UPDATED: Job Hunting in Visual Merchandising

UPDATE (3.19.12): I received an email  from an actual visual merchandiser who works for Macy’s.  She offers some insight on working there.  

“…just a short comment about getting a visual job at Macy’s.  I have worked in Macy’s visual for many, many years.  Nowadays I would assume getting a visual position at Macy’s would be quite easy.  Every display is plan-o-grammed.  Pictures are sent to show how the display is rendered, even outfit descriptions.  Windows are sent out now as window packets, so each Macy’s with windows will look the same.  For me, as you could imagine, this is heartbreaking.  All of the individual creativity is vanishing, but for newcomers it is all very easy.  Look at the picture, take it out of the box, and install.  The best assets for a visual manager are organizing skills, floor layout skills, and computer skills.  Hope this give you a bit of insight!”

Thanks Julie for writing in, it’s great to get feedback from someone who is “in the field”. 

 

[First published on 3.14.12]

This week in class the question came up on whether or not a portfolio was necessary when applying for a visual merchandising job.  This also seems to be the question I get asked a lot by readers.  Instead of trying to answer everyone back individually, I decided to post my answer to a recent email:

Hello!

I came across your blog doing some background research on Visual Merchandising and was overjoyed by the insight you provided.

A little background, I’m a 25-year-old post grad with a degree in Communications but I was hired as a seasonal Brand Specialist for Calvin Klein than after Xmas I have been working as a part-time Merchandiser. I work at a very large (4.5 floors) Macy’s store.  I fell in love with merchandising at Macy’s. Getting to work a 5am and placing the merchandise on the floor, following plan-o-grams, building new shelves and fixtures, paying attention to fabrics and colors, etc. I love the hard work that goes into being a merchandiser.

Well, I applied for a Full Time Visual Merchandiser position at a different Macy’s and they want to interview me!
I do have a minor in Theatre Arts and I built the sets, props and wired the lighting for my University’s performances, so I have no problem using tools and getting dirty.

I do not have “Visual” portfolio to show in my interview and I’m wondering how bad that would look? I know they would have to train me in visuals but I’m not sure if Macy’s wants someone who they have to train so I’m a little nervous. Do visual associates at large retail department stores all require some training?

My reply:

Wow your question is right on time, as we just discussed this in my class. I have a student who is also interested in applying for a job at Macy’s with no portfolio.

Unfortunately it does not bode well for you. When I worked for Macy’s, I applied twice because the first time I did not have a portfolio of my work even though I had a lot of experience doing displays, but the guy who beat me out for the job had pictures of his work as a furniture designer.

My point is – even though you may not have display pictures to show, bring what you can. Anything that shows your creativity, shows you understand color, shows you understand balance and symmetry. I tell my students, jobs in other creative fields like flower arranging, photography, event planning, graphic design, etc….are skills that are all transferable to doing visual merchandising.

Your background in theater is HUGE – that’s exactly what display is – building little sets ;)! Hopefully you have some pictures of some of the plays you worked on and can tell the interviewer about the backgrounds you painted, the props you coordinated, and the actors you helped with costumes: backgrounds, props, and mannequins is what we do!

Talk up your hands-on experience in theater and what you do for them now, show pictures of your creativity in any aspect and you should do fine.

If by chance things don’t work out, and you still really want to do visuals, then apply again in October when they start hiring extra help for Christmas. That’s how I got in – as a trimmer for all those trees, garlands, and banners that needed to be hung! Once I got in I was able to prove myself to the boss, and it turned out I was the only Christmas hire they kept once the season was over!

I hope this was helpful.

Wishing you the best on Wednesday,
Arcadia

PS: The training – you will get training on the store standards only, you are expected to be creative and artistic already (and a quick thinker and good problem solver)!

Another reader wrote in asking about learning our trade when you live in a place whose schools do not offer visual merchandising classes:

Hello!

I came across your wonderful blog while trying to find some visual merchandising classes in the great Midwest. I am in Minnesota, and I looked through all of the courses at CCSF, and I would DIE if I could find something accessible to me here in MN like the fashion classes they offer there! (Or even if they were offered online!) Do they ever offer weekend seminars or classes?

I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Design and Merchandising, but I never learned anything visual, or any styling tricks. Do you have any resources that may help me out? I’ve recently taken some Interior Design classes, but I am also not really learning any styling skills there. I really want to break into the industry and be creative again, it’s been a few years! I would greatly appreciate any advice you can give, even if it is a book recommendation!

Thank you for your time.

My reply:

I did do a post on fashion schools on my blog, and I tried to focus on programs that have a visual merchandising program.  Take a look at that and see if there is something offered that is not too far from MN.

I’m surprised your fashion merchandising degree didn’t require a class in visual merchandising or visual communications, as it’s a required class in order to complete our degree program.

