After having done both a research project (during field study) and an internship (during summer field study), and having talked with my classmates, maybe I can give some tips to future students to prepare your field study (seems challenging if you are not swedish!). This is not the first time I have been an intern, so the tips are built with all my previous experiences. Anyway, I hope it's useful!
1. Start thinking. Now!
If you're thinking to be an intern or making some research, think that it's a process and you need preparation. Start with the preparation a.s.a.p. Follow the steps I recommend you and you will nail it!
2. There's No Perfect Position. There's A Perfect Position FOR YOU
Any of us have different skills and interests. So the position your classmate is dreaming of may not be the one you will enjoy the most. Find what your perfect position is. How?
3. Analyse your profile
What have you studied previously? What are your interests? What do you like to do? What do you dislike? Asking someone else is a good idea: a friend, a classmate with previous experience in fashion, any of your teachers...
4. Decide the profile of your ideal position
Don't put a name to this position, just write down what tasks within a fashion company you would be interested in doing (or what tasks you wouldn't like to do). This way you would be flexible to apply to different internships.The name the company gives the person that does some tasks vary from company to company.
5. Look for internships
You can use contacts from the school (look at the board in the 4th floor), web pages such as The Business of fashion careers, www.fashionjobs.com or the web pages of the companies you would like to apply. Useful info in Sweden: it is convenient to phone the company before applying, so you assure that your CV arrives to the correct person.
6. Read carefully the internship's description
Just by reading it carefully, you can adapt your own profile to the position. You'll have to fulfil the company demands to get an interview. So if for example they are asking a person who is bilingual in English, write your Cover Letter in English.
7. Prepare a template of your Cover Letter
Use this template for your cover letters, but personalise each one as well as your CV according to the profile demanded by the brand.
8. Prepare the interview
You got an interview! Now prepare it carefully. Collect info about the brand. Prepare some questions. Prepare the answer to some questions they can make you. This way you'll arrive more relaxed to the interview.
9. If you got an interview, they're interested in you
Relax. Don't worry about your lack of experience or if you will know the answers. Make your personality shine!
10. Keep contact after the interview
Leave a good impression. This time they got a person with a better profile for the position, but maybe in the future they can call you.
11. Plan your research
If you're doing a research project, plan your research AND plan your writing. The same to write your report of the field study. In my experience, writing the results of the research has been very challenging, because you get a lot of information and then you need to reflect that in a limited length and time. I took it as a learning experience for the thesis, but anyway it was difficult.
12. Learn from everybody and have fun!
Some days I have had the feeling I learnt things no lecture would teach me. I have learnt the importance of asking question and being curious: it's in your benefit and everybody loves to talk about their work. In my experience, it can also mean to start planning your career path and goals. And of course go everyday to work with a smile: your colleagues will be a source of both knowledge and fun!
Good luck!
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