"I Want This Job" Make-Up Artist & Ambassador for Max Factor Greece

OK, so, I am beyond excited about this installment of "I want this Job", why?
Well, basically this is one of the professions I would have loved to have done, had I not been in Fashion. (Fashion Butter if you're reading, in another life I'd be driving around in a big fat, ice cream style van, giving out make-overs, rainbow coloured nail polish and the finest Gelato (naturally!).

I love make-up, make-overs, whatever... it's the inner creative mojo that gets unleashed once in a while.
When I moved over here, I was blown away by the amazing live TV "How-To's" on "Kafes me tin Eleni" and I also noticed how amazing Zeta Makripoulia looked on Greek 'Dancing with the Stars' (apologies to those who have no clue what/who i'm talking, she's a Greek Beauty - famous TV presenter & actress below).

I simply had to know the force behind was making these women gorgeous. I posted this a while ago, in hope of hunting down the genius and lucky for me, the gorgeous Katerina of Fashion Algorithms shed me some the light! The secret beauty weapon is this guy!

Introducing the mega talented and brilliant make up artist extraordinaire - Yiannis Marketakis!

I Want This Job: Make Up Artist
Who do you work for?
Max Factor (MF), over the last five years as ambassador of MF in Greece


What sparked your interest in make-up/beauty?
I love make up, even though my studies at the beginning were in a completely different path (I studied financial and law in Panteion University of Athens, and conservation and restoration of Art and then I studied make up and hair styling).
I love make up and beauty because it's very creative, you are working with a "live canvas"which is giving you the pleasure to transform and make people beautiful.




What's a typical day in the life of Yiannis Marketakis?
A typical day for me is starting early in the morning, it depends on the daily schedule: from working on a photo-shoot on a location requiring the use of the day light, and then working on an advertisement, filming in a studio to working late at night in a night club doing the make up of a famous singer. The day after you can find me in a world conference of Max Factor presenting products or flying in new york for a campaign!

At the moment, i'm on tour with Helena Paparizou (snap shot above) all over Greece.

Elena Paparizou looking hot!

Can you tell us a little about what goes on behind the scenes? A sneak peek into your world - be it TV appearance, preparing a celebrity for a movie premiere/event, photo-shoot for a magazine or for a collaboration with a make up brand?
The reality behind the scenes can be very tough sometimes, it's not always so flashy and glamorous that people believe. There is always the constant pressure about the time there is (I can just picture someone in the background going "4 minutes, you got 4 minutes only!!!") & a lot of things that have to be prepared specially when we are on a live TV show.
There is no room for mistakes as everything must be perfect at the right time, everytime! The make up, the hair, the styling, the lights etc... so as you can probably imagine there is a lot of pressure!

Yiannis working on Doukissa Nomikou

In a photo shoot the things are different, there is more time to create, to repair fix and change everything that you don't like!

What do you love about this job & why is it so fabulous?
As I mentioned before, I love this job because of the creativity and with this job, it never get boring, you are in a different place everyday with different people doing different things!
It's very fabulous because you have to deal with celebrities, actors, singers, models and you are also part of the fashion industry.

Is it as glamorous as it sounds?
Yes! It's very glamorous, because you live with all these people and sometimes very close. For example, i'm working with Helena Paparizou for the last six years, I'm in her daily schedule and sometimes i'm following her program for a long time. So we'll end up living in the same hotels, eating in the same restaurants, going out in the same places! Of course it's glamorous!


Have you travelled anywhere amazing as a make-up artist?
I have travelled around the globe a lot as a make up artist, from Japan, China, Australia, French Polynesia, Bora Bora, Maldives, all around USA, Canada, Latin America, Russia and all over Europe, Africa and Asia.


What's most challenging/difficult about this job?
The most challenging thing with this job is to create different looks on one person, sometimes long hours and the most difficult is to have contact with the people that you're working with. What core responsibilities do you have as a Make-up artist?
-to be always there if needed

-to have always clean products and tools

-to be always informed and updated in trends and in fashion

Which celebrity do you love working with?
I love working with my girls Elena Paparizou, Zeta Makripoulia, and Eleni Menegaki the most but of course i love working with all the celebrities.

