Tag Archives: networking

Printfest

WHAT: PRINTFEST

WHERE: 524 W 26th St, ground floor

WHEN: October 26-28

Every year, International Print Center New York (IPCNY) hosts the three-day event Printfest. This is a time when MFA and BFA seniors from 17 schools around the area can showcase their work to a broad audience, and even sell them. You better believe that FIT is one of the included schools in this. During the event, IPCNY makes sure to offer fun printmaking workshops and even hosts panel discussions.

 

Establishing Your LinkedIn Profile:

Whether you are or are not aware of the importance of building a strong LinkedIn professional network, with busy schedules and stressing about the future, sometimes we dismiss our social media. LinkedIn, however, is one type of social media network that should never be dismissed!

Establishing a strong LinkedIn profile and network will propel your chances of finding more opportunities by making YOU stand out of your sea of competitors and makes it easier for your prospective employees to review your knowledge, skills, abilities, and personality traits. Here are a few tips that really helped me build my profile:

1. Have a professional photo

LinkedIn isn’t Tumblr, there is no excuse for not having a professional head shot. Look clean, friendly, and approachable! Remember, first impressions count…even virtually!

2. Have a strong headline and summary

LinkedIn creates your headline with your job title and current company…but you can create your own! Consider making it your specialty and speaking to your audience directly. For example, mine is “Public Relations Student at FIT”, even though I currently have other positions.

Use bullets for your actual summary or make it a power sentence. LinkedIn also allows you to add media, so if you’re creative, even make an introduction video!

 3. Fill out everything

Skills, abilities, volunteer work and associations, education, previous positions, etc. This is all the important stuff that prospective employers are looking forward to seeing, make sure it’s concise and displays YOU.

4. Keep your profile up-to-date

You don’t need to list every. single. thing. you’ve done. But consider maintaining your profile with current career goals and positions that are relevant and timely to your position seeking and network building opportunities.

Go on and make your LinkedIn profiles great!

xx

Mariano

Helping at HBC Global Art Collection

Hello!

I really wanted to share my experience working at the HBC Global Art Collection I went to on Tuesday. Out of the blue a girl I met through connections, texted me and asked me if I would be interested in helping at the gala event. Obviously they were going to pay, well they were paying really well $60/h, so I couldn’t really refuse. I once again want to stress how important it is to start networking, and start building up your contact list. You don’t know how many times, I got to incredible opportunities, through random people.

The event was at Saks Fifth Avenue downtown in HBC brand new headquarters. I was never there, but the building was brand new and looked incredible, you should definitely check it out! Anyways they bring me up to the art exposition, and tell me that I’m going to be the art specialist, which basically means that if anyone has questions about the art they ask me. Obviously they thought I knew stuff about the art exposed there, but it was the first time I’ve ever seen it. Just to give you a visual the Guggenheim has 50’000 square feet of hanging space, and they had 500’000! My friend told me not to worry, that she was going to give me a tour of the art exhibition and there shouldn’t be a lot of people asking questions. While she’s giving me the tour, the two art curators come and join us and start explaining to me details about each photos. It was great I felt like I had a general idea of what each painting entailed. The cocktail party started at 6 and finished at 9. Everything went really well, a few people asked me questions, but were so kind to me and always told me I was doing a great job, which help boost my confidence a little.

Anyways moral of the story is that don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, it can be scary at first, but it pays at the end, because you feel like you’ve accomplished something. For me this was the most terrifying thing that could of ever happen to me, but I made the best out of it, I showed my passion and interest for art and looking back I’m so glad I went. Not only that, the art curators for HBC were so impressed that they want to keep in touch with me, for future opportunities.

xoxo

Zorya

What’s Next For a Fashion Student After FIT

Hello!

I decided to interview Mari a recent fashion design graduate. I thought her point of views were really interesting and she had some great advice that I thought could help a lot of future/current students at FIT.

  1. Why did you pick fashion design? I took classes and worked at a fashion design studio in Seattle for about 6 years. I always knew I wanted to do something artistic, and I really loved how hands on fashion design was. Which made it really easy when picking out schools.
  2. How did you pick FIT? The teacher at my studio went to FIT. When I visited different schools, the students and teachers at FIT really inspired me and strengthened my decision to pick FIT. Being that FIT was in New York was a huge bonus too.
  3. Did FIT meet your expectations? For the most part it did. In the technical aspect of making clothes, I found it challenging and my skills improved tremendously. Coming from a fine arts background, I hoped that the classes would of been more creative. But for an overall education, FIT gave me great knowledge about the industry and also great connections.
  4. What’s next for you now? I decided that costume design is something I really enjoy and want to pursue in. So now I’m looking for jobs in costume. I’m also keeping my options open, because I love activewear, so maybe something in that direction too is something I’m considering.
  5. Has FIT helped you choose this new direction? Yes, I would of never thought of costume design as an industry. FIT showed me that costume design is a possible career option. It also gave me a good base to get me there in terms of skills, connections and the ability to create a concept from start to finish.
  6. What did you think of the Art Concentration? It was a really intense program, but something I really wanted to do. There was a lot of drawing and coming up with concepts, which I feel are really important skills to have in this industry. I loved that at the end of the program, I came out with a great portfolio, that I am really proud of and feel confident showing at interviews.
  7. Do you have any advice for future/current fashion design students? Take advantage of the teachers and the advice and knowledge they have. They know what they’re talking about and have great connections in the industry. Don’t take yourself too seriously, enjoy the freedom to be creative. And most importantly be confident in your ideas!

If you want to check out Mari’s work maristudio.us 

Zorya

My Met Gala Experience

Hello!

I just want to start by saying that you should all take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way, because you never know what else might come from it. Although sometimes it might not seem as glamours as you’ve imagined, you never know what you might gain from it. Being at FIT you are exposed to and offered so many great opportunities to take part in and be involved in events you’ve dreamed about attending.

I’m mentioning this, because on Sunday and Monday I had the amazing opportunity to work at the Met Gala, a job I got through FIT. I got to work with the event planner to set up the event and have a sneak peak before anyone else at what the Met Gala was going to look like inside. Although it wasn’t easy work, being able to work in the same room where Anna Wintour was, made it easier:P That being said, I thought I was going to do my job and then be sent home, but then the event planners offered me another job to work at the Cipriani where Condé Nast was having an event. And from that I got offered to be part of another event this weekend, which I was a little hesitant about accepting at first, because of finals coming up. But then I remembered that it’s a once in a life time opportunity and who knows what might come from it. A lot of people told me that I shouldn’t say yes to everything, but to be honest, us as students aren’t in a position yet to start being picky about what we want and don’t want to do. We have to have as much experience as we can, good and bad. Because that’s how we grow and learn from them.

From one job I got through FIT, two others came from it and who knows maybe more. That’s why I really recommend you be involved and open to jobs and any opportunities FIT offers you, because FIT have some great connections and who knows what else might come from some not so glamorous jobs. You never know what kind of surprises life has in store for you!

xoxo

Zorya