This past week at WayUp’s Office Hours panel on art and design careers, five influential young professionals spilled their secrets to building long-lasting careers in creative fields that are notoriously hard to break into and even harder to stay in.

One of the biggest takeaways over the course of the event was the importance and influence of “side hustles” in creating a robust career, especially if you want to work in a creative industry. What’s a side hustle? At its core, it’s another smaller job that provides flexible hours and can fit around a more full-time gig, and when it comes to working on the side, our panelists have done (and continue to do) it all: Run pop-up art shows, put on large-scale art exhibitions and design wedding invitations, all in the name of passion projects.

But aside from the obvious financial benefit, you may be wondering what can be so great about taking on a side gig in addition to your full-time work. After all, that means less free time for you and could also mean less brainpower going towards your actual job.

However, having a side hustle can actually do wonders for your career in addition to putting a little extra cash in your pocket. Here are the top 3 reasons why that passion project is totally worth it.

1. You’ll Have a Creative (or Just Different) Outlet

Regardless of the industry you go into, it’s common to get stuck in a rut and feel like you’re doing the same work day in and day out. Even if you love your job overall, you’re not immune to that feeling of restlessness.

This is where a side hustle comes in handy. If you feel like something’s missing from your full-time gig, nothing’s stopping you from pursuing other passions before and after work or on the weekends. We’re living in the generation of the side hustle, so why not take advantage of that moment?

When she started her project Culture Island, artist and writer Sara Radin felt like she got a level of autonomy that was missing from her full-time job. “I felt like I was able to create something I had full control over,” she said. “All of this personal development and growth has stemmed from me taking to the initiative to do side projects and have passions outside of my job. That’s really what keeps me going.”

But Radin also highlights that as the old saying (kind of) goes, with great passion projects comes great responsibility.

One important consideration when taking on a side hustle? Radin says to see how your company feels about it first to make sure there are no surprises down the road, or if you’re job searching and also looking at working on a side gig, make sure you’re asking potential employers questions pertaining to how they feel about colleagues taking on passion projects or other initiatives outside of the office.

How do you broach the subject? Ask one of the following questions during job interviews:

• “What sort of activities or passion projects do people here work on outside the office?”
• “Do you see employees having other hobbies or passion projects outside of work as an advantage or a disadvantage to their jobs?”
• “What are some of your hobbies and other interests outside of your work?”

The bottom line is that you should aim to be as transparent as possible if you’re taking on outside work.

2. You’ll Be a More Competitive Job Applicant

When you’re applying to jobs, especially when you’re at the start of your career, other applicants could have more experience in your particular field, but if you bring more skill sets to the table and have a unique perspective on how things can be done, you’re sure to stand out from the crowd and be seen as a valuable potential hire.

Plus, by taking it upon yourself to learn other skills and push beyond your comfort zone, you’re showing hiring managers that you’re ready and willing to keep expanding your knowledge even when you’re on the job. Who wouldn’t want to hire a self-motivated person like that?

3. You’ll Apply Your Side Gig Knowledge to Your Full-Time Gig

What you learn from your passion project or side hustle can definitely help you in whatever your main role is.

For example, given her history of working in the art world and other design projects, Sara Radin organized several art-centric employee events when she was at Converse. Coworkers could decorate their favorite pair of Chucks or go on a field trip to art fairs, and it helped give her cred during her time at the company.

Or, if you’re moonlighting as a graphic designer, for example, the day might come when your boss asks you to help design a social media campaign, putting your underground skills front and center. Becoming that clutch employee who can help in a variety of situations immediately makes you an MVP, and that only furthers the opportunities that come your way.

Side gigs are all the rage nowadays, and taking one on could mean serious business for your career. Plus, you never know: Your side hustle might turn into your full-time hustle someday.

Want to get more career wisdom from influential young professionals? Check out our Office Hours events this summer, taking place in New York City and Washington D.C.

The post 3 Reasons Why Side Hustles Are Game-Changing for Your Career appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

When people think about the fashion industry, they conjure up images of rifling through clothing racks all day or acting out a scene from the movie The Devil Wears Prada, but for Rag & Bone Senior Account Executive and WayUp Office Hours panelist Christina Holody, her days working in fashion look very different.

