In 2009 Aliza Licht started a twitter account called DKNY PR GIRL for her employer Donna Karan. The feed was an immediate success and exploded into half a million followers. The expansive audience had an open line of communication with Aliza and over the years, she noticed the most frequently asked question on Twitter was, “How can I get a job in fashion?” Her new book Leave Your Mark is full of wisdom from how to pick a career path, to confidently answering difficult interview questions to making an internship into a full time job. If any of these topics pique your interest, read on for a few of our favorite excerpts from the book.
How Do You Know You're On The Right Path?
"You need to consider whether you're even in the right hemisphere—geographically and/or metaphorically—for what you want to do. Who says you can't have an "I'm going to be a...just kidding!" moment like I did? So what that I spent four years of college prepping for med school? Looking back at all the early warning signs, making the jump to fashion was a natural choice for me. Bottom line: It's never too late to start over. We hear stories all the time of people later in life going back to school for something completely new and different. Those stories are inspiring. If you're lucky and you're honest with yourself, you might realize that you need to make a change early on."
Photos: @dknyprgirl
How Do You Prepare For An Interview?
"Do you have an answer to the dreaded "What are your weaknesses" question? It's actually a big mistake to answer it a) with complete honesty and/or b) in a way that assumes your interviewer is a moron. "I take on too much!" is not a weakness. "I don't know how to say no!" is not a weakness. What's worse, these fake answers are insulting to the person interviewing you. So how do you handle it? Try this out for size: "I'm never sure how to answer this question—not because I'm perfect, I'm certainly not—but because I don't feel that there's anything in my skill set that would be a concern in getting this job done well. I truly believe my skills are a great match for this position."
How Do You Turn An Internship Into A Full-Time Job?
"Dress the part: The more you can dress to fit the office culture, the easier it will be for people there to visualize you as part of the team. Now, here's where you start panicking that you don't have the money to shop for new clothes. Listen: Shop thrift stores or borrow from friends. When my sister and I get bored of our closets we swap wardrobes. It feels as gratifying as shopping! If you can afford to, invest in accessories. A quality shoe or handbag is much harder to fake. When in doubt about your wardrobe, wear black."
