What's more valuable in the fashion industry; a degree or experience?

1. 60

   anjaycrossroadposted 11 years ago

   What's more valuable in the fashion industry; a degree or experience?
   
   I would like a career in fashion, preferably in the journalism, media or PR realms.

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2. 0

   JThomp42posted 11 years ago

   I would think as in any career, hands on experience is better by far.

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3. 60

   MickSposted 11 years ago

   I would say that in any industry, experience holds the day; however, there are a lot of moronic bosses who, for some obscure reason, believe a degree, no matter how different from the career in question, will believe that a degree is all that is needed.

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4. 69

   livelifeworryfreeposted 11 years ago

   As a business person, I think you need the both.  Fashion is a business. Experience has limitations, education teaches you how to think.  You can be experienced in a certain genre, but not have the wherewithal to expand beyond that genre.  An educated person has a tool bag of resources to choose.  Perhaps he went to school to study high fashion, however high fashion isn't the only thing he would learn.  He'd learn an array of things in fashion, business and even general education.  Education gives you a powerful skill set, experience is limited because generally there is no breadth.

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      cat on a soapboxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      a very good point!

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5. 93

   cat on a soapboxposted 11 years ago

   I think experience is always more valuable than any degree. Real application of knowledge is often quite different from that in textbooks and dissertations.

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   1. 93

      cat on a soapboxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      livelifeworryfree makes an excellent point though about a degree giving greater resources to draw from in order to expand beyond a particular genre.

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6. 80

   ketageposted 11 years ago

   Experience is what really counts, book learning is an invaluable tool to learn the foundations of any field, but experience is where you hone your skills.

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7. 66

   Rosana Modugnoposted 11 years ago

   It's really both but I think the bottom line is you have to sell yourself and for that a network or friend in the industry can make the difference between you getting a job and not getting one.  Who you know is still a major player.

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8. 82

   gmwilliamsposted 11 years ago

   
   
   In order to go far in the fashion industry, get a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing and merchandising.  A business degree will get you further in the fashion industry than journalism. If you want to pursue journalism, take some elective courses in it, don't make it a major area of study.  It is also advisable to also take some core courses in the area of fashion.   
   
   In order to gain experience if you have no relatable fashion experience, do an internship at a department store or a fashion design house. If you are photogenic, you can also be a model.  Modelling is a way to get a foot in the world of fashion.  It is also a way to gain creditibility in the fashion industry.

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