Singapore – Raffles Singapore’s Fashion Marketer Lakshmi Kathavi has been appointed as Assistant Manager of Zara, the world’s largest apparel retailer, through a career placement programme called Zara Go! Project. The programme was an exclusive collaboration between Raffles Singapore and Zara to help students venture into the fashion industry.

Lakshmi graduated in June 2014 with a Bachelor of Design, with Major in Fashion Marketing. Out of 100 candidates, she went through several rounds of interview before the appointment. “It feels great to be appointed as the Assistant Manager of Zara, they has always been one of my favourite brands. The fact that Zara is a market leader in the fashion industry also adds to my sense of joy.

At Raffles, I was taught subjects from visual merchandising and product development to textiles, style and trends and fashion communication, which help me in my daily duties at Zara. I also went for an industrial attachment at Club 21 and received commendation for my outstanding performance. Another plus point about Raffles was the Career Fair where I get to network with people from the fashion industry. The Zara Go! project was very exciting and provided opportunities for many students.” said Lakshmi.

An advice from Lakshmi to her peers: “Work extremely hard regardless of the industry field because hard work always pays off. Many of us may often get confused about making the right decision, be it educational preferences or job hunting. Be focused and don’t let others affect you. Set goals for yourself as it will help you achieve more than what you have targeted. Study and work hard, and the knowledge acquired at Raffles will aid you in your professional working life.”