The textbook I teach from is Tony Morgan’s, Visual Merchandising: Windows and In-Store Displays for Retail. It’s an easy to read book that offers the subject in the most practical and layman terms. The author is British, so a lot of the examples tend to be European stores as well as some of the store standards, but I’ve found much of the book is what I’ve done in my career as well.

I know the Academy of Art University, which offers an entire degree in Visuals uses Silent Selling, by Judith Bell and Kate Ternus, as one of their textbooks. This is a textbook in the truest sense of the word! If you must teach yourself then this is the book to use.

You can’t go wrong with any book by Martin Pegler, our “godfather of display”. I have copy of his latest book which I’m still trying to get through! It’s loaded with lots of information. I also interviewed him on the blog too.

The best way to learn our trade is to find a job in display. Start with a small chain store, you’ll learn a lot more as they offer training on visual standards for their stores, and you’ll learn fast as floor sets are constantly changing.

Every time you go out to any establishment, pay attention to what you see. That’s another way to teach yourself. The store study assignment I give my students is not just to keep them busy, it’s to start training their eye. The 10 questions they must answer is what we as display people do, and pay attention to in our daily jobs (the questions are on the blog as well).

I hope some of this was helpful. I am happy to answer any more of your questions.

Dear Readers:

Keep the questions coming!  I will try my best to answer them as quickly as I can, and if they have a broad appeal such as the two above I will post them to the blog, so everyone can benefit.  If you have some advice to share please post in the comments or send to me. Thanks!

Websites for Virtual Mood Boards

A few weeks ago there was a homework assignment on creating your inspiration file.  Many students pulled tearsheets from magazines, a few did show me on their iPads, things they have found in the virtual world.

This got me thinking….I wonder if my students even know of some of the websites that you can”bookmark” things that pique your interest.  I remember asking my class about Polyvore and only a few students raised their hands!

There are a few websites out that allow you to post anything and everything you find on the web in a space you create.  For instance, there’s Pinterest which has become very popular!  You “pin” what you like to your boards.  You can organize your boards by topic, depending on what you are collecting: recipes, home decor, fashion, cars, art, architecture, DIY, you get my drift.

Like Pinterest, there’s Fancy.  Which could best be explained as the high-end version of Pinterest.  Most people “fancy” things that are considered luxury items.

There’s also We ♥ It.  Another place to create your own inspiration gallery.

Someone sent me a link to follow them on Currently Obsessed, this looks more like it’s strictly fashion, but still fun to peruse.

I’m sure there are many more sites like these out there but these are the ones I’m most familiar with, as I’m just now starting to use them myself !

If you use of any these sites let me know in the comments and I will follow you!

The Field Trip

As a class we recently went on a field trip to the Westfield Mall located right next door to our campus.  Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom are the anchor stores and various retail brands are throughout the mall.  The students were given a set of questions to answer, based on their findings at the mall.  It was kind of a scavenger hunt!  I thought this would be a fun way to get out of the classroom for a day and see actual visual techniques “in action”.  Below are some of their findings:

1. Choose one window you believe to be the most effective.  Explain why.

The Louis Vuitton display outside of the mall entrance of Bloomingdale’s. Its simply eye-catching, and aptly illustrates that an LV bag is the cherry on top of life’s sweetest dessert. -Cindy L.

2.  Choose one window you believe to be the least effective.  Explain why.

This window is not effective because the colors in the background are too distracting, and they overshadow the product. The space in the window is not well used; they could have filled it with merchandise in a more pleasing way. The layout chosen to display the books is boring and expected. -Cynthia T.

The window that I found to be least effective was the MANGO window. Coming up from the escalator, the first thing that I noticed was the corner window cut straight through the mannequins body and face.  The colors were very drab and come to think of it, there wasn’t any color at all.  However, walking across the front of the store, you can clearly see the colors in the store are a lot brighter than from front, plain view. Colors like peach, tangerine, and hot pinks pop through the horrible displays blocking the windows. – Brandi M.

3. Name a store that featured Color Blocking – Horizontal Merchandising – Product Merchandising

J.Crew featured all three – Brandi M.

 

4.  Name a store that features a “trend area”.

Bloomingdale’s makes use of trend areas to advertise what is new in the store.  Like an editorial in a magazine, trend areas showcase the season’s must haves. -Cynthia T.

5. Name a store that uses printed graphics.

I found this one myself.  It’s Bath and Body.  Printed graphics are a cheap and easy way to decorate your windows.

Students also were asked to name a store that creates ambience with music or scent.  Hands down the clear winners were Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister.  If you live in the US, all you have to do is just walk by one of these stores, you don’t even have to go in,  and you can smell that strong perfume wafting out!  I hear from my students who have worked there that customers complain all the time, but for some odd reason they won’t change their rule on spraying the store every 30 minutes!

These are some of the techniques I have been lecturing about in class:

• Color Blocking
• Horizontal/Vertical/Product Merchandising
•  Trend Areas
• POP (point-of-purchase)
• Store Ambience

Feel free to ask questions if you need more assistance…..see you in class!