Click here to read how home goods and furniture companies are adopting AR and VR technology to enhance the customer experience.
How to get Hired as a Buyer
Welcome to our new series “Tips on Getting Hired As a …….” where we will share tips and tricks from the EB team, as well as our clients for being hired for specific positions within the fashion, home goods and beauty industries. We hope to help our candidates in knowing what hiring managers are looking for and to help hiring managers know how to narrow down their search and find that perfect candidate.
Resume Highlights
Hiring managers often look for skills that can be transferred from role to role so be sure to speak to these skills on your resume and in your interview. Examples for a Buyer role include strong negotiation and problem-solving skills.
Erin Hogue, who has worked in Merchandising for The Container Store and JC Penney and has handled the hiring of many Buyers and Assistant Buyers over the years, says she looks for “talent and past successes” that would complement the open role and then trains to the specifics of the role if needed. Since Buyers with experience in housewares can be hard to find, Hogue said “It’s not what the candidate bought previously that is important to me but more their skill level at negotiating, communication and problem solving”.
Interview Preparation
Give clear concise examples of times you have had successes as a Buyer that could translate well to the role you are interviewing for and expect to answer behavioral based questions. One question Hogue asks her Buyer candidates is to share an example of a time that they had a tough negotiation and looks for them to share what happened, how they problem solved and what the result was. Using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Result, Method) will help you be sure to give a complete answer to these types of questions.
Also, be sure to research the company you are interviewing with! This is advice we give to all of our candidates, no matter what job they are interviewing for. It shows that you are serious about the role, excited about the company, and have respect for the time of the person you are interviewing with. As a hiring manger, Hogue appreciates that prior research by the candidate “allows for the conversation to transition to what they can bring to the company and what they will learn/gain from working for your company.”
First Impressions
Researching the company will also help you decide what to wear to the interview. Buyers need to show that they have a good sense of the company’s style, as well as a strong fashion sense, and your interview outfit should reflect that. Look at a company’s social media profiles and try to reflect the look and the feel of the brand you see there.
One Last Thing
When interviewing for a Buyer position, show your passion for the brand and how your past experiences can help take that brand to the next level by shaping their collections of the future! One of the most important traits Hogue looks for in a Buyer candidate is curiosity. She feels curiosity is needed to go to the next level in buying and naturally leads to problem-solving abilities as well. Ask questions, do your research on the company, and nab that new job!
Want to read more of our tips and tricks? Click here!
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Talent Spotlight - Amy Callaway
Meet Amy, a store designer, brand storyteller, and project manager. Amy has worked in retail for more than a decade, bringing brand stories to life through in-store experiences and well curated visual designs. Working with Urban Outfitters, The North Face, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Dick’s Sporting Goods, REI, and Vail Resorts, Amy creatively designs beautiful spaces and experiences that connect with people from the moment they enter the store.
Amy has done it all, from large retail stores to pop-up shops. Amy considers every detail that goes into a successful store, from environmental design, fixtures, props, and styling, to store flow, graphics, and messaging. Adding to her successful career in retail design, Amy is a passionate leader. She created an employee resource group for The North Face and Jansport, dedicated to women’s empowerment, diversity and inclusion events.
Next up for Amy is a brand in-store experience role. She loves story-telling through visual merchandising and store design. She wants to collaborate cross-functionally to bring brands to life, engage with customers and make everyone feel like part of the experience. If you are looking for an expert who specializes in store and environmental design, with top-notch visual merchandising and project management skills, then connect with Amy here or at EMERGING BLUE.
Beauty Products at the Grocery Store
With no end in sight to the pandemic, beauty labels may need to rethink their distribution strategies. Grocery stores may be the next frontier.
Click here to read the article.
WFH Spaces That Inspire
WFH Productive Office Spaces
Whether you’re working from home, in the midst of a job search, or brushing up on your skills during this time, it’s important to recognize the value in curating and designing your personal workspace. Social distancing has presented us with the unique opportunity to establish a new space for productivity, creativity, and connection… and the home office has taken on a new sense of importance.
Follow the below links to find WFH spaces that seamlessly combine practicality with inspired design choices.
We love the article from Insider with great tips on creating the perfect WFH space.
Check out Pinterest for lots of workspace inspiration:
WFH Space from Pinterest
For Home Office Designs that will actually make you want to sit down and complete your to-do list:
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/home-offices-slideshow
However you design your workspace, take cues from the things that inspire you.
Click on tips and WFH for more ideas and staffing inspiration.
We're Hiring a Human Resources Director!
The Human Resources Director works as the strategic partner supporting the company’s business initiatives by facilitating in establishing and meeting professional, compliant, fun and people-first employment practices.
Click here to read more about the role and to apply!
Talent Spotlight - Eric Tietje
Meet Eric, a Global Product Line Manager, who loves to build product strategy and make design vision come to life. Eric has worked with The North Face, Winterstick Snowboards, Grundens, and SOG Knives & Tools. As a Senior Product Line Manager at TNF, one of his greatest achievements was building the uniforms for the Sochi Olympic Games. At Grundens, as a Global Product Director, he introduced the first commercial fishing gear for women. No doubt, Eric is passionate about technical product, teaming-up with his cross-functional partners, and exceeding business merchandising goals.
