Passion for Fashion

Fashion plays an important role in the daily life of every individual. It starts with deciding what to wear, how to wear it, and so forth. Imagine the world without fashion. Not a nice one is it? Every individual owes admiration to those behind-the-scenes people who are responsible for making the world so fashionable; one in particular a fashion marketer. A career as a Fashion Marketer is an interesting career filled with nothing but fashion, adventure, and excitement.

Being a Fashion Marketer is an exhilarating yet not so subtle career. It is a marketers job to promote fashion. They want to generate the publics interest in new styles and products. Fashion marketing involves advertising, but it is more than that. Fashion marketers have to be on the cutting edge endorsing the right things at the right time. They connect the public with the world of fashion, and they help set trends (Stone 4).

To work in this field an individual will have to have the assured characteristics neededA persons job should reflect their personality and display the persons characteristics. In the fashion industry there are many personalities, many of them being egotistical ones. Enthusiasm, flexibility, and a positive attitude are essential characteristics necessary to find success in the retail industry. (Retail Marketing Careers.) A person can also apply his or her basic skills such as computer literacy, working well with people and a strong work ethic to the table when applying for a career in Fashion Marketing. Generally light travel is required to work in marketing retail. Stress and a little commitment and overtime are involved, however, nothing to extreme. This allows workers to spend more time with their families. On a daily basis a person may come across an individual who is arrogant and discourteous, but this can happen at any job. Those working in retail also have more time to become involved in the community. It is not simple and not too complex becoming a Fashion Marketer or working in the marketing field as long as it fits with the individuals personality.

Of course, everyone knows nowadays a high school diploma means nothing anymore. College degrees, training or any certification subsequent to high school is mandatory for success. To become a fashion marketer one would need to major in Fashion Merchandising or Marketing and minor in business fields such as accounting, business administration, or marketing just to develop the business aspect of the Fashion Merchandising field. An individual can receive an Associates degree, Bachelors degree or Masters depending on the individual. Schools offering the Fashion Merchandising program are predominantly in New York and California; however, local community colleges and universities should not be overlooked. Other universities known to offer the program are University of MD Eastern Shore; Morgan State University; F.I.T. (Fashion Institute of Technology); and AIP (Art Institute of Philadelphia). Some courses required to achieve in this field are accounting, business law, psychology, merchandising, advertising and promoting, and entrepreneurship, and Intro to fashion (Stone 6-8). Although having a degree is not a bare necessity to get into the fashion industry, it helps to have one so opportunities will always be available. Having a degree will also improve ones salaryA fashion marketers salary ranges on experience and knowledge. More often it is how much experience a person has rather than his or her knowledge. Salaries for beginners start as low as $15,000-29,000 a year depending on the occupation (Retail). As ones experience or knowledge increases so do the wages. At an intermediate level the salary starts anywhere from $33,873-76,450 a year. At the executive or advanced level salaries range from $84,923-119,140 a year. Location is the key when deciding on what occupation fits ones criteria because the location also determines ones salary (Advertising).

The outlook on careers in fashion marketing and any career in fashion overall is expected to grow more slowly than average through 2014 (Retail). Sluggish job growth may be due to the new prominence of discount stores, super centers and warehouse stores, offering cut-rate clothing without the frills and fancy store displays of high-end department stores. The Internet may also cut into sales. However, even with lethargic job growth, basic retailing jobs should still be relatively easy to find, simply because this is a very large field with a high turnover rate (Retail). And top level marketing jobs will be extremely competitive no matter how fast the business is growing. It is really all about location. Know what works and do not let salaries determine your career. Go with what suits your personality best.

Works Cited"Advertising, Marketing, Promotions, Public Relations, and Sales Managers." http://www.bls.gov. 04 Aug. 2006. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. 22 Aug. 2007 .

"Retail Marketing Careers." www.Careeroverview.Com. 24 Apr. 2007 .

Stone, Elaine. The Dynamics of Fashion. 2nd Ed. New York: Fairchild Publications Inc., 2004. 04-10.

Cited: Advertising, Marketing, Promotions, Public Relations, and Sales Managers." http://www.bls.gov. 04 Aug. 2006. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. 22 Aug. 2007 . "Retail Marketing Careers." www.Careeroverview.Com. 24 Apr. 2007 . Stone, Elaine. The Dynamics of Fashion. 2nd Ed. New York: Fairchild Publications Inc., 2004. 04-10.