In her role, Holody works with buyers from places like Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus to help place Rag & Bone collections in their stores.

“The truth is, today I had a major breakthrough on Microsoft Excel,” she says with a laugh. “On the day to day, I’m looking at data and analyzing it. It’s taking the sales reports you get from partners and [figuring out] how to capitalize on next season [based on] what’s happening this season.”

Despite her success, Holody will tell you that she never saw herself going into the world of fashion when she was younger. After majoring in journalism in college and getting into the prestigious NBC Page Program (which only accepts 1.5% of applicants!), she left after two months of the year-long gig to become the assistant to the president of Diane von Furstenberg (DVF) after a friend told her about the opportunity.

Why take such a huge leap of faith in a notoriously tough industry? Holody lives and breathes by an important career mantra: “The biggest reason why people don’t get to where they want to go is because they don’t take a risk.”

Holody took a pretty hefty gamble, but she worked hard to make sure it paid off. After two years as an assistant, Holody was able to transition into an account executive role on DVF’s sales team, one that she greatly enjoyed. “I loved communicating with people. I loved being on the phone all day,” she recalls. “I loved getting in the nitty gritty; it’s all about numbers. I love numbers and analytics.”

Holody was eventually able to work her way up to Senior Account Executive at the storied fashion brand before leaving for Rag & Bone after four years at DVF.

To some, it might be mind-boggling to leave NBC to be an assistant. But Holody knows she made the right choice, and in addition to her strong belief in risk-taking, she has other stellar advice for young people in similar straits.

“I think [it’s] super important, especially when you’re in a creative industry, to have an open mind,” she says. “I grew up in Michigan; there’s no such thing as fashion there. You think you have to be a designer or you have to be super creative and be able to sketch; I have none of those skills!”

There are plenty of ways to be in the world of fashion without actually creating clothes; in fact, Holody points out, many of the roles in the industry with the biggest impact are those behind the scenes. “If you want think about what [you] can do in fashion and make a huge impact, in sales you have that ability,” she explains. “You get to say, ‘This is what [the design team] has given me, where am I going to put it?’ So when I say, ‘You’re going to see it in Saks [Fifth Avenue], you’re going to see it in [the Saks] in Michigan, in L.A., in Florida. [Shoppers are] all going to see what I decided is going to be in Saks from rag & bone. That’s cool!”

And for recent grads, she says there’s no better time to take the metaphorical plunge: “If you’re in a place where you can take a risk and you’re 21 years old and just graduated from college, just be open to it. Just try. Go in and meet somebody. Make every connection you can. Don’t turn away from anything.”

We couldn’t agree with her more.

Want more sage wisdom from influential young professionals? Check out the rest of our can’t-miss Summer 2016 Office Hours events in New York City and Washington D.C.

The post A Former NBC Page and DVF Assistant Gives Her Biggest Tip for Breaking Into Any Creative Industry appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

This past Wednesday, June 22, we hosted our first Office Hours event of 2016 with a focus on the fashion industry. We brought in four impressive panelists to give us the lowdown on everything college students and recent grads need to know to succeed in fashion careers.

There was a lot of great advice over the course of the 90-minute event (you can watch the full conversation on our Facebook page!), but here were our favorite tidbits of wisdom every college student and recent grad can take to the bank.

1. Network, Network, Network (But Be Kind to Everyone)

Like many industries, fashion is a small world. Whether you’re a buyer for a major brand, a designer, a fashion and beauty influencer or an account executive for a label, chances are you’re running into the same people over and over again.

“It’s a really, really small world,” says YouTube influencer and TODAY Show correspondent Deepica Mutyala. “You have to be ‘on’ at all times, because you could be at an event with somebody and not realize that they know somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody. Everybody knows somebody!”

Mutyala also preaches the importance of never being afraid to network, and she knows what she’s talking about: She saw The Honest Company co-founder and famous actress Jessica Alba at a hotel lobby bar and found the courage to go up and say hi. After having a nice conversation, Alba actually ended up personally inviting her to a private dinner several weeks later.

Her tip for making those cold pitches easier? Don’t think about how someone could help you. Instead, “think about what you can do to benefit that person.”

