We're all in the same boat!
Auburn University’s Apparel Merchandising, Design, and Production Management program is one of the strongest apparel curricula in the country. According to Auburn’s official website, it ranks second in the South and seventeenth nationally.
Despite this, I constantly hear comments like, “Your major is so easy,” or, “All you do is sew and shop.” Too often, the program is dismissed as unserious or effortless. What most people fail to see, however, is just how challenging it is to break into the fashion industry. The path is filled with rejection emails, unanswered applications, and countless attempts that seem to go nowhere.
Still, all it takes is one “yes” to land a dream career. Many Auburn graduates have gone on to find jobs they genuinely love. For example, Grace Keller, who graduated in spring 2025 from the merchandising track, now works at Goods and Services as an assistant account executive. In her role, she primarily works with FRAME Denim and Cara Cara New York.
Personally, I—Rachel Martin—completed an internship in New York City after my sophomore year, not for academic credit but purely for experience. I applied to nearly a thousand internships through LinkedIn, company websites, and cold emails, asking for any summer opportunity. After countless unanswered messages, one response finally led to an internship that taught me invaluable lessons about what it truly means to work in the fashion industry, and ultimately led to me getting an internship for Summer 2026.
Meg Will, also an Auburn apparel merchandising graduate (’25), shared a similar experience. She explains, “When I was looking for internships and jobs, I honestly applied to 50+ places before anything worked out. My biggest advice is not to give up or compare yourself to others—comparison just makes the process harder and more confusing. A lot of companies don’t answer, and many rejections come from A.I. scans, so it’s rarely personal.” Today, Meg works at Macy’s and is thriving while living in New York City.
Rejection is an unavoidable part of entering the workforce, but it does not mean giving up on your dreams. The apparel industry offers countless career paths, and sometimes rejection simply requires a shift in perspective.
Three pieces of advice helped reshape mine:
First, my grandfather told me to view rejection not as a “no,” but as a “not yet.” That reminder has stayed with me and makes taking the next step feel more manageable.
Second, my parents always emphasized the importance of continually adding to my résumé. Even the smallest experiences can help build the skills and qualities companies are looking for.
Lastly, during an interview, someone reminded me that every professional in the industry was once in the same position as we are now, as college students facing uncertainty and rejection. They persisted, moved forward, and eventually found success, and we must do the same.
All it takes is one yes to change everything. While the apparel industry is one of the hardest fields to break into, we are all capable of finding our place within it. Let this be your reminder: don’t give up.
