To be a good mentee, you must do your bit

As a rule, I insist on clarifying one thing. My career is in media, and I happen to generously cover the fashion beat. Perhaps it is why I tend to experience some measure of irritation every time someone asks me to be their mentor. It grates me, but not for reasons you might think.

Like everyone, I rub two shillings together to start a fire, and have found more often than not the word “mentor” translates into a short task for me to download my brain, slice and dice and chew it, then feed it baby-bird style.

It shows me a lack of initiative by the asker who has done no heavy lifting to figure out the slightest thing about the industry they are interested in joining. I despaired on their behalf, mine, and the world at large because initiative cannot be tapped on a young aspiring head by a fairy godmother. Even Cinderella had to really want to go to the ball.

Examples of what I have been asked ranged from a request to advice someone if they ought to quit their day job to sell mitumba, what job to take up without any indicator of skills, background, interest or training. An aside; people, passion is not a talent or skill. It is a fuel between stepping stones.

Please do not sell a passion for fashion. You require more than strong feelings to survive the bad days. There will be plenty of those.

Before asking for help, help yourself. Look around at the industry. Make a list of all the sexy-sounding jobs and careers. Then research the life out of them.

Wanting to do fashion is like setting off to visit Africa. Find a place to land your plane. Specifics are your friends. Isolate which part of the industry interests you, explore as much of it as you can. Unearth the big fish, outliers and unknowns.

So you want to be a stylist. Find out what, exactly, they do, and arm yourself with a list of names, then sit down with a huge mug of something. It is easy to be swept away by international names. Do not get distracted by the American and European market. Go local.

See how Connie Aluoch did it. Go to Instagram and see who gets name-checked. Dig out their story. These become your key mentors. Know better, pick better, be better, do better. Discover different kinds of stylists.

DREAM CAREER

But send me a one-liner asking how to be a stylist, I know you are lazy, have done zero work, and I will hit “delete”.

I cannot write 1,000 word articles for everyone who asks such questions. Not for free anyway, telling you and you alone what to do, working at your homework.

Identifying your dream career in the fashion industry is strictly your biggest and first ever job. Because once you have researched, you can segue into internship. You cannot be afraid to work your way from the bottom. Your steepest learning curve starts here. Mistakes are forgiven, resources available, and considering most parts of our industry are start-ups, there’s more opportunity than someone walking into Vogue or Dior.

Learning is as generous as your interest. This, in fact, is where you realise your career choice, whether to expand, shrink, change or abandon it. It is an industry, after all. Talent is necessary in many forms; some being created as we speak. Now you get to find out what you are good at versus what you think you want to or should do.

Obviously, you need to be up to date with fashion trends, brands and particularly the big conversations. Following personalities and fashion houses on social media counts for an education.

Aside from that, do not obsess over Instagram. Join LinkedIn. Industry leaders and CEOs are present there, making it as critical as where the pretty pictures are. Careers, job openings and job descriptions enlighten you. Do the most. The fashion industry appreciates this kind of extra. Spend more time slaying with your mind. While you are at it, find ways to share whatever insights and skills you have picked up. Compile them.

Next time you step into an interview room and someone asks for a portfolio, this collection of deeds will have appreciated into experience and purpose — not passion, but purpose — giving credibility in an industry where so many imagine they can get by. If all this makes you exhausted, never fear. Simply divert interests elsewhere. Fashion isn't your thing. No hard feelings.

You will not be missed, the universe remains in tune, and we thank you for not serving.