An Investigation of Women’s Early Career Experiences in the Textile and Apparel Industries

Abstract

The experiences of female graduates of textile and apparel programs in the early stages of their industry careers were examined using two methods: (1) a questionnaire completed by textile and apparel companies, and (2) interviews with women employed in industry jobs for < 5 years. The questionnaire results revealed that the number of female employees was highest in wage/staff and midlevel positions and the number of male employees was highest in salaried and high‐level positions. Interview data showed that participants had a high level of job satisfaction and valued the knowledge gained by acquiring a degree in textiles and apparel. About half of the participants found their first full‐time job through internships. Others said that informal networking led to their first job. Participants stressed the importance of understanding “politics” in the workplace. Those in smaller companies reported assuming greater responsibilities and having more freedom to make decisions.

Being a Minority

“…For example, historically, many well-known designers have been male. Further, men more often than not lead fashion and apparel-related businesses, regardless of their educational background (Hodges, Karpova, & Lentz, 2010). The educational path to a career in the fashion industry can be achieved through training in business, marketing, or other related majors.…”

“…Since its inception as the study of home economics, sewing and designing clothing have been viewed as women's work (Bix, 2002). Hodges, Karpova, and Lentz (2010) noted that when women began attending college, textiles and apparel was viewed as one of the most appropriate majors for females. To date, no research has examined male college student experiences in the apparel field.…”

Modeling Entrepreneurial Career Intentions among Undergraduates: An Examination of the Moderating Role of Entrepreneurial Knowledge and Skills

“…Higher education programs designed to foster interest in entrepreneurship are increasing in American universities (Walstad & Kourilsky, ; Wilson, Marlino & Kickul, ). Likewise, studies suggest that this interest is high among students of textile and apparel programs (Hodges, Karpova & Lentz, ). As U.S. economic reports increasingly point to the important role of small businesses in recovery from the recession (U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), ), more emphasis has been placed on developing programs to enhance students' small business knowledge and entrepreneurial skills (Wilson, Kickul & Marlino, ) as well as assessing the outcomes of such programs (Davis, ; Fayolle, Gailly & Lassas‐Clerc, ).…”

Impact of Sustainability and Ethics Learning on Career Considerations

“…Developing effective, holistic curriculum and instructional strategies, requires a better understanding of the interrelationship of the three learning domains (cognitive, affective, and psychomotor). Learning outcomes related to career selection and satisfaction are increasing being examined in the apparel and textiles (AT) field (Hodges et al, 2010;Shim et al, 1999;Watchravesringkan et al, 2013). The purpose of this study was to apply the Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior (KAB) model to examine the role of students' objective and subjective cognitive learning on their affective perceptions of sustainability and ethics, and further on their career intentions.…”