With blogging being an industry itself, can blogging land you a job in fashion?

Self Portrait dress.
By Nathan John Alex Dunn.

[dropcap]When[/dropcap] I first started working in fashion magazines, blogging wasn’t as popular as it is now and Instagram wasn’t as widely used either.

In a way, it felt like influencers exploded overnight and starting appearing on front rows of Fashion Weeks while magazines began hiring social media strategists and experts. There’s an actual paid position for sitting on Instagram all day – madness.

Now it’s a saturated market with some great and not so great bloggers. Many use it as a way to connect and share creativity, while others see it as a quick way to get free stuff and trips. There are perks and downsides like with any job and in a bitchy circle like fashion, you have people who embrace bloggers and those who don’t. 

I started my website in between freelance work for publications like ELLE, Glamour and Harpers Bazaar. My blog was never on my CV and neither did I mention it in interviews. I relied on my experience and working my ass off which eventually lead me to a long-term position at Harpers Bazaar UK. 

It’s only when I moved over to Dubai that my blog started to pop up in conversation. When I was completing my contract at Harpers, many said that I should definitely add it to my CV as it shows entrepreneurial skills of running your own website and social media channels. You should’ve seen my red face when our Fashion Director wanted me to send her a link to my website!

So I added it to my resume and it’s something I started to get asked about in interviews. Most saw it as a plus as they want their employees to be active on social channels, we do work in the media industry after all! Others wanted to make sure that the two don’t cross over and that I don’t use my job to promote my blog, which FYI I myself am very strict about.  

I can’t confirm that my blog lead me to get two latest roles in magazines as understanding the industry and having experience speaks volumes. However, knowing my way around a website and the power of social media was definitely something that played a role in me landing a job as Online Editor, but it was mainly down to the fact that I was recommended by someone I used to work with.

Everyone now is online savvy, it comes naturally so I suggest get experience, know people in the industry, be aware that everyone can google you and be proactive. 

As always, I am more than happy to give tips and answer any questions you might have x

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