About me
As an English Language and Literature graduate from the University of Birmingham, I am keen to begin a career in the field of fashion journalism. Undoubtedly, my degree has attributed me with many grammatical and creative skills which would benefit a journalistic role as I value my creativity and try to implement it into my ideas and writing. It also equipped me with editorial skills as my course prioritised peer assessments and proof-reading as part of the assessment criteria. During my time at university I took on the role of a lifestyle and fashion contributor for the university newspaper which was produced both digitally and in print. This involved attending weekly editor meetings where we brainstormed potential stories/articles and then shortlisted them before distributing them out. I was also in charge of designing a weekly double spread based on the latest trends. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the newspaper as it taught me discipline and how to work most effectively to tight deadlines. As I wrote articles for both lifestyle and fashion this required me to adopt different approaches when writing these articles.
Last year, I also did work experience at my local newspaper 'Express and Star' where I shadowed journalists visiting court to report on local crimes and contacting various people with regards to sourcing stories and having my own articles published. Using my initiative and working as part of a large team in a fast-paced environment is where I flourish. It also encouraged me to start my own fashion and lifestyle blog which I am beginning to get off the ground using Blogger and it will focus on fashion and beauty tips as well as other lifestyle segments such as life as a university student and self-help advice. I am keen to express my own ideas and I feel I would provide a new dynamic to a company with my creativity and enigmatic personality.
Having worked in retail alongside studying for the past 5 years, I have a strong passion for the fashion industry and gained a deep knowledge of the visual aspect of retail. I have also gained exceptional customer service skills which have enabled me to progress to a team leader position in my current job role. This requires me to manage the floor as a duty manager, delegate job roles as well as selling store Mastercard's to customers by talking them through credit limits, discussing the pros of taking on a credit card and the benefits that come with it. I pride myself as a very confident person who thrives working under pressure as I often have to work to tight deadlines to reach weekly KPI targets. It also taught me how to prioritise and balance out a heavy workload to accommodate equal time to both work and my studies. I also work alongside my stores visual merchandisers which requires me to have strong brand knowledge of trends and weekly figures as well as styling the mannequins and ensuring all graphics are visible and working most effectively in store. I currently run the stores social media platforms by modelling the latest trends and uploading pictures onto Instagram, showcasing the current trends and any promotions we have in store.
Outside of work I pursue my love for fashion through influence work on social media where I work alongside small, upcoming fashion brands and promote their products on social media platforms such as Instagram and 21 Buttons. This has allowed me to build up positive relationships with brands and by offering representation and exposure for these brands, this has boosted my social media presence and made me more aware of the most effective ways of promoting online to a specific target audience. I am a quick learner who adapts well to new challenges so I still feel I could be an asset to your business and it would be a great opportunity as I begin my career journey. Also, building relationships and continuing loyalty from other affiliates would be where I would flourish following my experience in sales, paired with my confident personality.
Skills
Customer Services, Sales, Visual Merchandising