Part two of our Working in Fashion series features Anna Wesche, a Social Media Assistant for Free People! During her undergrad, she majored in Writing Seminars and Film & Media Studies at Johns Hopkins University. After graduating in spring of 2018, she joined the Creative Marketing team at Free People.

*Disclaimer: Responses have been edited for clarity and length. 

Interview with Anna

Did you have any fashion experience prior to interviewing for this position? If so, what was it?

Yes, I had a bit of experience prior to my interview. I was a marketing intern for the AUDRA fashion label, and worked on social media and email marketing campaigns. That was summer of 2017, and then I stayed with her (remotely) while I was in school from September to March-ish. I went to two New York Fashion Weeks with her which were amazing experiences. Audra, the founder of AUDRA, is a mentor for me in a way. She really helped me out with connections and looking over my resumé. We still keep in touch and usually try to grab a coffee together if we’re in the same city.

Did you feel like college prepared you for working in social media at Free People? If so, what experiences were most helpful?

I think college just kind of teaches you how to work, like you have to deal with deadlines, pressure, and expectations. It also teaches you how to handle disappointment. I think one of the things that is hard for people our age to remember is that you’re not special, and that sounds harsh, but there are 800 people just as qualified as you vying for the same position. You don’t get a job because you’re special, you get it because you work your ass off and you know your stuff. I’m not sure if anything particular has been especially beneficial besides my writing. There’s so much writing that goes into social media/creative marketing. It’s hard to find a way to say something perfectly and really easy to say it horribly wrong.