How to Become a Fashion Merchandiser?

If you have an interest in the fashion industry, then you may have thought about pursuing a career that is in this field. This sounds like a dream to those who are interested in it, but it’’s important to keep in mind that there are a number of fashion careers which can be very rewarding. Fashion merchandising is one of the career options that is available to those who are interested in fashion. Here are some of the different things that you should be sure to take into consideration before making the decision to pursue a career as a fashion merchandiser.

Qualifications
A career as a fashion merchandiser does require a degree. The field that you should earn your degree in is fashion merchandising. Earning a two year degree
from a community college or trade school can open the gateway to very good entry level positions in fashion merchandising. A bachelor’’s degree from a college or university, on the other hand, can allow for graduates to find careers in larger markets. Some fashion merchandisers even choose to earn their Master’’s in Business Administration (MBA), as this can help lead to higher positions.

Experience
In addition to earning a degree, fashion merchandisers also need to have a decent amount of experience in the industry. At least five years of experience is recommended. What this means is that someone interested in a career as a fashion merchandiser should first find work in fashion boutiques, department boutiques, and marketing firms. Working for other areas of fashion, such as magazines, is also very useful.

Job Outlook
The number of job positions available to fashion merchandisers is limited, which means that there is a lot of competition in this area of fashion. In order to land a job, it’’s best to ensure a higher level degree and much experience in the fashion industry. You will be more likely to find job positions in large city areas, where fashion designers and producers are mainly rooted. That said, the pay scale available to fashion merchandisers can be incredibly rewarding. Experienced fashion merchandisers can earn from $40,000 to $80,000 and those with higher level positions can earn from $80,000 to well over $100,000.

Characteristics
There are a number of different characteristics that a fashion merchandiser should possess. An eye for fashion and the ability to keep up with the current trends in the industry is the most important quality that a fashion merchandiser should have. Fashion merchandisers should also have good organization
skills, possess people skills, and must work well under pressure.

While a career in fashion merchandising can be very rewarding, it can also be highly competitive. Before making the decision to pursue this career, it’’s important to make sure that it is something that you will be interested in doing beforehand. Realizing that it can put you under a lot of pressure since it is such a competitive field is very important.