Eric has experience managing product lines for both soft and hard goods, from technical outerwear to snowboards and knives. He loves to expand brands and push their categories through R&D, innovation, and creative strategy. His expertise in defining products to help brands grow their target market is proven. His mentality is that if a project needs to get done, he is determined to accomplish it no matter what with his team.
If you are looking for a leader to drive product lines in California or Seattle, then Eric is the talent you need. Connect with Eric here or at EMERGING BLUE.
Click here to read more Talent Spotlights.
Join us for a Networking Event!
Sign-up here for the event on July 29th at 12:00 PST/3:00 EST! 👉 https://lnkd.in/dS45h5u 👈
Masks: The Greatest Fashion Accessory Right Now
These days, scrolling through Instagram feeds show endless ads for companies selling face masks. It’s as if overnight, the face mask has become the new hottest fashion accessory. It's no surprise that the protective face coverings we've been advised (and in some cases, ordered) to wear outdoors to curb the spread of coronavirus, have quickly been embraced and beautified by the fashion world. Celebrities, social media influencers, and fashion designers have been instrumental in driving product demand. Across the world, designers and retailers are enthused by the emergency existent in this space and they are making the pivot. Many are donating as many as they sell or a portion of the profits. It is estimated that the global fashion face mask market size is expected to reach USD 2.38 billion by 2027. That is a whole lot of revenue for this newest accessory that the fashion industry is jumping on.
For the consumer, face masks may still feel like an unusual addition to our daily routines because of the way they conceal the parts of ourselves that are normally exposed, but that doesn't mean our identities have to be hidden too. The cloth face mask has become a chance to make a fashion statement without compromising on personal style. Face masks have become fashion accessories, even statement pieces … it’s an entirely new form of self-expression! If people feel good about how they look in a face mask, we hope that they will be more likely to wear one. And that maybe, a dose of good design will bring people some happiness during this difficult time.
Looking for fashionable face masks to match your style? Check out these brands below that offer eye-catching and stylish face masks for all occasions.
The Little Project ( gorgeous matching scarf/mask duo as seen in above)
Mizzen+Main - Great men’s performance fabric and style-driven masks.
Mizzen+ Main
Stay safe in style with these fashionable mask options from some of our fashion clients.
To learn more about the clients Emerging Blue supports in the fashion industry click here.
We're Hiring! Sr. Designer Color & Materials: Footwear
Sr. Designer Job
W’e’re hiring a Sr. Designer of Color & Materials for a streetwear brand.
To learn more and apply, click here.
Talent Spotlight - Shannan Johnson
Meet Shannan, a born leader with knockout design skills who for the past 25 years has worked as an art director. She has creatively led teams at Pier 1 Imports, Neiman Marcus, The Bombay Company, JCPenney, The Container Store and Wisteria. Shannan excels in directing photoshoots, challenging teams to exceed expectations, concepting alone or with a team, as well as creating and executing on big ideas. She is a big believer that understanding the overall plan means fewer miss-steps that can cost the company a fortune. Not only is Shannan a highly organized and detail-oriented designer who handles stressful situations with ease, but also delivers consistently on client business strategy and marketing objectives.
What is Shannan’s secret sauce? She is a team player and leader who was born to create. Through her inspirational leadership, her team takes a vision and makes it even better to create winning marketing campaigns.
Shannan’s next move? Joining a retail team where she can let her passion and design leadership skills shine. If you’re looking for a collaborative art or creative director in the Dallas area or remotely, then Shannan is the leader you need. Connect with her here or at EMERGING BLUE.
Beauty Sites We Love: Wellness Tips To Consider Before Your Next Interview
Video Interview Beauty & Wellness
If you’re stressed out by your job search, it’s helpful to keep your personal wellness in mind. Keeping your skin healthy at home and creating a positive routine will help to alleviate stress during these uncertain times.
Combating wrinkles hardly seems important now given the global pandemic, but if you want to look your best for a Zoom interview, we love the following articles that offer tips to keep your skin glowing.
Click for more Tips about Interview Prep.
We’re Hiring: Footwear Design Director
Footwear Design Director
We’re hiring a Footwear Design Director for a great luxe streetwear brand. Interested? Learn more and apply here.
Talent Spotlight - Steve McMahon
Meet Steve McMahon: a merchandising leader with over 20 years’ experience working with performance brands such as Adidas, Nike, Under Armour, Skull Candy, Merrell and Black Diamond. Steve has created and maintained optimized product assortments and business models which lead brands toward success.
Steve is passionate about merchandising, driving products in apparel and footwear, and takes pride in having an innovation and white-space exploration mindset. Steve is consumer focused with the ability to manage cross-functional teams to create, inspire and lead them to reach their goals.
Steve lives by a team-first mentality; to work across teams, create harmony, show commitment to each person, and be fully dedicated to their success. He describes himself as a family man, and he ensures that his team knows that he spends as much attention on his work family as his home family.
For his next role, Steve is looking for a company where he can establish a unique selling position and work directly with products to drive business. If you are looking for a merchandise leader in Utah or Oregon, then Steve is the talent you need!
Connect with him here or Emerging Blue
Denim Designer - NYC Fashion Job
Fashion Staffing NYC.
We’re hiring a Denim Designer in NYC for one of our fashion brand clients. For more info and to apply, click here.