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Work experience placements are a great way to gain an insight into the industry.  Involving maybe working six to eight weeks at a design studio, usually the placements will be unpaid.  Think about the kind of company you want to work at in the future and the role you wish to fulfill.  Maybe you want to work as a designer, a fashion merchandiser or a garment technologist.

Start by writing a letter to a company you would like to work at in the future, always personally address your letter, for example if you want to work as a merchandiser find out the name of the senior merchandiser and address the letter to them.  In your letter write about why you want to do work experience at their company, importantly state what skills you have to offer, when and for how long you want the work experience to last and a contact phone number.  If your first letter is ignored, write again and follow it up with a personal phone call.  You need to be pushy to succeed.

Pros:

A company may be hesitant to employ you in a paid role due to your lack of experience, working in a work experience role gives the company a chance to assess your skills and importantly potential without the risk.  If impressed by your commitment and enthusiasm to learn, the position may lead to a offer of a paid junior position.  Make it clear when you start the work experience placement if your aiming for a paid junior position, make them begin to need you by working hard, make yourself indispensable offer to do the less glamourous jobs.  Work experience at a fashion company gives you great chance to really learn about the fashion industry, to see it first hand you will learn things that you just can not find out about in a book or a fashion lecture.  Keep your eyes and ears open at all times, use this opportunity to find out about the industry by asking questions to your collegues that work in fashion day to day.  Make friends with your collegues, enjoy your placement and keep a diary as a reminder each day of all you have learned.

Cons:

Be very wary of working for any company for free, however well known. Ask will you actually be learning something, a new skill or working with a professional such as a designer.  Do not allow yourself to be used to do none fashion related tasks such as cleaning the toilets, or anything you are not comfortable with.  At the opposite end of the scale if you find yourself practically running the company ask yourself  are making them alot of money, if so you deserve to be paid and should speak to the manager.  Beware some companies will just view you as free labour, why pay a designer when you will work for free.  Instead use your time to apply for roles as a paid junior designer and up-dating your portfolio.