Eleni Menegaki

Elena Paparizou

Which brands of make up do you love working with?
Max Factor make up products.

What skills do you need to be a great Make-up artist?
The skills for being a make up artist is "free hand and creative mind" inspiration and observation

What advice would you give to anyone who wants to become a Make-up artist?
My advice for those who want to be a make-up artist is hard work, read a lot of international fashion magazines and my moto in make up is "less is more"


What's the career path like? (Education, training, how long does it take to get to where you are/successful make up artist?)
The education & training is the first step, most important is the practice, it depends on how creative you are. My advice is to open your mind and feed it with a lot of creative data! Get different information from different sources and try to make them yours! Create your own style so when somebody sees a picture, they can say "Oh, that's Marketakis' make up"!

Editorials for International magazines & L'Officiel

How did you find your dream job as a Make-up artist? Do you have a portfolio?
By working hard, finding myself an agency. My site is under construction, however, you can visit www.yiannismarketakis.com soon.
For the moment you can see a small sample at www.effex.gr which is the agency i'm with.

Any make up tips you'd like to share?
Sleep 8 hours a day, drink a lot of water and keep your skin clean and hydrated. That helps a lot in making it easier for the make up to look fabulous.

Use liquid and light foundations to have a light invisible cover, especially in the morning and never go OTT and use all the products together!

A huge thank you to Yiannis for sharing this info with us (he's super busy man) - we love him! Personally I'd love a mini version of Yiannis to take everywhere with me so I can look equally as gorgeous 1st thing in the morning! Elena Paparizou sure is one lucky lady!

"I want this Job" : Fashion Stylist - Glamour Magazine

Hey guys, the next installment of "I want this Job" is being posted a day earlier than usual, this week's been kinda chokka crazy so trying to get my blogging mojo together has not been easy.
Doesn't help that it is insanely hot in Athens too, I swear the nauseating heat permeates through the weeny pores of concrete.

Anyhoos, further to the previous post, it's kinda ironic that I've got one fabulous Fashion Stylist who's going to give you the low-down on her job! I'm sure you're all familiar with Glamour magazine, famed for it's Style 'Do's & Don'ts', the fantastic 'Fast Fashion' pages to 'Beauty Get the Look' pages.



"I Want This Job": Martha Papadatou
Job Title/description: Fashion Stylist
Who do you work for? Glamour Magazine, Greece

What do you actually do?
I am a fashion stylist and I work for Glamour Greece Magazine. As a stylist for the magazine I am responsible for the fashion pages of Glamour. That includes picking out the clothes and the accessories that I want to feature in my pages, also choosing the photographer I want to work with for the issue, casting the model and the make up artist for my Editorial.

What's your typical working day like?
Well, I have a hard time waking up, but then I try to organize my day.

• I start in the morning by going to shops and companies and picking out clothes for our fashion pages.
• I discuss the editorial with the collaborating photographer. It is essential that we both are able to express equally what we want to show in our editorial. We usually choose together the model that will feature in it.
• I go to the office to check my e-mails. I have to check the new models that are in town and wait to see when the clothes and accessories that I have order from abroad will be arriving to the office.
• I go to our wardrobe room to assemble the clothes and accessories for the photo shoots.

What do you love about this job & why is it so fabulous?
Well first of all, I love clothes. So I am very blessed that I do a job that involves something I love. I am always very excited to see the new trends and to see what my favourite designers have to show us. But I think the best thing for me is that I am never, ever, bored. I feel that every day I have something new to do.

Is it as glamorous as it sounds?
Some days it is and some days it is not. I think it is glamorous when you go to the fashion parties and fashion shows. All the rest, is very hard (but fulfilling) work.


Where is the most exciting place you've traveled to for a job?
To the Caribbean, specifically I went to the West Indies.

What's the most amazing styling job you've done in your career?
Working for Glamour.

