My LCF Fashion Journalism Interview Experience

As you all may or may not know (check out this post if not!), I'm so excited and grateful to be attending London College of Fashion to be studying Fashion Journalism this September! So today I'm here to tell you all a little bit about my interview experience and hopefully a few tips and tricks along the way! If you're thinking about studying Fashion Journalism at LCF soon too, I'm sure this post will come in handy!

My overall impression of the uni

I know it's probably typical of me to say, but I honestly knew the minute I walked through the doors of the Lime Grove LCF center that this was the uni for me. It's saturated with interesting and inspiring creatives that are so warm, welcoming and lovely - definitely not arrogant which is often a trait found in many art schools! For my interview, the staff and students on hand were very caring and understanding and this definitely made me feel more confident and at ease.

Of course, LCF is one of the most prestigious fashion universities in the country - people flock all over the world to study here and so I already knew this university would be fantastic for the course I wanted to take. The Fashion Journalism course is at held at Lime Grove - a stone's throw away from Westfields Shepherd's Bush (BONUS!). But you can read more about LCF and the Fashion Journalism course itself here.

What the interviewers were like/ the general experience

I think what I liked most about the interview set up is that other interviews were going on around you at the same time in the same room - meaning that it was not a quiet, still and awkward atmosphere which would just make the situation all the more daunting.

Both my best friend and I (who is also going to LCF to study fash journo!) said how lovely our interviewers were - they were both different interviewers. Mine were very calming and relaxing and totally put me at ease straight away. They also seemed very engaged and interested in what I was saying. They created a conversation which encouraged me to just ramble on, meaning that I wasn't stuck thinking of what to say.

If you're reading this ahead of your interview, don't be too nervous! I was absolutely terrified when I walked in to the room, but my nerves soon disappeared when realising how relaxed the atmosphere was.

What they asked

The moment you've all been waiting for! Before you read what they asked me below, it would be wise to consider that the questions are most likely to change every year so what they asked me may not be necessarily what they ask you. However, hopefully this will give you a rough idea. Also, it's worthy to note that they asked every interviewee the same questions, and there appeared to only be four main questions - however they ask you more questions based on what you're saying, so be prepared to expand!

1. Tell us about your article. [You will be asked to prepare an article beforehand].
2. How did you go about writing it?
3. How many drafts did you write?
4. What would you change about your article?
5. Why do you like fashion?
6. What is the most relevant platform in today's society? [Be specific!]
7. How do you keep up with current affairs?
8. How do you think fashion has affected society?
9. What is your favourite magazine. I'm presuming Vogue? [Be original!]
10. If we were to give you a writing piece that had to be completed within a few days, how would you go about writing it?
11. What primary and secondary research would you undertake?
12. Who is your favourite fashion writer?
13. What is a must-read in your opinion?

This probably seems like a lot but most of these were expansion questions, so based on what I was saying. Trust me, the allocated fifteen minutes flies by!

Top tips for answering the questions

1. Be original - consider this as your fifteen minutes of fame, a time to truly to prove yourself and show them you deserve a place
2. Be thought-provoking - grab their attention so that you stand out
3. Use lots of up-to-date examples - I kept talking about articles that I recently read or advertisements that I recently saw that intrigued me which not only showed my passion but my awareness of the industry too. They seemed to like this so I definitely recommend using lots of examples!
4. Be specific - I remember when they asked me about what media platform I thought was most relevant to today's society and after me explaining about how the print platform is essentially dying, I went on to say e-media - only for them to ask me to cut it down to something more specific, e.g blogs, social media etc.
5. Talk as much as possible, don't limit yourself
6. Show excitement when you're talking
7. Express that you love fashion and writing!
8. Show an awareness for world current affairs, as well as an interest in fashion affairs
9. Be yourself
10. Don't say something because you think it sounds good - they will most definitely ask you to expand...and then what do you do?!

But of course...I'm not saying this as an expert! There were definitely things I should've said that I didn't and even things I wish I didn't say at all.

My last tip is in reference to preparing for the interview. Personally, I jotted down loads of answers to questions that I saw crop up on The Student Room the week before and this definitely helped. It enabled me to think of lots of ideas and feel more readily prepared for a difficult question. However, do not learn answers off by heart as 1. They probably won't ask you that question, and 2. You will seem rehearsed which will only make them feel as if your passion is not sincere or genuine!

And there we go! You're probably reading this as a future wannabe-student at LCF so I wish you the best of luck, and while it's easier said than done, the best tip I can give you is to just relax. I'm so incredibly excited to start in September and I'm even more unbelievably excited to share this new adventure with you!

If you have any questions or queries about writing the article or want more advice or knowledge about the interview, please feel free to leave a comment below or tweet me!