Joe Neill

The Course

On my course I gained the fundamentals of what it takes to work in a fashion business environment and to be a buyer and a merchandiser. My final year business project stood out to me as we had to work collaboratively on brining a product to market, in effect facing the same challenges you face when working with other departments in a fashion company.

Industry Placement/Internship

When starting my degree I had no relevant experience within fashion so I undertook the placement year, I started my placement year at my current employer where I was actually the first employee within the brand. I couldn’t recommend a placement year more, this stood me in great stead for returning to my course and the future as it has propelled me ahead of other students who graduated before me but didn’t have the experience.

After Graduation

Due to working well on my placement year I was offered a part time permanent position at The Couture Club while I finished my degree, and then full time once graduated. I went back in full time after I graduated at a low level merchandiser role and then have now progressed to heading up the brands website, trading activities and email marketing, with some key responsibilities situating around customer experience and finding ways to meet the company’s financial targets on a weekly and monthly basis. I feel like have progressed quickly due to more hands on learning and greater responsibility within a smaller brand.

Advice for Future Fashion Graduates

Take advantage of the external workshops around your course, Excel courses etc. Also don’t be afraid to have an opinion. Fashion environments, like many other sectors can be a daunting place and there is a lot of demand placed upon the people involved, but when you have knowledge and can back that up people will listen, no matter what position they are.

Joe Neill is now working as a E-Commerce/Trading Executive at The Couture Club.