What's it like styling a photo-shoot for Glamour?
It is very exciting. We start the day drinking strong coffee and we start doing the model’s hair and make up. When the model is ready I start dressing her and we begin. I love photo shoots because through them, I can express my style and be creative.


Have you had any styling/nightmare experiences?
A few, but truly, I can’t remember any at the moment.

What's not so great about this job?
Well, all jobs have a flip side. I think the not so great part of it, is when the issue is due for print and everybody in the office is anxious and running for last minute changes in pages and issues. And also, as a stylist you have to carry a lot of heavy bags full of clothes, accessories and shoes! No doubt, as a stylist it also means steaming a lot of clothes, dressing the models & returning samples back to designers/PR agencies too!


What core responsibilities do you have?

• Pick up clothes for the theme of the shoot, co-ordinating the look with photographer, make up artist and hair stylist etc. and return the clothes.
• Assemble the clothes for my pages and check that everything that should be featured in them, actually is.
• Shoot my editorial. And, of course, always deliver on schedule. - Make sure the clothes used are properly credited.
  

What skills do you need to be a great stylist?
1. A sense of style.
2. Organization skills.
3. Patience
4. The will to work very hard.


What advice would you give to anyone who wants to become a stylist? Is it a tough career to break into?
I believe that you must look beyond the glamorous part and be willing to accept the fact that this is hard work.

What's the career path like?
I think all career paths are the same (university, work experience, working from bottom upwards). If you are true to what you do, you will eventually be acknowledged for it.


How did you start networking/get started/find your dream job as a stylist?
Is it essential to have a portfolio?
A classmate from fashion school introduced me to the world of glossy magazines. So for me, it was quite easy. I believe that it is, yes. You show your work through the pages of your portfolio, it’s like a passport.

Anything hot styling tips you'd like to share?
Be true to your self and your own style. It is Essential.
Don’t go into a styling frenzy.
Love Fashion but always wear fashion - don’t let fashion wear YOU!

Thanks so much for sharing Martha!

images via: Glamour magazine, Greece

"I Want This Job" : Visual Merchandising

Shop windows are the very thing that entices you into walking through the door & making a purchase. Whilst attractive displays provide a very enjoyable retail experience... Remember Charlotte in SATC getting totally sucked in by the shoes on display & the weird shoe assistant???

Levi's store on Regent Street, London

Anyhow, I'd love to introduce you to my 4th installment of "I want this Job" featuring someone of exceptional talent in Visual Merchandising; Jason Traves, whom I've been lucky to work with (although in a totally different dept.) in my previous life. He's so much fun (if you work with him - you're really lucky!!!), incredibly talented and super creative...

I Want This Job: Visual Merchandising
Job Title: Retail Presentation Manager
Who do you work for? Levi's, UK

What do you actually do?
I build and protect the companies brand image visually through windows, Visual Merchandising (VM), Creative installations and shop-fit activity.


What's your typical working day like?
My day to day work involves creating new installations and the planning that goes with them, running my team of talented retail co-ordinator's and V.M (visual merchandising) manager and ensuring everyone is on track to deliver our strategy, and then the boring stuff like budgets and signing invoices!
What are you working on at the moment?
I'm working on the new installation for our Flagship store, can't tell you the focus though as then I would ruin the launch! I'm also rolling out some new branded spaces in department stores that Levis partner with.

What do you love about this job & why is it fabulous?
I love that I get paid to be creative yet still get to develop my commercial and people skills, I like the idea of taking a blank space and completely changing the look and feel of it.


Whose window's inspire you?
Of course Harvey Nichols, my friend Laura is the creative genius behind their windows and I love how she always pulls something new out of the bag, I also love Barney's windows in New York, Simon Doonan has really transformed how visuals can tell a story or have an opinion, he always has a fun way of talking about current affairs through his windows, the last I saw was a window dedicated to Michelle Obama when Barack Obama was inaugurated.

Harvey Nichols 2008

See here for more Harvey Nichols amazing window displays.

