HOW TO PLAN FOR YOUR FUTURE

For the longest time, I was one of those people who found myself struggling to figure out what it was I enjoyed doing. Though there are certainly some questions lingering in the back of my mind, this semester I have made some strides in finding a definitive answer. For years, I experiment with different hobbies, including but not limited to painting, drawing, skating, piano, violin, guitar, singing, acting, sculpting, jewelry making, modeling, knitting, crocheting, soccer, basketball, gymnastics, weight training, swimming, and of course, fashion. And though try as I might, none of them lasted long enough or had the impact on me that was required for me to decide for my future. Fashion was and always will be something I care about more than anything, but when it came to my actual career, I didn't know what it was that was attractive to me. Until this past Summer, post freshman year, I began a blog. I talked about my life, fashion, art, and music, but I enjoyed most talking about recent runways and collections I had seen and sharing my thoughts on them. Thus I realized the one thing missing that I had consistently enjoyed since I learned how; to write. The more I thought about it the more invested I became in the idea, so I decided to add a minor in literature. This brings me to the decision I've landed on, becoming a fashion journalist. 

From what I have learned thus far, fashion journalists have a few different directions they can take when starting their careers. The one I would be most interested in would be the writing and reporting aspect. While fashion photography does seem interesting, and editors are certainly higher up on the pay grade, being able to write about what I see in the fashion industry and sharing my thoughts on trends, runways, and celebrity looks as my career feels the most authentic to myself, and the most attractive for the life I want to lead. A fashion writer's main priority is keeping up to date with the current climate of ‘fashion’, something I already spend a lot of time doing on my own, as well as being able to write congruently about why what we are seeing is so significant it needs an article written about it. If there is one thing I know I'm good at, it's rambling about things that could've easily been said and done in two sentences, so I think I would be perfect for that. What's more, fashion journalists as they progress in the industry are given more opportunities than just writing. Interviewing designers and influential figures can be a huge part of the job, which, as someone who also loves to talk, I would enjoy doing. The final thing that I think is most significant in the role of a fashion journalist, is their ability to collaborate. When writing about fashion, or reporting in some cases, in a publication, you are going to be surrounded by people's opinions on everything. Whether it’s what is important to report on, a designer’s choices for a collection, or a stylist’s thoughts on certain trends, journalists and reporters one true duty is working well with others, and again, as someone who has worked exclusively in customer service, sometimes in the fashion industry, I have no trouble switching on my professional persona and pleasing the people around me.

In recent years, there has objectively been a decline in the desire for printed media. Magazines are no longer what they used to be, and I'm not even 100% sure Newspapers still exist. However, reports have shown that companies are eager to hire recruits in the media and journalism field, for a variety of positions. Ideally, I want to write for one of the bigger brands, Vogue or New York Times Magazine, though I'm aware entry-level positions at companies such as those are few far and few. Vogue especially seems like it would have the most opportunity. As such a massive company, there is also massive room for employment in terms of variety, as well as massive room for growth. 

Being a fashion journalist does require a certain amount of expertise in at least one of the industries that would be the focus of my career, fashion or writing. The articles I've read state that majoring in either of them isn't necessarily “required”, though, as is the case with most jobs, having a degree to prove you know what you're talking about is highly encouraged. Me, I'm majoring in fashion and minoring in literature, which should hypothetically set me up relatively well for any future endeavors in the business. I am slightly worried that, because I'm not doing anything with journalism specifically that I won't be seen as a viable candidate, but I'm hoping that, with the next three years of writing practice, and seeing how my blog will evolve as well, it will be enough to prove my worth. Fashion journalism is not at all a non-desirable career path, and thus the industry is in no short supply of individuals like myself trying to ease their way into it. However, over my remaining years of college, I intend to put in the work to set myself up for the future I want. My goal is to be a desirable part of the industry and would like to be someone who moves around for work. Though the exact direction is unbeknownst to me now, I aim to work a good 10 years writing for a publication and slowly moving my way up. By then, I will hopefully have a good handle on what I do, at which point I would like to start easing in a more designer direction, still with a focus on journalism, I hope to be freelance, reporting on designers themselves and getting a firsthand look at their work. 

In the future, I also don't plan on having kids, and most likely won't be getting married since politicians are constantly teetering between homophobia and basic equality, and have no desire to own a large house. Because of this, I can most likely live off a lot less than the standard yearly wage. However, I do not plan on being broke anytime soon, I beat homelessness once and am not too keen on repeating those steps, so, when looking for a job, I need to keep all of this in mind. Based on reports, fashion journalists make around $40-$45,000 a year. I won't pretend to know whether that is a little or a lot, growing up we had none so my perspective is somewhat skewed, however, I did research a little bit, and it seems like that is the standard wage for entry-level jobs or jobs acquired by college graduates. However, as one progresses, as well as depending on location, the wage may vary. Editors can make $50-$55,000 a year, racking in about $25.50 an hour. However, the same jobs in Europe are seen as substantially more desirable roles, with the same job earning anywhere between €56,796 and €99,905, or $67,477.68 to $11,8694.23 in US currency.

The good thing about a job like this is that I already feel comfortable with it. I've had my writing graded and analyzed for the past 10 years, can function in a fast-paced environment I believe I can function better in fast-paced environments, have ample experience in social roles, and grew up idolizing celebrities and their styles. Another good thing is accessibility. At this point, most magazine publishers also have publications available online, allowing people like myself to easily see the material I would also have to produce. However, the negatives begin to arise when I sit and think about the realistic side of my aspirations. This is a highly overpopulated industry, and especially within my generation, I worry that what I bring to the table will already be met. Hopefully, where I move will heavily impact this, and allow my skills to be something more desirable than if I ended up somewhere like New York or Los Angeles. 

Given the amount of time I've already spent thinking about it, I'm fairly confident in my decision to go in this direction. What's interesting is the only thing Im uncertain about is whether or not I want to be fashion-focused, if I'm not designing I'm pretty much wasting my degree anyway so I may as well just do the writing. However, I think in the long run I will thoroughly enjoy writing about fashion, especially if I get to do it somewhere I like, like Vogue, and write interesting articles rather than the over-exposed tabloids everyone on Earth has had enough of. But I think the industry has a lot to offer, and I have a lot to give, so I'm very excited to see where the next decade takes me.