“Management accreditation will just put me one step higher”

Jess Duguid is nearing the end of her first year on the CMI Dual Accredited BA (Hons) Fashion Management course at Nottingham Trent University. While she was initially drawn to studying Fashion Management due to the creativity of the industry, Jess has also come to appreciate how essential strong leadership and strategic thinking are to making fashion work behind the scenes.

From mastering the art of crafting a visually engaging CV to taking part in real-world projects like a visual merchandising brief for John Lewis, Jess is embracing every opportunity to grow her understanding and experience.

• Read more: “I see so many fashion brands that are doing it wrong. I want to be one that does it right”

She believes the Foundation Chartered Manager status she will gain upon completing the course will help her stand out in the job market. And, with aspirations to pursue a career in marketing and eventually manage her own team, Jess is setting a solid foundation for future success. We caught up with her to find out more…

Q: What initially sparked your interest in fashion?

Jess Duguid (JD): Watching fashion shows and the Met Gala and seeing all the extravagant outfits. I just fell in love with it.

Q: And what prompted you to study the subject at university?

JD: With fashion, it’s easy to do an apprenticeship, but I did want to come to uni, meet new people, get those connections and just experience uni life. I've met some amazing people on the course and my lecturers are also incredible. They’ve given us networking opportunities and helped with practice for interviews, tailoring our CVs and making ourselves stand out for placements.

Q: Why did you choose Fashion Management, as opposed to a more design-oriented course?

JD: I wasn’t sure what area of the business I wanted to go into, and I wanted to experience all areas before I made a final decision. I’m learning so many transferable skills. So, if I don’t want to work in the fashion industry and I want to go off and do something else, I’ve still got all these business skills. So, I think it's just learning about management as a whole. And when I do learn about marketing, I also know how the product is made. I know about the supply chain. I know about sustainability and about buying and merchandising. So, it all works together.

A lot of people think management is quite a simple thing – like you just go and you tell people to do something and that’s it. But, actually, you’ve got to be able to look at your team and tailor your management style to that team. Often, I think people get promoted because they’re amazing at the job, but they’ve not actually had the experience managing people and it is a completely different skill set.