What's the most exciting job you've ever created/conceptualize in your career?
I liked the copper hoarding I conceptualized and commissioned for the new Levis flagship store, mainly because it was something a little out of the norm. I like to have variety in my work, another of my favorites was an installation I did in the Cinch store on Newburgh street which was inspired by the Amish and the way they re-cycle everything so it takes on a different life, I basically transformed the whole store by re-cladding the frontage into a whirlwind of different coloured pieces of wood. I tend to like my most recent work as it feels fresher whereas previous installations can feel dated.

Check out the night-time sparkles, love, love, love!

Cinch Store on Newburgh st, London

What's not so great about this job?
Endless Invoice signing, budget sheets....you have to take the good with the bad! (J-it's not THAT bad!!!)...

501 window of Selfridges Dept. store, London

What core responsibilities do you have?
Ensuring all of the logos and trademarks are used correctly, window design, overseeing the visual merchandising and ensuring it makes sense and drives sales, building brand equity through the projects I deliver, building world class visual merchandising teams.


What skills do you need to be a great Visual Merchandiser?
Creativity, a commercial understanding of VM, a bigger understanding of the brand and its vision, adaptability and flexibility as the hours come sometimes be long and unsociable.

What advice would you give to anyone who wants to become a Visual Merchandiser? Is it a tough career to break into?
Yes it can be, the best training is to try and start by getting work experience or a junior role in a department store, his way you will get to work with all types of product from fashion to white goods to perfumery, you should work with all products even if you favour one in particular as you never know what the next opportunity will be.

What's the career path like?
I started as soon as I left school working at junior level in a department store, the best experience is to just get straight in at store level, I know people who wasted a good few years at college when they could have been learning on the job, I don't know if there are any good courses out there right now.

Levi's with House of Holland window, Selfridges Dept. store, London

How did you start networking/get started/find your dream job?
I worked my way up through the ranks and learnt as I went along and made sure I made the best of each career turn.
Is it essential to have a portfolio?
Definitely, you have to show your creativity somehow, if you don't have a portfolio then sketch window ideas and show your understanding of the sector you are trying to get into, whether it be Denim, Fashion or furniture.

Jason has also worked for Kookai, UK & produced some amazing windows & VM with the team

Anything else you'd like to share?
Look for inspiration everywhere, Galleries are good, travel always opens the mind a bit and try and think out of the box.

Thanks so much for sharing J - you're a legend!

NB: Jason is now Head of creative And visual merchandising at Miss Selfridge, Jan 2011

I Want This Job: Madame Figaro Beauty Editor

Oooh, I'm so excited to present you with my 3rd installment of "I want this Job" feature. I luuurve beauty and am a major sucker for products, experimenting with make up looks & reading about all the latest goodness in magazines.

NB: I have something weird going on with blogger and composing the posts, hence the sporadic font types!!! What a mare, sorry peeps!

One magazine I buy consistently here in Greece is Madame Figaro, whose glorious glossy pages, dreamy fashion & stunning beauty pages always give me a fully satisfied feeling. (I'm not quite there in reading and totally understanding Greek, so pictures and styling or visuals are what work for me).

I'd like to introduce Thalia Kechri of Madame Figaro, who going to give us a frank and honest sneak peek into being a Beauty Editor. Enjoy!

I want this job: Beauty Editor

Where do you work? Madame Figaro Magazine, Greece

What's a typical day in the life of Thalia Kechri?

As a beauty editor I don't have to go to work very early – that's a plus- so I have some time for my family and myself in the morning. I must admit each day is different since I often have to go to photo shoots or attend beauty events, usually cosmetic launches. So, when I haven't got another obligation I arrive at work at about 11,00 and start answering my e-mails. I receive a lot of different products and press releases every day so I have to go through all this stuff see what interests me and what doesn't. I may have to attend to a meeting with my editor in chief to decide next issues subjects. Then I get down to writing and preparing for my photo shoots. I also have a lot of talking on the phone to do. Lots of pr managers call me daily to talk to me about their clients, their products and so on. There isn't really a certain time limit to my job. If I have finished everything I have to do, I may leave at 5,00-5,30 but most of the days I have to be here to help the graphic designers to set the magazine's pages and make sure there are no mistakes made.

