Did you know that there are many career options for trained and certified personal stylists other than simply owning a personal stylist business? It's true! The skills that you learned in your online personal stylist course or at fashion school can actually help you to pursue different roles in the fashion industry and create more opportunities for work.
Whether you are a newly certified personal stylist who's not sure you want to become a business owner, or you've already started your personal stylist business but are looking for ways to boost your income, there are some great opportunities available to you. So before you throw in the towel because business is slow or change direction because you don't feel business-minded, here as some alternative career options that you might want to consider.
Retail Personal Stylist
Clothing retailers and department stores have realized that offering personal styling services can be a huge boost to their business. More and more department stores, such as Nordstrom, Macy's, and Saks, to name a few, actually offer in-store personal styling to their customers. Their stylists are not sales associates, they are trained personal stylists whose role is to offer body shape analysis and color analysis services to customers and to help them find the perfect clothing options. It's a great way to use your personal styling skills and do what you love while getting a regular paycheck and even making commissions on the clothes your customers buy.
Personal Shopper
There are several different opportunities to work as a personal shopper. You could start your own personal shopping service, work at a department store, or even work with high-end hotels shopping for guests. Many department stores offer personal shopping a service that customers can pay for or as a complimentary service to their exclusive clientele. More and more hotels offer personal shopping as part of their concierge services to high-end guests. In most of these roles, you'll be paid by the store or hotel, and there may be the opportunity to earn additional commission.
Brand Ambassador/ Influencer
If you're already spending a lot of time on social media then why not get paid for it? I'm sure you're showing off your skills on Instagram or TikTok as a strategy to grow your business and attract new clients but why not think about social media actually being your business and seeking out paid promotions or becoming a brand ambassador? There are many brand ambassador and influencer programs that you can apply for so do some research and see which may work for you.
Fashion Writer
If you have good writing skills then why not combine them with your skills and knowledge of fashion and style? Both online and in-print publications hire personal stylists and other image professionals to write posts and educate their readers on all things fashion and style. Some publications will pay for guest posts and contributors and others will actually hire full-time writers and editors with fashion training. If you don't feel your writing skills are at the level to be a staff writer, then why not start writing your own blog and monetizing it through advertising and sponsored posts?
Fashion Podcaster
Let's face it, podcasts are popular right now! Whatever the topic you can be guaranteed that there's a podcast that talks about it! Fashion and style podcasts are very popular and can easily be monetized through brand promotions and advertising. Combine your expertise as a personal stylist with your gift of the gab and create some extra income or even a whole new career.
Public Speaker
If you like speaking in public and sharing your expertise then this could be a perfect career option for you. There are many opportunities for personal stylists to share their knowledge at events and engagements. Companies hire image professionals to speak to their employees about personal branding, schools and colleges will hire speakers to help their students learn the importance of dressing professionally for interviews and career advancement, and groups and organizations have speakers at their member events. I've personally spoken several times at legal conferences about the importance of image in the courtroom and at entrepreneur networking events to help entrepreneurs find their personal brand. The list of public speaking opportunities is endless for trained and certified personal stylists.
Of course, this is by no means an exhaustive list of career options for personal stylists, and there are so many ways in which you can earn more from the skills and knowledge that you have. So, if you're not ready to start a personal stylist business or are looking for ways to make more money just remember that the opportunities are there for you and the world needs your talent!
Happy Styling!
Louisa 💕