By 2026, the majority of job application tasks can be handled by AI, increasing the importance of face-to-face interviews as one of the few remaining parts of the hiring process that cannot be automated.
The growing influence of AI presents challenges for both employers and job seekers. It raises questions about how much credit should be given to the use of AI in job applications. Does AI enhance or misrepresent a candidate’s achievements?
Daniel Peters, who founded Fashion Minority Report after working in marketing at Burberry and Selfridges, cautions that relying too heavily on AI can leave applicants unable to express themselves well in interviews. “If AI developed all of it for you, that lack of authenticity shines through in the interview room,” he notes.
For many fashion students and new graduates, the continued significance of in-person interviews is reassuring. With AI making many applications appear similar, interviews offer a chance to distinguish oneself among numerous identical submissions.
For designers, interviews provide an opportunity to showcase a physical portfolio, with career advisors often stressing the importance of demonstrating one’s creative process. Quinn Fertig, a recent Parsons graduate and fashion designer, says, “I really enjoy the in-person interviews because I get to bring my physical work. My work is very texture and color-oriented, so seeing it in-person definitely helps.”
Employers recommend avoiding exaggeration of one’s accomplishments. Nicolas Aburm, creative director at New York label Area, emphasizes the need for precise details. “Everybody who has worked at Givenchy says they designed the Rottweiler print,” he remarks. “But what did you do on it? The research, the placement, the volume it went on, the commercial variations? The specificity doesn’t minimize the work — it reinforces that you know your worth in the team.”
Does it matter what you wear?
In the fashion industry, attire for an interview is crucial, even if employers might not openly acknowledge it. Fertig carefully plans her interview outfits, always incorporating her designs. She once wore a “vast” pleated skirt she designed for a pitch competition, which she won. “I always try to dress in the language of the company I am interviewing at. I think that’s something that can be kind of overlooked,” she explains.