What core responsibilities do you have?

First of all I have decide on my subjects, make sure they are interesting and following the season's needs & trends. Then I must write the texts, consult some experts – like doctors, make up artists or hair experts – follow the trends & watch the fashion shows, especially if I want to write about make up or hair trends. I also have to be in contact with beauty products company in order to be informed about new products, new cosmetic breakthroughs.

What do you love most about your job? Have you always been passionate about beauty?

To be honest I was not passionate about beauty but I've always wanted to work in a magazine. So I ended up working in beauty by accident but I realized I liked this particular subject and I don' t regret having chosen this sector. When I first started working things were quiet different and there were many things I loved about it. I loved writing, trying on all these new beautiful cosmetics and doing something exciting. Nowadays, things are tough but I still like the fact that I get in touch with a lot of different people, I don' t have to sit in an office all day and I don't get easily bored.

Is the job as glamorous as it sounds?

The job used to be quiet glamorous but it is not anymore – not in Greece that is. I used to travel a lot in order to attend to international events but trips are now a luxury. Furthermore, when you do a job for so long you get to be more down to earth, and not get easily excited by things that others consider exceptional.

What's not so great about your job? Challenges etc?

One thing is not so great is that I can't write my opinion about the products I am presenting. I have to be careful not to offend big companies that pay a lot of money for publicity to the magazine I work for. In other countries- USA, UK, France – that doesn't happen. Journalists are free to write whatever they want but here we are bound by different interests.

How often do companies send in new product to you to review? Is there a beauty closet at Madame Figaro for all the amazing new products? - (I want to live in it!)

As I wrote above that is one of the great things about this job. Companies send their products all the time and there are several beauty closets at Mme Figaro.

What are your thoughts on the beauty bloggers out there?

I really admire all these women who try to take care of themselves and be beautiful even though they are so busy, they often have jobs and families and try to cope with everything, yet have time to blog about beauty. So, I believe the beauty bloggers should be well informed, try and be objective about the products they review and help all women be beautiful without spending much money nor time.

How did you get into beauty writing and what is the career path for those who want this job?

Well, I studied to be a translator but I've always enjoyed writing. I found out from a friend that Mme Figaro was looking for an assistant that spoke French and I had an interview. Since my editors in chief realized I was good at writing I became a beauty editor – it took me about 4-5 years. But this is Greece and there are no rules.

What skills do you need to be a great beauty writer?

First of all you have to have the ability to adapt to each magazine's style. I can't write for Cosmo in the same way I am writing for Mme Figaro. Then you have to be direct, straight to the point and avoid getting out of the subject. You also have to be concise – describe something in a few words. And of course you have to be imaginative because often you must write similar subjects with a totally different concept.

What advice would you give to anyone who wants to become a Beauty Editor? Is it a tough career to break into?

This is the worst time for someone to try to become a beauty editor in Greece. No one is hiring. Things may be easier on the Internet but even there they don't pay you that well and Greek sites aren't very well organized yet.

What's the biggest beauty myth you have come across in your career?

That a face cream can erase wrinkles that's why I try to be careful and use words like reduce, soften, but never erase. Only a plastic surgeon can erase wrinkles. And that a body cream can make cellulite disappear.

What are your top 10 beauty essentials?

1. Concealer
2. Blush (Pink since I am blond, coral if you are brunette)
3. Lipstick (red in the winter, pinkish in the summer)
4. Mascara (brown in the morning, black in the evening)
5. Grey nail polish (for this season at least)
6. Eau de Parfum
7. Moisturizing Day cream
8. Eye cream against bags and circles.
9. Body oils (the are dry and moisturize without leaving traces)
10. Hair mask – the only way to repair coloured, damaged hair.

Can a 10€ face cream be just as good and have the same or better results than a face cream costing 100€?

