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In today’s digital hiring process, your resume is your first impression. For anyone aiming to break into the fashion industry, whether through jobs or internships, having a strong, tailored resume is your entry point. And if you’re lacking direct fashion experience, don’t worry – with a few clever strategies, you can craft a professional resume that highlights your skills and potential.

Here’s a detailed guide to help you build an impactful resume that grabs recruiters’ attention in the competitive fashion world.

Why Your Resume is a Big Deal

Your resume is the recruiter’s first glimpse of you. It’s like a snapshot of what you bring to the table, which is why it needs to be both polished and concise.

Since most job applications happen online, your resume often determines if you make it to the next step. Think about it – in many cases, recruiters haven’t met you. All they know is what’s on that document. This makes it crucial to paint a strong picture of your skills and achievements.

Although this guide focuses on fashion roles, these tips can apply to other industries too. Whether or not you’ve landed your first fashion gig yet, it’s never too early to make your resume stand out.

What Exactly is a Resume?

Put simply, a resume summarises your accomplishments, experiences, and skills. It’s a chance to showcase your professional journey and communicate why you’re right for the job.

This is the one place where modesty takes a back seat. Use your resume to show off what you’ve achieved. The key is to present yourself in a way that aligns with the job you’re applying for.

Your resume isn’t just a list – it’s a story about who you are, told through your work and experiences.

The Job Hunt: What a Strong Resume Can Do

A strong resume is like opening the door to an interview. Without it, you might not even get the chance to chat with a recruiter. Think of your resume as step one in a two-part process – step two is nailing the interview itself.

This post is all about step one. Interviews? That’s another conversation entirely.

Content vs Formatting: What Matters Most

Your resume has two layers that matter: the content and the appearance.

Content comes first. Even the prettiest resume won’t save you if it doesn’t match the job requirements. Your words need to do the heavy lifting.

Formatting supports the content. It’s about making your resume visually clear and easy to read, but it’s not as critical as what you’re showing off in those bullet points.

Filling Your Resume with Impact

Let’s start with the basics. An impactful resume is packed with detailed, relevant, and tailored information. Every word should serve a purpose.

Think of tailoring your resume like packing for a trip. You wouldn’t bring your entire wardrobe – you’d choose specific outfits that match the weather and activities. Resumes work the same way. You aren’t listing every job you’ve ever had; you’re showcasing the most relevant experiences for the role at hand.

Start with a Word Document

Before you even think about layout, get all your experiences and responsibilities down in one place.

• Use a plain Word document to list everything you’ve done: work history, extracurriculars, school projects, and more.
• Add every task and responsibility, large or small. Don’t leave anything out.
• Keep this document updated as you gain new experience. It’s a running log that you’ll always pull from when applying to jobs.

This is especially helpful if you’ve worked internships or short-term roles. You might forget details a few months later, but your master list will save you.

Creating Strong Bullet Points

Once you’ve listed all your tasks and responsibilities, it’s time to transform them into professional, impactful bullet points on your resume. Here’s how:

Step 1: Use Action Verbs

Each bullet point should start with a strong, descriptive verb. Avoid boring, generic options like “helped” or “did.”

Here’s how you can upgrade common examples:

• “Talked to customers” → “Communicated with customers”
• “Worked with a team” → “Collaborated with team members”

You want to avoid repeating the same verbs. Mix it up to keep your points dynamic and varied. If you’re stuck, search for synonyms online.

Step 2: Explain the Purpose

Stating what you did is only half the battle. You also need to explain why it mattered. Show how your work contributed to the company or project.

For example:

• Instead of: “Communicated with customers,”
• Try: “Communicated with customers to introduce new products and increase sales uptake.”

This shows the recruiter how your tasks fit into a larger strategy.

Step 3: Get Specific

Specific details make your resume stand out. Mention names of tools, programs, or brands (as long as it’s not confidential). This gives recruiters concrete examples of your expertise.

For instance:

• “Managed online sales” → “Managed online sales through Shopify.”

Step 4: Add Numbers

Whenever possible, quantify your achievements. Numbers give context and show the scale of your work.

Examples:

• “Increased sales by 10% over a three-month period.”
• “Processed 100+ customer orders daily.”

For fashion roles, highlight areas like sales figures, social media growth, or customer engagement. Even small improvements, like a 5% increase in sales, demonstrate your impact.

Step 5: Choose Relevant Content

Once your bullet points are polished, you’ll need to pick which ones to include based on the job you’re applying for.

Look closely at the job description. Highlight skills or qualifications the recruiter is looking for and match them to your experiences.

For example:

• For a buying or merchandising role – focus on teamwork, knowledge of retail maths, or experience with Excel.
• For a digital marketing position – highlight software like Photoshop and your familiarity with social media platforms.

Each fashion company has a target customer base. Keep this in mind when tailoring your resume for different roles.

Adjusting Job Titles

If your past job titles are overly generic, you can adjust them slightly to show relevance.

Example:

• If you worked as a “Wholesale Intern,” but focused specifically on women’s fashion, you could rephrase it as “Women’s Ready-to-Wear Wholesale Intern.”

This isn’t about changing the facts – it’s about helping recruiters quickly see what you contributed.

When to Remove Old Experiences

As you gain new experience, start phasing out older ones.

• If you’re in college, replace high school activities as soon as you’ve relevant college experience to include.
• After graduation, over time, phase out college-level experience in favour of professional roles.

Key Rules for Resume Formatting

There’s no single correct way to format a resume, but some guidelines will make it clear and effective:

1. One Page Only: Stick to a single page. Include only the most relevant, impactful information for the role.
2. Fill Your Page: Avoid too much white space – it can make your resume look empty. A full page gives the impression that you’ve been actively building your professional journey.
3. Neat and Consistent: Check for proper alignment, consistent punctuation, and spacing. Sloppy formatting can leave a bad impression.
4. Readable Design: Choose simple fonts (think Arial or Times New Roman) and a font size of at least 10pt. No recruiter wants to squint to read your resume.

Creativity in Resume Design

While a clean layout works for most fashion jobs, creative positions like graphic design are an exception. If you’re applying for a creative role, your resume can act as a portfolio by showing off your design skills.

However, don’t go overboard. Excessive graphics, colour, or fancy fonts might look unprofessional and distract from your qualifications.

For a balance, you can explore online templates. Use these as inspiration and create a design that’s visually appealing but still professional.

Your resume isn’t static – it should evolve with you. Update it regularly, adapt it for each job, and make sure it always represents your best self.

The next step after perfecting your resume? Getting ready for the interview. Stay tuned for tips on how to ace that part of the process.