There are two types of jobs in the apparel industry: pre-retail and retail. Design, manufacturing, and wholesale jobs are all examples of pre-retail jobs. Jobs in retail include merchandising, retail development, and sales. These positions exist within a corporate framework that includes traditional executive positions to support the operation of clothing businesses.
Consumers often associate the apparel industry as a whole with the experiences they have while shopping in a store. The apparel industry is much larger than the part of the sales process with which consumers are most familiar. Jobs in this industry are quite varied, and they cater to a wide range of educational backgrounds, skill sets, and interests. Because the apparel industry frequently operates across international borders, the opportunities available before the clothing reaches a retail market may be greater than anticipated.
Many jobs in the apparel industry are driven by the pre-retail process, which includes clothing design. Fashion is a term used to describe certain types of clothing design. Although the fashion industry is a subset of the overall apparel industry, it can have its own workforce. Regardless of whether a person is looking for work in either industry, the types of positions available are determined by artistic design talent. At the management, associate, and assistant levels, there are also support positions available.
Pattern-making, sewing, machine operation, and quality control are all jobs created by manufacturing in the apparel industry. To take advantage of low-cost labor, many clothing manufacturers have assembly plants in third-world countries. While line manufacturing positions are unlikely to be available to the average person, all executive positions supporting an offshore manufacturing operation would be.
Jobs in the apparel industry at the wholesale level involve selling clothing lines to retail chains. Jobs in this field include buying and selling agents, as well as sales and executive positions that develop markets for a company’s products. Companies can also outsource this process to a third-party specialist, so there are job opportunities outside of the apparel industry as well.
Jobs in the apparel industry shift from focusing on the production process to focusing on the customer once merchandise is placed in a retail environment. Jobs at this stage in the retail process range from sales associate to retail store general manager, and are familiar to most consumers. There are corporate positions that support retail operations in addition to positions at individual stores. Product selection, marketing, and merchandising are just a few of the business processes that affect the entire retail operation.