My advice for the co-ed crowd…
Learn about the companies you’re interested in, understand what the different options are, where your talents lie… And intern. Because the more you know and the more focused you are when you graduate, the more likely you will be able to get a job in your area of interest. I think now, especially in the fashion industry in New York, there are so many students who come here to intern every summer, that you will have a hard time getting your foot in the door at a fashion company unless you have two or three fashion internships on your resume. The best advice I can give to college students is to really do your best to expose yourself to what career options are out there and try to learn as much as possible through internships, reading job descriptions on company websites…. Today, there’s so much more access to information and there is a lot to learn from reading company websites and job postings.

And while you’re interning…
Make relationships, get to know people, connect to them on LinkedIn and stay in touch — make sure you take advantage of every single relationship you build. People are really happy to help; students have to learn how to take advantage of those interactions.

For those looking for a job in fashion…
In addition to being articulate and professional, fashion companies also look for someone to represent their brand well. I would say that, in terms of personal style and aesthetic, it’s important that you match the sensibility of the brand. It’s not about looks; it’s about how you put yourself together, how you style your wardrobe, how you present yourself to the world… You have to show you’re really representing the brand.

Interview tips…
Be focused on what you want and why you want it. And be clear about what you know as well as what you don’t know — that’s OK, too. I tell new graduates all the time that, when you go in for an interview, the most important thing is that you connect with the interviewer, that you’re friendly, warm and down-to-earth and that you’re honest. And I think it’s really important not to apply for jobs you don’t want. Often people apply to any job posting they can find, whether it is a good fit or not, but they don’t think it through.

Resume tips…
I am a big fan of the one-page resume. I truly believe that a resume should be a snapshot of your career history. Whether you have one or 25 years of experience, it should be one page. I like a standard format — name and contact information at the top, experience should be the bulk of the resume, and education and special skills (like languages, technology) at the bottom. I think that experience should have all the key information — company name, title, dates — as well as any highlights of the position; it doesn’t have to be the whole job description. For example, if you worked in sales, it should say which accounts you worked with — Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus — to show you have relationships with those key accounts. If you manage a team, mention how big your team was so they can understand the organizational structure. And also say what product category you work in, whether footwear or handbags, and also the sales volume.

On the digital resume…
If it’s a creative role and you want to show your portfolio, that makes sense. I’ve had designers come in with iPads to show their work. But I think a paper resume is always good to have on hand.

LinkedIn tips…
A LinkedIn profile is an online resume with a picture. It’s a great way for recruiters to see who you are as a candidate. With LinkedIn and all these social media tools, employers are able to see you quickly and, as we discussed before, hiring in the fashion and retail industry is about finding someone who fits the brand in addition to having the right experience. Use LinkedIn to your advantage and have a professional picture of yourself looking happy, like you’d be fun to work with…. Make it a selling point! Make your picture one that will make recruiters want to invite you to an interview. Some people don’t even have a picture on there, which I think is a big mistake. And have your whole resume on there because that’s how recruiters find candidates. How else will recruiters know you’re out there?

LinkedIn tips, part two…
I’ve had candidates say they’re worried about updating their profiles because they’re afraid their boss will see and think they’re looking for a job. Unless you have a super-paranoid boss with a lot of time on his or her hands, they’re probably not trolling LinkedIn. Also, it’s become commonplace to have a profile and it’s totally normal to be looking for your next job pretty much once you’ve been in a job for a few years. Unless they’re promoted, most people are looking for a new job within 18 to 24 months. That’s how it works. If not, that person may not be too ambitious. That’s the way things happen. People move. If you’re not getting promoted, if there’s not a role for you internally, you’re going to be looking to move outside.

More on the job switch…
It’s completely normal to get antsy in a job after two years. If a company is too small to have a next step for you after two years, it’s normal to leave. However, it’s great to have a few longer stints on your resume, especially if there is enough growth potential. Because if somebody is in a new job every two years, it doesn’t look great over the course of a 15-year career to never really progress in a company. You can have one or two jobs that you’ve only been in for one or two years, but then you should have a couple of jobs where you were there for three to five years.

