Growing up in Oak Park, Illinois, I knew very early in life that I was destined to be a girl in the luxury business field. I was going to be someone who was able to stretch her creativity, opinions, strengths, talents, and personality through something that was so dear to me. But the road to becoming a New York City fashion PR executive is no walk in the park.

The Fashion Industry is one of the most difficult industries to break into. It took me more than two years to figure out how and what I needed to do to get inside what is a billion dollar global industry. During that time I faced a number of hurdles. I started interning in the summer of 2011 and interned for a number of organizations. It wasn’t always a positive experience.

I interned for companies where executives purposely beat you down to break your spirit, tell you you’ll never succeed, and did not give you credit for your ideas and work. Fashion can be a very superficial industry. It’s always competitive. You have to make yourself necessary and have tough skin to survive. You need to keep yourself motivated and remind yourself constantly that you are important and that the industry needs you and you have something to offer. You have to do your best to ignore those that don’t believe in you and try to throw you off your game.

One of the most important things to be successful in the fashion industry is to stay current and up to date. This can be done by paying close attention to films, celebrity culture, social blogs or websites. It helps being a media junky, searching for interviews over the web by Luxury designers at least three times a week. You have to be in the know at all times when it comes to fashion and celebrity culture. Having your own unique visual eye helps too. You need to know what you like and what you don’t like.

Having knowledge in advertising is also helpful. My courses at DePaul University have taught me the good and bad in advertising. In some instances I have run into academic courses that go against fashion advertising norms and its industry vigorously. There are also many instances where people have strong negative opinions about fashion, and you need to be able to deal with these opinions and respond constructively.

Confidence and drive is key in this industry. It’s important to seek opportunities, volunteer spots, and meet people as much as you can. Chicago has so many important figures in fashion, some which are located only a few stops away from the Fullerton Red Line. Companies that you work for are also extremely important. They will give you experience in being a part of a team, and opportunities to learn what goes on inside the industry.

To be successful you also have to be prepared to prioritize the majority of your time towards you career. This means less time on your academics and social life. I can only imagine what life will be like in New York City.

I just completed an interview with a major Fashion firm in New York City and the truth is that I will most likely have no free time when I enter the world of fashion PR. Fashion PR becomes your life. You have to really want it, and dedicate your entire being to the industry if you want to make it. It’s the only way you can hone and perfect your skills.

My dedication is so strong that in the past I have traveled to Los Angeles for an internship. Soon I’ll be flying to New York to interview for a job that I have a 50/50 chance of getting. You need to hunger for success, have an entrepreneurial spirit, and the confidence to make it in what is an extremely competitive industry. These are things that cannot be instilled within you through school. Either you have it, or you don’t.