When Recruiting Becomes Fashionable

Everyone aspires to be fashionable or “look cool,” and be visually appealing to others through their stylish new threads. For the average person, being fashionable begins by just popping into the closest clothing retailer and going on a shopping spree for the latest looks, but rarely does one get a glimpse of behind the scenes, where the business of fashion really begins. One rarely stops to think of the lengthy process that leads to one great outfit, but it all starts with recruiting talent. Believe it or not, no one knows the fashion business better than a fashion recruiter.

What Does a Fashion Recruiter Do?

You may picture a fashion recruiter as being someone who simply looks for someone to walk the runways, but the reality is, that could not be further from the truth. Take a look at the list below, which described the many responsibilities often assumed by fashion recruiters:

• Fashion recruiters choose and hire new employees to work at companies that market clothing and other accessory items.
• Recruiters aim to attract workers who will help their company remain profitable by creating and selling clothing that is aligned with current trends.
• One primary function of a fashion recruiter is to draw ideal candidates to a company, meaning, they often know exactly where their candidates would be considered valuable assets.
• They network, whether it’s through old fashioned networking, advertising, or modern day social media, a fashion recruiter knows how to find the right person to meet any growing business needs, and if the match isn’t already in a pile of resumes, he or she must be found.
• These recruiters, in addition to knowing standard HR recruiting skills, must be up to date on trends that are constantly changing, in order to scope out the best talent at the right time.

Is Fashion Recruiting a True “Career”?

It absolutely is! In fact, according to the United States department of labor statistics, fashion designers alone held 23,100 jobs in the United States in 2014 (the latest data available). Matching those fashion designers to the right retail outlets for a fashion recruiter, only means pure job security and a positive job outlook, as people continue to become the next “Vera Wang,” or create the newest name brand hit like “FUBU.” After all, even the largest of brands have humble beginnings.

Payscale.com lists the average median salary for a general recruiter of any sort to be $45,439. But in the fashion industry, for a fashion recruiter, anything goes, even if you find yourself in the heart of it all, New York City, where the average median salary in the overall field, according to careerinfo.net, is $68,500, quite a bit above the national average.

According to careerinfo.net, the job outlook for fashion occupations is a positive one. In the United States, the projection of jobs increasing is only 3%, but in the fashion capital of the nation, that number doubles, at 6%. The median income for those here in the industry is not only higher than the national average, but a somewhat impressive number given that many begin their journey in the industry, right here in New York City, with little to no experience and little pay, climbing their way up the ever-so-fashionable ladder.

Sources:

http://www.wisegeek.net/what-do-fashion-recruiters-do.htm

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/fashion-designers.htm

http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Recruiter/Salary

http://www.careerinfo.net