Ask Fashion Girl

Dear Denise:

Being a Buyer is a great career choice! In just two years, you can graduate from FIDM and launch your career doing what you love. Yes, college is expensive, but it puts you on the road to a great future with earning potential and room for growth that you wouldn't have without it, and many exciting careers aren't open to you without a specialized fashion education. For information about student loans, grants, and scholarships, check out the Affording College section of the FIDM website at www.fidm.com.

The entry-level salary for a Buyer's Assistant, which is where you would start, is the mid-twenties to the mid-thirties, depending on your background and experience. The retail corporate side of a business hires Buyers -- everyone from department stores such as Bloomingdales, Macys, and Neiman Marcus, to smaller retail chains. If you go into a store, someone on the staff of the store has"bought"the items in that store from a manufacturer. Besides deciding what the rest of us will be buying each season, Buyers often get to travel to see the season’s fashion lines.

One added advantage of attending FIDM is our Career Planning and Placement Center, which can help advanced FIDM students obtain internships in buying offices. That way you can get experience even before you graduate!

For more info on becoming a Buyer, check out the Merchandise Marketing major on the FIDM website. It’s in the Majors section. And stick to your dream of becoming a Buyer!

Sincerely, Fashion Girl