Career Advice
5 Tips to Develop a Career in the Textile Industry
The polo shirt you love, the wedding dress your mom owns, the rug in your old home, and the curtains in your office all come from the vast textile industry. The textile industry is complex and ever-growing. It is a web of interrelated professions with people working day and night. Talking about how big it is, the US textile industry in 2018 alone, brought $28 billion in export value so it’s big and offers big opportunities.
What does the textile industry do and who works for it?
The textile industry is mainly responsible for producing, processing, and distributing fabrics that can be used for interior designing, fashion designing, everyday use, etc. The fabric can be natural or artificial giving customers a great variety to choose from.
People working in this field include but are not limited to:
Ever wonder how you can make a career in the textile industry? If so, you are in luck because in this article we bring to you 5 useful tips to help you grow and possibly flourish in this business.
- Textile technologists
- Fashion, textile, product, and interior designers
- Stylists
- Graphic designers
- Visual merchandiser
- Engineers
- Accountants
- Photographers
- Sales and marketing agents
- Management and public relation professionals
- Manufacturers etc.
5 Tips for a great career in the textile industry
For a successful career in any field, one needs to know the dynamics and how it varies with time. While certain factors change some things are always gold.
1. Get a professional degree or course
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2019, higher education can help you get higher pay rates and decrease your chances of unemployment. Although many jobs might not require your degree, it can still benefit you in many ways. A course, diploma, or degree can add reliability to your overall profile and equip you with the tools and skills that can give you an edge.
You will interact with experts, know the history and the present strategies and ultimately get a clear picture of how to align your skills with your dream job.
2. Work on networking
As described in the last point a degree or course can help you build networking skills but why does it matter? Well, whether you are working as an employee or have your own company getting to know people is always fruitful.
Through socializing you know better which people can be contacted in what situations, where you can learn new skills, which people to consult with, and how to collaborate to grow your own brand. Working together always helps.
3. Work experience
While gaining work experience before getting a job is a problem, it's important to know some basics before you appear for your first interview. Try getting into internships (paid is recommended) and try to understand how people are working in the actual field. Imagine if you are working as an employee and acting as responsibly as possible.
Take the most out of your internship or project and once that’s done you can apply for jobs confidently or maybe even get offered a job at the place where you are doing the internship. In both cases, it’s great to develop and prepare yourself for the struggles that await you.
4. Great portfolio
A portfolio, resume, and CV are powerful tools to get the message across. Many companies check these before inviting you for an interview so your first impression needs to be the best. Always keep your CV, resume, and portfolio updated, and keep reaching out to professionals who will guide you. It’s an art but with time you can nail it.
5. Be as innovative as possible
The textile industry is filled with the most creative minds of all time. New trends arrive frequently and keeping up with them is pretty hard. If you can bring innovation to your work to solve problems, are an out-of-the-box thinker, like taking risks, and are imaginative enough, then you have a great chance to prosper in this area.
Conclusion
In this article, we went through the role of the textile industry, the people who are a part of it, and how you, can be a valuable member too. The tips in this article are just a start and for your reference. You can add more flowers to your basket with more research.
Just follow what suits you the most and design your career yourself. Most importantly if you feel like it’s your passion then with the right planning and hard work you are good to go.
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