after by a range of employers. These skills include:

• the ability to study independently, set goals, manage your own workload and meet deadlines;
• project management skills;
• creative ability;
• IT and technical skills including computer-aided design (CAD);
• the ability to solve problems and work within a team;
• research and information/data handling skills;
• critical evaluation and interpretation of materials;
• written and oral communication skills;
• decision-making skills;
• commercial awareness.

The application of creative skills and the ability to generate ideas and concepts in response to a brief are becoming increasingly sought after by employers in many diverse sectors. 

Developing skills in marketing, commercial awareness, communication and negotiation, through your degree or through work experience, will help you both in a career in textile design and in many related sectors. Experience in the retail sector gained during your studies, for example, will help demonstrate your enthusiasm and commitment to the sector, as well as developing your commercial awareness.

Most textile design courses will include an IT element, which gives you valuable transferable skills.

For design-based careers, extracurricular activities, such as private commissions or making your own clothes, will help build up your portfolio.

Consider the skills developed on your course as well as through your other activities, such as paid work, volunteering, family responsibilities, sport, membership of societies, leadership roles, etc. Think about how these can be used as evidence of your skills and personal attributes. Then you can start to market and sell who you really are, identify what you may be lacking and consider how to improve your profile. Take a look at job application advice for some useful tips.