Joseph Mccarthy

BA (Hons) Fashion Buying and Merchandising 2021

The Manchester Fashion Institute prides itself on their vast connections within the fashion industry and creating graduates with strong employability skills. Both extremely important factors for any student, and one of the main reasons I chose to study here. 

During my second year in the Manchester Fashion Institute I secured an internship at The Very Group as a Category Assistant within the Homewares department. My time at The Very Group allowed me to put the theory learnt at university into practice, and to build on my skills as a buyer and merchandiser. 

Securing my internship was aided by taking part in the mock assessment centre day organised by the university. The full day process allowed myself to understand how to navigate the assessment centre day successfully, to better my presentation skills, encourage team working and build upon my interview skills. Having completed the assessment centre day, a reflective journal was completed to analyse my performance which I have added as part of my works showcase. 

Having successfully completed my placement, I have now secured a graduate role as a Buying Assistant at The Very Group on the Highstreet department. I'm now working with some exciting brands such as Mango, Ted Baker, French Connection, Mint Velvet and Monsoon to name a few. I'm extremely excited to see where my career takes me, but I'll be forever greatful for the help, support and guidance I've recieved during my time at the Manchester Fashion Institute.