Find a Textile Job Internship

Find a Textile Job Internship

Find a Textile Job Internship : Multi-thousand tips to make your life easier.

Finding an internship in the textile industry depends largely on where you are in the United States. However, if you live in Los Angeles or New York City—essentially the closest places to a fashion mecca you can get—you definitely must find an internship as a textile buyer or any job that lets you see how fabrics are chosen from among many.

Here's how to find an internship in the textile industry:

If you do not live in Los Angeles or New York, move. You have to get closer to where the jobs are so you can land an internship at a really good textile company.

If you'd rather stay where you are, that's your decision. If your stubborn streak tells you that you can find an internship program right at home, then go to your school's career counselor and state your purpose. She might suggest a few options to start your search.

Go online and Google the American Textile History Museum (ATHM). The ATHM has an ongoing internship program for aspiring designers and retail merchandisers. However, it is unpaid. You will definitely do it not for the money but for the portfolio and experience. To learn more, visit the ATHM website at athm.org. You can also find ATHM on Facebook and Twitter.

Intern at your local department store, textile store, or bridal store. Or anywhere else that sells clothes and fabrics. This could be your indirect entry into textile manufacturing. Speak with the in-house designers and offer your help as an intern. You might or might not get paid, so you must be financially prepared to support yourself during your internship.

Actively seek out textile events and fairs. These are great places to look for internships. At a huge gathering such as an annual event or fair, you can be sure to find many textile manufacturers to talk to and discuss prospects with. Look for announcements online at the Textile Society of America (textilesociety.org) or in newspapers and trade magazines.

Join a reality show. You might think this is a kooky idea, but reality shows featuring aspiring models, designers, and fashion editors are big on TV—ANTM, Project Runway, The Fashion Show, Running in Heels, to name a few. Pick one, write an application letter, and send in an audition tape. Who knows what will happen? Things might swing in your favor yet.

Add these fantastic websites to your list as your search continues. As mentioned, finding a place to start your internship program might not be easy, but as long as you keep searching, your chances will improve. Here are more websites to add to your list (and you really should look at them because they will help immensely):

• parsonscareerservices.blogspot.com
• itaaonline.org
• fibre2fashion.com
• textilearts.net
• just-style.com
• alloverprint.blogspot.com
• umbrellabella.blogspot.com

It is going to be a steep climb, but it is never easy because you have chosen a profession that is not as accessible as others. Do not be discouraged; it will pay off in the end. Immerse yourself in the search, and soon you will find yourself wearing nothing less than Gucci prints while interning for a fabulous textile house.