And for those looking to switch careers…
Don’t change everything. It’s tricky to go from being a PR manager at a fashion company to being a wholesale account executive at a furniture company. It’s just too different; you need to keep some things constant. If you’re looking for a change, maybe do something slightly different at the same kind of company or do the same thing at a different company.

On the freelance path…
I think in certain career paths, like if you’re a copy writer or doing content creation for social media or a blog, maybe freelance is necessary. You could take on as many jobs as you could to piece together a decent salary. But here’s my thought on freelance vs. fulltime: In general, I think fulltime is more desirable. You get a regular paycheck, paid time off, sick time, benefits, healthcare. The additional benefits of being a fulltime employee could be 30 to 40 percent of your total compensation package. Freelancers literally get paid for the time they work and that’s it; there’s nothing extra. Of course, some people don’t want a fulltime job because they have kids or don’t want to commit to that kind of time. I think if you’ve gotten to a certain point in your career, you can be a highly coveted freelancer in your area of choice.

Good opportunities in the fashion industry now…
E-commerce and digital marketing is a huge growth area. Every company now has a blog and an e-commerce site. Ten years ago, I would have said that creative in fashion is really all about the design, but now fashion brands have to market themselves in a different way, so there are really two very different creative paths: design and then marketing. Marketing is very broad — there is customer retention and relationship management, digital marketing, e-commerce, content generation, traditional advertising, PR…. Also, social media — you can have a whole career in social media now. But it’s not just about Instagramming pictures; you really have to know who are the customers, who’s in the market, you have to know the blogs and have connections with those bloggers and the editors. Social media strategy and placement — it’s really focused.

My background…
I had some retail experience from my college years at University of Texas at Austin working at a specialty store in the city, By George. That’s why I started out in retail when I moved to New York and didn’t know what I wanted to do. My first job here was as assistant manager of the Kate Spade store in Soho. I got so much exposure and learned a lot, from recruiting and training staff to eventually managing a team of 15 people, overseeing three locations and opening new locations in other cities.

And the turn to HR…
I was ready for something different and wanted experience on the corporate side of the business. Then 9/11 occurred and it was such a difficult time for our nation and in our economy, so I decided to go to business school and found a program that had a focus in human resource management. I think what was really interesting to me was the matchmaking element of HR. I mean, I’m more of a relationships person — that’s one of my strengths. The part of my job that I had really liked was interviewing people, training them, bringing them on board, coming up with incentives to keep them happy… all the things that boost moral and make people excited about coming to work. Then I was very fortunate to get an HR job at LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton.

The key to a work-life balance…
I think it’s really hard to work in a corporate fashion job and have a lot of free time. It’s a demanding industry. The minimum office requirement for most companies is working from nine to six, but most people come earlier and stay later — and that’s typical to work 8 AM to 8 PM or even later. Some jobs require a lot of travel too. If you’re in international sales, for example, you likely have to travel a lot to Asia and Europe for longer periods of time. I know I couldn’t do that. Personally, I felt I had a good amount of work-life balance when working in corporate HR until I had kids. Now that I have my own recruiting firm and HR consulting company and make my own schedule, I’m very lucky to have a thriving career and a lot of time with my three kids, but I certainly haven’t figured it all out. What worked well for me was working for industry leaders for 10 years to build credibility, and then I was able to start my own company and work with multiple clients. I think it’s a good model to follow. 

Best career advice received…
An early mentor once said to me – just do the job that you are doing as well as you possibly can. Whatever your job is right now, just do it really, really well and the next thing will come. I still believe that. Although, I also believe it’s important to look ahead and grab opportunities when you see them coming. 

And my career advice to give…
Really strive for excellence and be honest. Set expectations. It’s important to be honest about what you can deliver.