Uncompromising positions

The job Fashionista

The status: Project Runway wanna-bes, take note: Business is mercurial on Fashion Avenue. The number of jobs in the industry has declined steadily since 9/11—in 2000, there were nearly 100,000 jobs; now, there are 69,000. Still, that’s up from last year, and if you’re determined to make a career in fashion, New York is the place to be: You’ll find 8,700 apparel, accessory and textile manufacturers here, and it’s home to Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and Nicole Miller (more on her later). According to Angie Wojak, career-services director at Parsons The New School for Design and coauthor of Spark Your Career in Fashion, “the fashion industry seems as strong as ever as far as entry-level candidates are concerned, and there are a lot of options that people may not consider, like technical design.”

The game plan: Wojak swears by industry bible Women’s Wear Daily: “It’s absolutely essential for anyone in fashion,” she says. Its website, wwd.com, has a spin-off, fashioncareers.com, which is frequently updated with job postings from all corners of the industry. WWD also hosts Fashion Career Expos, where hopefuls can meet with actual insiders—the next one will roll through Gotham on September 7. Temp agencies can also help you land a job: 24 Seven is one of the bigger agencies for the industry. According to Wojak, about 90 percent of Parsons students complete at least one internship, allowing them to work their connections; however, if you slacked off during college, you may need to take an internship or a volunteering stint. You may even end up at the hottest gig in town: “Fashion Week is a great place to volunteer and get experience, just to have something on your résumé that directly relates to the industry,” says Wojak.

The hookup: When hiring potential employees, Bud Konheim, CEO of Nicole Miller, looks for “someone who is mission oriented and entrepreneurial. I’m big on talking to people.” Equally important is a person’s passion: “You need to do something that you would do 24 hours a day without getting paid.” And if that something is working at Nicole Miller, then go to timeoutnewyork.com/jobhookup.—Amy Plitt