Career in Garments Merchandising: Common Questions from Fresher

A career in Garment Merchandising: Common Questions from Fresher

From the inauguration period of our garments merchandising website to till now, there are some common questions asked from the readers and visitors especially from the fresher’s that why we don’t publish an article which shows some ways to find the job in garment merchandising. For those, I tried myself to write about it and finally present 15 questions here with their answers which will be too crucial for the freshers to make a career in apparel merchandising.

A career in Apparel Merchandising: Common Questions from Fresher

15 important questions have presented below:

1. What is the garment merchandising?
2. How many educational qualifications required being a garment merchandiser?
3. At the earlier stage, any experience required in garment merchandising?
4. How a person can be a part of the garment merchandising profession?
5. In which way, the job should be searched in garment merchandising?
6. What is the application method for the post of apparel merchandiser?
7. What are the key points that should include in the CV for the post of garment merchandiser?
8. How does the selection procedure for the post of garment merchandiser?
9. Which types of questions have to solve in the written exam?
10. Which kinds of questions asked in the oral exam?
11. Mention some key points followed by the recruiter during the oral examination?
12. What is the working procedure of an apparel merchandiser?
13. How much importance of English, Computer, and Communication build-up efficiency in garment merchandising?
14. What are the salary structure and other opportunities for a garment merchandiser?
15. What is your advice for the newcomers?

All the above questions have answered in the following:

1. What is the garment merchandising?

Merchandising comes from the word merchandise that means goods bought and sold and trading of goods. So, merchandising is an activity of selling and promoting goods. These activities are done by a garment merchandiser by interacting with the buyer and manufacturer. He also makes good relation with the buyer or buying office or buying agents or buying agency and manufacturer in terms of execution of garment export order.

2. How many educational qualifications required being a garment merchandiser?

There are no specific educational criteria to be a garment merchandiser. A person who has at least an honor’s degree from any subject from any reputed university can make his career in the readymade garments sector. But, it’s a great advantage for those applicants who are certified from the textile or garments manufacturing department from any reputed university. Because they have enough idea about the product of the RMG sector from its growing stage to the finishing stage.

3. At the earlier stage, any experience required in garment merchandising?

Experience is all time a key factor for any type of job. It is the same in the case of garment merchandising. At the earlier stage of garment merchandising, the experience is not enough necessary for trainee apparel merchandiser but he must have a minimum idea about the products or merchandising terms of this sector. It’s great news for the fresher’s that the leading garment factories and buying offices are creating more opportunities for the fresh merchandisers at the current period of time. Anyone can join here as a trainee merchandiser or assistant merchandiser under the garment merchandising department.

4. How a person can be a part of the garment merchandising profession?

Before coming into this sector, the applicant has to gather all types of basic knowledge related to readymade garment products. Example: types of products produced, fabric types, knitting, dyeing, washing, embroidery, and various terms or abbreviations related to textile and apparel, etc. Textile and apparel certified persons are well known here but those who are certified from the others department have to complete some short courses related to this sector which is provided by so many institutions such as BGMEA, BUFT, etc.

5. In which way, a job should be searched in garment merchandising?

At first, have to prepare a CV by using normal font but not gorgeous. Then it should submit to the different garment merchandisers by hand or via email whether he has needed any merchandiser or not. The main advantage from here that if there’s an opportunity then he may knock you instantly. One of the key points to get a garment merchandising job is the ability of communication build up with the persons related to the garment manufacturing sector specially garment merchandisers. Someone must provide you an opportunity if you have ten known merchandisers.

Besides this, you can follow several online job sites and apply there. If you find any circular then you should apply there not only online but also send your CV to the factory address or submit it by hand to hand. The second step is very effective to get a job now a day. Unfortunately, there are so many who still don’t know about it.

6. What is the application method for the post of apparel merchandiser?

Already I have answered some portion of this question at question number-05. The other words for this question are- the applicant should submit their CV to the required address by hand or online within 1-3days of circular publication. If you cross more than 5days it will reduce your possibility to get a job there. Because application deadline is not followed the maximum of the time in the readymade garments sector (not for all factories or buying the house).

7. What are the key points that should include in the CV for the post of garment merchandiser?

There are some key points which must be included in the CV. Those are-

• Career objective related to the RMG sector,
• A least one sentence which will ensure your dedication to this sector,
• Mention the experienced side of garment merchandising (if experienced),
• Point out the responsibilities at the previous organization (if experienced),
• Mention the extra courses completed related to this sector (if fresher),
• Mention about the English spoken course and Computer course (for both fresher and experienced),
• A well-known reference name that can easily identify you and say something about you.

