How to Strengthen Your Resume Without an Internship: 5 Proven Tips
Don’t Have an Internship Lined Up? Here’s How to Strengthen Your Resume Anyway:
Take Relevant Courses (On-Campus or Online). Don’t buy into the myth that you have to major in PR to work in fashion PR, or in fashion design to be a designer. Not every university has every major! Want to work in fashion PR? Take a communications course. Tech? Consider enrolling in coding or data science classes. Design? Look into art classes. Don’t forget to see if your college accepts credits from other colleges; you may find better course options at local community colleges and receive elective credit.
Research awesome courses available to you online from reputable sources. Look to courses that teach you hard skills, like Google Analytics if you are interested in fashion marketing, or sewing techniques if you are interested in fashion design. Avoid fluffy certificates from fashion schools that provide certifications that don’t really mean anything.
I am often asked about the Parson x TeenVogue Fashion Industry Essentials certificate. Historically, I’ve recommended against pursuing the course as it seemed out-of-date, but as of today, it looks like it’s been updated. Regardless, I’ve never seen the content, so I cannot give a recommendation. I only recommend courses that teach hard skills, like Google Analytics or AdWords if you’re interested in fashion or beauty marketing.
Get a Part-Time Job (and Make It Count). Want to work in fashion event planning? See if you can get an hourly gig staffing events. Marketing? Consider college promotional work - tons of brands hire college students to help them create awareness on campus. Have a current job? Ask for expanded responsibilities relevant to the career you’re interested in. If you’re interested in social media, ask to help with the company’s Instagram account. Marketing? Ask to help build their e-mail list, and create regular promotional emails to encourage sales. This is excellent experience that can easily be reframed on your resume.
Get creative. Work on your portfolio. Code a website, sketch a small collection, write regularly on your blog, create cool videos, whatever is relevant to your field. Practice your skills in a way that can be represented on your resume.
Do good. Volunteer with a local charity. Philanthropy is always impressive and a great way to develop leadership skills.
Stay Informed Through Books & Podcasts. Get inspired, motivated, and learn a thing or two through books and podcasts relevant to the industry you’re interested in. Being up-to-date on the top fashion designers, magazines, trends, and general industry knowledge is an incredible skill to showcase in an interview.