The fashion industry is extremely diverse and offers a wealth of career opportunities. Career direction is determined by an individual's skills and interests, but the job profiles below represent some common possibilities open to fashion graduates.
Merchandising graduates often pursue careers in the following areas: Retail buying, management, and planning; product development; and merchandising for apparel manufacturers.
Buying
| Typical Starting Position: | Assistant or associate buyer |
| Responsibilities: | Track merchandise shipments, input purchase orders, accompany the buyer to market, schedule appointments, record keeping |
| Long-range Goal: | Buyer, market representative, divisional merchandise manager |
Management
| Typical Starting Position: | Department manager, assistant store manager |
| Responsibilities: | Train and supervise sales associates, merchandise and display products, supervise selling floor operations such as opening and closing |
| Long-range Goal: | Store manager, district manager |
Planning & Distribution
| Typical Starting Position: | Distributor, merchandise allocator |
| Responsibilities: | Allocate merchandise to branch stores, develop unit control plans, work closely with buyer to serve regional needs of customers |
| Long-range Goal: | Planner, buyer |
Sales
| Typical Starting Position: | Sales trainee |
| Responsibilities: | Show and sell the line to retail clients, prepare line sheets, track sales, follow up on merchandise deliveries |
| Long-range Goal: | Account executive, sales manager |
Merchandising
| Typical Starting Position: | Merchandising assistant |
| Responsibilities: | Research the market, plan product lines, coordinate with design team and sales staff |
| Long-range Goal: | Merchandiser |
Entry-level design positions are available with a variety of apparel manufacturers as well as some larger retail firms with established private label programs. Some design graduates may also pursue careers in textile design.
Branded/Private Label Design
| Typical Starting Position: | Assistant designer |
| Responsibilities: | Work closely with sample makers, develop patterns, shop stores for trends, sketch, source fabrics and trims |
| Long-range Goal: | Designer |
Textile Design
| Typical Starting Position: | Knit designer, print designer, woven fabric designer |
| Responsibilities: | Develop and execute original textile designs |
| Long-range Goal: | Textile designer |
Fashion
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