How To Get A Job In the Manchester Fashion Industry

If you’re trying to get into the Manchester fashion industry and it feels harder than it should, let me reassure you of one thing straight away: you’re not imagining it.

Manchester is full of fashion brands. Some are flying, some are quietly growing, some are still finding their feet. Jobs do exist. But they’re not always advertised clearly, and they’re definitely not handed out to people who “just love fashion”.

So let’s talk honestly about how this actually works.

First things first: what do you actually mean by “fashion”?

This might sound blunt, but it’s the question most people skip, and it matters.

When you say you want a job in fashion, do you mean:

• design or product?

• marketing or social?

• e-commerce or merchandising?

• studio support or operations?

Because Manchester brands don’t hire vague “fashion people”. They hire people who can solve a specific problem, usually in a small team, with very little hand-holding.

If I asked you today:

“What kind of role are you realistically going for?”

Could you answer it clearly?

If not, that’s where things usually fall apart.

Understand how Manchester brands actually hire

Hiring here doesn’t work like London. And that’s not a bad thing.

Manchester fashion teams are smaller. Leaner. Less layered. That means when a brand hires someone, they’re not just filling a box on an org chart, they’re adding a person who’s going to be involved in the day-to-day very quickly.

So they care about:

• whether you can muck in

• whether you understand their customer

• whether you’ll cope when things change (because they always do)

A shiny CV with big brand names doesn’t automatically win. Someone who understands the product, the pace and the culture often does.

Ask yourself:

“Could I walk into a small team and be useful within a few weeks?”

That’s the mindset Manchester brands hire for.

Proof beats potential (every single time)

Here’s an opinion I won’t sit on the fence about:

a CV on its own is not enough anymore.

I don’t care how good your degree is. If you want to work in Manchester fashion, you need proof.

That might look like:

• a portfolio of design, styling or shoots

• social accounts you’ve actually grown

• e-commerce work you’ve supported

• freelance projects

• placements, even short ones

• self-initiated work that shows effort and taste

It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be real.

If you’re waiting for someone to give you experience before you start showing what you can do, you’ll be waiting a long time.

Most Manchester fashion jobs aren’t advertised properly (or at all)

This catches people out.

A lot of roles are filled because:

• someone already knows someone

• a recruiter has a quiet brief

• a founder asks around

• someone in the team recommends a mate

So if you’re only applying through job boards and wondering why nothing’s happening, that’s part of the problem.

Are you:

• following brands properly?

• paying attention to what they post?

• building relationships over time?

• speaking to specialist recruiters, not just agencies that “do a bit of everything”?

Visibility matters here. Quietly showing up consistently beats mass-applying every time.

Your application probably needs more thought than you think

I’ll be honest, most CVs we see are generic.

Same CV. Same cover letter. Different brand name dropped in at the top.

Manchester hiring managers spot that instantly.

You don’t need to write an essay, but you do need to show you’ve:

• looked at the brand

• understood their product

• thought about why the role exists

Ask yourself:

“If I were hiring for this role, would this application feel like it was meant for us?”

If the answer’s no, tweak it.

Be realistic about how people actually get in

Not everyone walks straight into their dream role. In fact, most don’t.

Plenty of successful Manchester fashion careers start with:

• junior roles

• studio assistant jobs

• contracts

• maternity covers

• short-term fixes that turn into something longer

That’s not failure. That’s access.

Once you’re inside a brand, progression often happens faster than you expect especially in smaller teams where good people don’t go unnoticed.

Using recruiters properly

A good fashion recruiter in Manchester can help you. A bad one will waste your time.

The good ones:

• know which brands are hiring quietly

• understand team culture

• give honest feedback

• don’t shoehorn you into the wrong roles

  
  

But recruiters can only work with what you give them.

Be clear. Be open to feedback. Be realistic.

Think of recruiters as guides, not gatekeepers.

Final thought

Getting a job in the Manchester fashion industry isn’t about shouting the loudest or having the fanciest CV.

It’s about:

• knowing what you want

• showing you can do the work

• understanding how local brands operate

• and being patient without being passive

If you’re serious, Manchester will reward you, but only if you meet it halfway.

And if you’re not sure where you fit yet?

That’s usually the starting point, not the end of the road.