I'd love to have all the answers... but realistically, some things are outside what I can help with. Especially considering that I've been out of this space for a while!
A couple of gentle notes, from personal experience
- If you've had a string of rejected applications or a business that didn't work out: it might help to widen your circle - more research, more communities, more perspectives than just mine 🙂
- If you keep beating yourself up and in a loop of same hopeless thoughts or self-sabotaging behaviours: please consider looking into mental health support, too. You deserve that kind of care, and no school, job, or brand is going to make those feelings disappear on its own.
Some reading I've found genuinely helpful
On the Fashion dream vs. the industry reality:
- The Most Beautiful Job in the World: Lifting the Veil on the Fashion Industry, by Giulia Mensitieri (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2020)
- Quick read: No Money in Their Prada Purse by Aya Noel (1Granary issue 6, June 2020)
On career goals & the job search:
- The What Color Is Your Parachute? series — a lovely, no-nonsense book with the kind of "timeless advice" a lot of paid courses promise. It's cheaper, and it gets updated every year. You might already have the skills you need — the exercises are great for slowing down and figuring out what you actually want.
- The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron is a favourite for many people. Not quite my cup of tea, but easy to find a free PDF of if you're curious.
- Some good company on Reddit: r/jobs, r/recruitinghell, r/LinkedInLunatics
And two things your Fashion school probably never taught you: how to actually write a good CV, and how to spot red flags in a job ad.