How to Find Your First Job in the Luxury Industry

Informational interviews can be incredibly intimidating, but they’re a great way to network. Scour LinkedIn for professionals in top jobs you have some connection with, no matter how loose and try to arrange a meeting. Alumni of the same university can be a good place to start.

Drop them a short message along the lines of “I noticed we studied at the same university. I really admire your career and would love to pick your brain about your experience.” Remember: no matter how awkward it might make you feel to email a complete stranger for career advice, people love to talk about themselves and are usually quite happy to help somebody else out.

You don’t need to sift through pages of dry industry reports to stay on top of luxury trends and forecasts. Head to a local high-end store or hotel, depending on your area of interest, and do a little investigative sniffing around of your own.

Speak to shop assistants and customers and try to get a sense of where the industry is headed and what customers expect. Make up your mind on what you think is working and what isn’t.

You probably have a dream brand or job title in mind, but don’t let too narrow a focus hold you back. If a luxury industry role isn’t quite what you’re looking for - because it’s a lower pay grade than you were hoping for or the brand doesn’t have global appeal - think of it as a learning opportunity or a stepping stone.

Despite the glam, the luxury industry is just like any other sector, and every business needs operations managers, product developers, merchandisers, HR professionals, accountants and so on. To manage a global luxury brand, you would need a sense of how a company operates so you’re able to work with any business or marketing expert.

This is where business schools come in. emlyon business school’s 16-month Master’s program in luxury management and marketing, for example, would take you to Paris, London or New York and Shanghai to learn the basics of management, with an option to specialize in the fashion and lifestyle industry or luxury design.

Run with Parsons School of Design at The New School in New York City and the London College of Fashion, the Master’s program also features a mandatory four to six month internship to help you maximise your chances of employment.  

Chat with an emlyon business school student ambassador and find out what the course is actually like.