Thursday 23 June 2011

a very[.co.uk] angry note

If you're a regular facebook user and a fashion fan - and you're here, so I would assume both these things to be true - you might've seen very.co.uk's latest promotion.

The online department store is hiring! On facebook, that is. I'll let them explain themselves:
If you know a thing or two about fashion then enter Very.co.uk’s comp to be in with a chance of winning an amazing job for a year! If you win you’ll become one of our V-Team, and that means attending fashion shows, designing a collection, rubbing shoulders with celebs and sharing your style with the world! (Tell all your friends and share the joy – you might need them when you’re canvassing for votes!).

Just when you thought this competition could not get any better, you will be paid for doing it! Do you have enough votes to get the job?
That was enough to annoy me, but I could almost let it slide given that it just appeared to be a competition.
But then, recently (as you can imagine), I've been trawling job sites trying to find a job - something, anything that is a suitable job for me, and this - THIS - has been advertised as a legit job with a "click to apply" link taking you to the facebook page.

NO, VERY. NOT COOL.

If this was a legit job, and they were just using facebook to advertise the position, well, that would be fantastic. It is difficult to find entry level jobs in fashion, and well advertised jobs would be much appreciated, but not if the successful applicant will be the one with the most likes.

There is no screening process.
Anyone can enter.
It is basically a popularity contest.

In an industry which has TENS OF THOUSANDS of QUALIFIED people - not just this years graduates, but young designers all over the country - desperately searching for a job to suit them, I find it inconceivable that Very think it's fine to offer a position which includes 'designing a collection' to whoever has the most likes. A job is not a popularity contest, and this competition seems to be playing into the (apparently) widely held opinion that 'anyone can be a designer'.

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