It definitely can. When you pay 100€ for a cream, besides ingredients, you pay for the advertising campaign, the luxury bottle, the brand name and the big fancy package. Some very cheap products use effective ingredient and continue to be cheap because they don't have a fancy campaign or a luxurious package. They are still effective though.

Any expert beauty tips you would like to share with my readers?

My most important tip is that you don't need too many products to keep you skin beautiful and young. You mostly need to moisturize. Moisturize your face and your body both by using moisturizers and by eating fresh fruit and vegetable – not just by drinking water. If your skin is not moisturized enough then no anti-wrinkle cream – not even the most expensive in the world – can help you look young.

If you missed the previous "I want this Job" features, please see here for Footwear Buyer for Topshop & here for Ladieswear Designer.

I Want This Job: Topshop Footwear Buyer

Girlies: I sooooo apologise in advance for my 2nd "I want this job" feature, this is going to be an almighty long but jam-packed post about everything you ever wanted to know about Buying! Enjoy!

We all know how fabulous Topshop is, it's the mecca where everyone, from fashionistas, celebs to teens & mums alike go to get their fashion fix without breaking the bank.
One of my oldest gal pals, Jo whom i've known since our days studying for our Fashion Degree has a job to die for! Shoes, lots of beautiful shoes get dumped on her desk, like everyday! Lucky her!
I've also added some additional bits in black - stuff like buying speak really.

Job Title: Shoe Buyer
Where do you work: Topshop Head Office, London

1. What do you actually do?

• Buy shoes for Topshop (TS), ensuring that we build a great range for our target/potential customers.
  

2. What's your general working pattern like?

• MONDAY - Go through the sales pack* and analyse last weeks sales. We generally look at each line and new reaction to see if we need to repeat (buy again)/move on (develop the style) or limit/review anything coming in that isn't working and monitor it's progress.
  
• * The sales pack is usually one big fat printed pack with all the styles in store or at the warehouse due for delivery into stores, including style/line numbers, colours bought, quantity (qty) bought, qty sold, how many weeks is left before product sells out according to average weekly sales and quantity bought.
  
• TUESDAY-FRIDAY varies depending on whats happening but we generally buy monthly and are constantly reviewing the range and adding in new key styles/colours that we need in quickly.
  
• Day to day I tend to be: visiting suppliers to see what they have, in meetings with design working on new developments, trawling the internet and magazines for inspiration, looking at the competition and shopping for new ideas, liaising with merchandisers re: quantity's/dates/price points and ranging, placing orders with suppliers, negotiating prices and dates, visiting TS branches across the country, in range reviews* with management, buyers' meetings looking at the trends and highlighting key items and fit sessions with shoe technologists.
• As a Buyer it is important to keep building relationships with potential/current suppliers as well as ensuring deliveries come in on time, being aware of all kinds of trends-reacting to them and what the competitors are doing in store - the team will always go Comparative Shopping (Comp. Shop) and produce a report to share with the team.
• * Range Reviews - working with the merchandising team, a review is compiled of the previous season/or months performance - so the products both best-sellers and worse sellers (Dogs) are analysed and reviewed to understand what the consumer liked and disliked.
  

3. Which other departments of the company do you work closely with?

• Designers, Press/marketing, Merchandisers & Store managers

4. What do you love about this job?

• The buzz when something comes in a flies out and the constant excitement/urgency of finding the next big thing. Also working with people that are so creative, passionate and proud about the product and the brand we work for.

5. Is it as glamorous as it sounds - Buying shoes?

• No! Its hard work...You have to roll your sleeves up and get involved whether its rifling through 100's of old dusty vintage shoes, shifting boxes and rails of shoes around the office to different meetings, spending all day in a factory or trawling round exhibition halls with thousands of shoe stands - it can be painful if you've woken up at 5am to get a flight then gone straight to a trade show!

6. Where have you travelled with this job?

• India, LA, Paris, Milan, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, New york....