2. Find Creative Ways to Take Initiative

One of the hardest things about getting your start in the fashion industry is working for potentially working for a boss who’s busy all the time. One audience member asked our panelists how to find work to do in the office when your boss just isn’t giving you much.

First and foremost, don’t shy away from work that doesn’t seem the most exciting or brag-worthy. “You’ve got to work the long hours, you’ve got to get the coffee, you’ve got to make the copies,” explains Christina Holody, a senior account executive at Rag & Bone. “The stuff that isn’t fun is what will make you noticeable to your manager or to the person you want to promote you.”

Second, don’t be afraid to ask for work from others at your job if it looks like your boss doesn’t need your help or just isn’t around. “See who else is in the office who’s equal to your supervisor or slightly junior and ask them what’s something they need taken off of their plate,” Rachel Abeles explains. “When you’re interning, you’re not just proving yourself to your direct boss, but to the company. The biggest thing is showing that you’re resourceful.”

Fashion designer Becca McCharen also adds that it’s important for her to find interns who can be mature and figure things out on their own. If your boss tells you to deliver a sample, for example, you should be able to figure out the cross streets, where you’re going and whom to talk to without your boss having to spell out everything for you.

3. Don’t Feel Pressured to Start Your Own Business Right Off the Bat

People might look at fashion designer Becca McCharen and think that she has it all together: Her fashion line, Chromat, has been worn by the likes of Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj and Beyonce in recent years. She’s worked with huge companies to create wearable tech. Her designs are being talked about on some of the biggest fashion sites like Fashionista and ELLE.

However, McCharen wishes that before taking the plunge herself she’d been able to work under others in the industry to learn the ins and outs of constructing clothes and building a business.

“I think people who go straight from school to starting their own label have so much more to learn,” McCharen says. “It would be so good to see how other people run their companies. For me, I’ve been making it up the whole time and flying by the seat of my pants. I would’ve loved the opportunity to work for others in this specific industry.”

In fashion, you may feel pressured to do your own thing or showcase your own point of view. While working for yourself can be liberating in many ways, it can also be stressful and overwhelming to start without a foundation.

4. Your College Major Won’t Make or Break Your Fashion Career

Want to go into fashion but didn’t major in design, merchandising or textiles? Don’t sweat it. And if you majored in any of those fields but still feel unprepared, you’re totally fine.

All four of our panelists didn’t exactly know that they wanted to go into fashion from a young age, and they found that the classroom didn’t necessarily prepare them for the careers they have today.

“College for me was more about the experience and learning how to make a connection and learning how to stand out when you’re in a group of 200 freshmen in an intro class. I use those skills every day,” explains Holody. “Was [a] broadcast journalism [major] a direct correlation to what I do every single day now? No. Is communication a part of every single thing I do every day? 100%.”

If you’re worried that you won’t be ready for day-to-day life in the fashion industry because of your major, don’t sweat it.

“The biggest thing [I learned] is that college isn’t going to train you to do whatever job you end up in; it’s an experience to help you grow up,” explains Abeles. “The only things you need to be prepared to enter the workforce [are] to be driven and to be passionate and to be inquisitive. As long as you are willing to learn and put in the time, you will learn whatever you need to when you’re on the job.”

5. Be Persistent

Towards the end of our panel, one audience member asked how to stay positive when you’re doing everything right in the job search but just not landing any roles. The biggest piece of advice our four young professionals could give? Be persistent, and don’t be afraid to ask for feedback.

If you get a rejection letter, that doesn’t have to be the end of your interaction with a potential employer. “When you do get to speak in these follow-up situations if certain things don’t pan out, it’s not inappropriate to ask for feedback,” Abeles says.

By asking a potential employer what they thought of your resume, cover letter, portfolio or interview, you’ll be able to get valuable advice for fixing or tweaking things you might not have even been aware of.

By taking just a few of these helpful tidbits, we hope you’ll feel more confident applying for fashion jobs and heading into the industry in the future.

Want to get more career wisdom from influential young professionals? Check out our Office Hours events this summer, taking place in New York City and Washington D.C.

The post 4 Fashion Insiders Give Their 5 Tips for Starting Out in One of the World’s Toughest Industries appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.