8. How does the selection procedure for the post of garment merchandiser?

Some points have been considered at the initial stage of apparel merchandiser recruitment. Those are-

• Applicant from the textile and apparel manufacturing department,
• A minimum idea related to readymade garments sector (if fresher),
• Experienced in the definite side of garment merchandising mentioned in the circular (if experienced),
• Previous organizations (if experienced),
• Rapid job changing attitude,
• Graduated university or institutions,
• CGPA,
• English spoken course,
• Computer course.

9. Which types of questions have to solve in the written exam?

In most cases, the written exam has done for the experienced applicants. The question pattern is consistent with the total parts of garment merchandising such as determination of fabric consumption, costing, knitting, dyeing, garment dyeing, over-dyeing, cold dye, pigment dye, inside dye, outside dye, types of washing, sandblasting, types of embroidery, embroidery costing, polybag consumption, polybag costing, carton consumption, carton costing local and international market research, etc.

If there’s any written exam for the fresher’s then they have to prepare them-self about different terms and abbreviations related to textile, garments and buying a house, a basic idea about garment manufacturing, flow chart, types of fabric, knitting, dyeing, washing, embroidery and various laws of fabric consumption and costing, etc.

10. Which kinds of questions asked in an oral exam?

At the oral exam, questions are normally asked from some important parts of garment merchandising. Those are-

• Some common fabric name which is used in apparel manufacturing (if fresher),
• Fabric identification (if experienced),
• Fabric GSM assumption (if experienced),
• Various costing terms,
• Different buying house terms,
• Some common abbreviations for textile and apparel technology,
• Identification of garment washes (if experienced).

11. Mention some key points followed by the recruiter during the oral examination?

Some important key points are followed by the recruiter during the oral examination. Those are-

• Fluent English is spoken,
• Confident answer (though that is the wrong answer),
• Attitude,
• Communication build-up efficiency,
• Eye contact with the recruiter,
• Afraid or not,
• Stylish,
• Over smart (negative).

12. What is the working procedure of an apparel merchandiser?

In garment merchandising, the working procedure of a garment merchandiser is categorized into two. One is buying a merchandiser working procedure and another one is for a factory merchandiser.

Buying merchandiser has to do the following jobs:

• Buyer negotiation,
• Order received from the buyer,
• Fabric consumption,
• Costing,
• Factory evaluation,
• Order placement,
• Order follow-up,
• Passing necessary equipment’s or accessories to the factory,
• Manufacturing deadline follow-up,
• Garments production follow-up,
• Quality ensure,
• Goods sent to the buyer etc.

Factory merchandiser must have to follow the buying merchandiser. He has to do that which buying merchandiser ordered. His only task is to manufacture the garments by maintaining the buying merchandiser’s instruction. If found any problem then he should contact with the buying merchandiser immediately.

There are also different working procedures for woven garment merchandisers and knit garment merchandisers in garment merchandising which you can learn from the given link.

13. How much importance of English, Computer, and Communication build-up efficiency in garment merchandising?

As a garment merchandiser, you have to communicate with the buyer by using the English language. If you are fluent in English then communication build-up with them will be easy for you. As a result, English efficiency is a crying needed for every apparel merchandiser. Not only English but also computer and communication build-up efficiency has so important to be a perfect garment merchandiser.

14. What are the salary structure and other opportunities for a garment merchandiser?

Salary is well enough for the experienced garment merchandiser. In the readymade garments sector, if you are well experienced then you can easily move into the other organization with a higher amount of salary and other opportunities such as accommodation, cars, etc.

For the freshers, salary normally starts from ten thousand takas which you can change rapidly by proving yourself as a well-experienced merchandiser. It’s only possible due to your hard work.

In the readymade garment business of Bangladesh, the salary structure range for the apparel merchandiser is ten thousand to four or five lakh taka.

15. What is your advice for the newcomers?

If you want to make your career in garment merchandising then you have to prepare yourself by concentrating on some key points. Those are-

• Dedication to the readymade garments sector,
• Job stamina,
• A tendency to take on any kinds of challenges,
• Eagerness to learn something new,
• Don’t be idle,
• Proper use of time.

Finally, one sentence is enough to make inspiration for you that is- if you survive yourself just 4-5 years in this sector then you haven’t look back in your next part of life. So, invest your next 4-5 years here and enjoy the rest of the part of your life.

Written By-

Mayedul Islam
Merchandiser at Fashion Xpress Buying House.
Badda, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Email: mayedul.islam66@gmail.com