7. What's not so great about this job?

• There's a lot of pressure (to constantly have and create newness) and you can't miss a thing so it can be tiring at times if you don't give yourself a break occasionally! There's also a lot of personal preferences and expectations you have to manage so you have to stand by what you think is right for the brand.
• In addition to this, the hours can be long, especially if you are preparing a presentation/range review (which needs to be agreed and signed off with management), or dealing with everything - last minute emails, deliveries etc before you have to go away on a business trip, the work load can pile up substantially, dealing with a late delivery (and the suppliers).
  

8. What core responsibilities do you have as a Buyer?

• To ensure the range is always new and sales are potentialised on key items.
• To push and seek the next big trend
• Plan the range with merchandising to ensure we meet our sales plan, target margins and that we offer a balanced range at all times with out going over the budget. Work out initial order quantities/colours to be bought in range planning.
  
• Critical Path - plan the key dates for product development, production and delivery.
  
• Manage Supply Base (A no. of qualified suppliers my team work with) ensuring we meet our targets in terms of quality control (QC), cost prices
• Manage Buyers Admin Assistant (BAA) and Assistant Buyer (AB) to ensure orders go on the system, deliveries are managed and on time and the general running of the department
• Ultimately to make sure our profits are up on the year and our markdown is kept to a minimum!

9. What trade shows do you visit/go to regularly?

• Micam, Lineappelle, Riva, Premiere Classe, Bread & Butter, WSA...

10. What skills do you need to be a great buyer?

• Have the ability to juggle 100 things at once and have your finger on the pulse at all times!
• It helps if you're quick, efficient, adaptable, enthusiastic, energetic, creative, passionate about the product you're buying, confident in your decisions, a good communicator, fairly good with numbers (analytical & strategical) and good at using your initiative

11. What advice would you give to anyone who wants to become a Fashion Buyer?

• Apply for a BAA role in a brand/company that you feel suits you and your style/personality. Get work experience or work in retail to get a feel for things.
  
• Be passionate about fashion, know your trends, push your ideas forward, aspire to buy those Mui Mui platforms (even if you can't afford them!), experiment with your own style and always think ahead.

Jo & team's Hot Picks
In-store/online now from top left-right:

• Spiral - Strappy peep toe heel £65
• Prima- Sling back clogs £80
• Saffron - Mint strappy heels £70
• Frances - Stud sandal £35

12. What's the salary range like from a BAA to a Buyer on senior level ?

• Hard to say, but for the lower end - starting around 16-18k for a BAA to 60k for someone at a more senior level
  

13. What's the career path like?

• It takes on average around 5yrs from BAA to become a Buyer if you work hard & are passionate about what you do.
  

14. How did you find your dream job as a Buyer?

• By looking in Drapers Record (Fashion Business magazine in UK) and sending my CV. Most brands have a recruitment page on their website so you can go through that.
  
• Just because a job isn't advertised (the fashion ones usually aren't by the way), contact an agency (who specialises in fashion) and sign up with them or contact the brand you see yourself working for directly and make sure you have a CV that is up-to date, ready to email/send the future employer. Having gone through loads of CV's myself (believe me, everyone wants your job or a BAA, BA, AB role) everyone usually starts with an introduction about themselves/personal statement. Whilst this is great, I also suggest mentioning what you have done for the love of fashion (be it organising a fashion show to raise money for a charity-you get the idea) in that first opening paragraph about yourself. That is something that usually catches my eye as everyone can be 'passionate', 'enthusiastic' about fashion and read magazines etc but are they really? What have they done to prove it?

15. Any other advice you'd like to share?

• Try not to lose your cool under pressure and always stand by your decisions. (Believing that a product will be a best-seller even if someone else can't see or share the same vision).

images via Topshop, Gossipless Fashion

Additional info:
Books/reading material:
Mastering Fashion Buying & Merchandising Management by Tim Jackson via Amazon

Agencies in UK:

• Drapers Record
• Talisman Retail
• Freedom Recruitment
• Success Appointments

Missed out on last weeks "I want this Job" feature? Click here for the low-down on Ladieswear Designer, Christine Macaulay.