NARRATOR:
You will hear two fashion students discussing a talk about careers in the industry.
NARRATOR:
First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 26.
NARRATOR:
Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 26.
HUGO:
So, what did you make of the talk?
CHANTAL:
I enjoyed it once I had changed seats.
HUGO:
Oh, were some students beside you talking?
CHANTAL:
No, that wasn't the problem.
CHANTAL:
I arrived early so there were plenty of seats and I wouldn't have to stand.
CHANTAL:
Then a very tall man sat directly in front of me and completely blocked my view.
HUGO:
Seeing through someone's head isn't really possible, is it?
CHANTAL:
Anyway, the session was very engaging, particularly the part about employment in fashion.
HUGO:
We already knew it was a fiercely competitive field, so none of us expects finding work to be easy.
CHANTAL:
And obviously not everyone will land their ideal position.
HUGO:
What surprised me was how many different kinds of work there are.
HUGO:
Several we'd never considered, such as fashion journalism.
CHANTAL:
I had no idea the choice of careers was so broad.
HUGO:
The presenter delivered a fairly forceful message overall, didn't she?
CHANTAL:
She kept implying that she understood our assumptions and then correcting us about the reality.
HUGO:
Maybe she believes students have a rather limited picture of the sector.
CHANTAL:
Even so, some of her comments about us seemed unnecessarily severe.
CHANTAL:
We already know the industry is demanding.
HUGO:
And we're only in our first year.
HUGO:
Naturally, there's still a great deal for us to learn.
CHANTAL:
Do you think our secondary schools should have concentrated more on career preparation?
HUGO:
We were given plenty of careers talks at the right stage, which was useful, but the speakers weren't very motivating.
HUGO:
Schools should invite more professionals like today's presenter.
CHANTAL:
The quantity and timing were fine.
CHANTAL:
The weakness was that the advice didn't come from people with genuine first-hand expertise.
HUGO:
Has today's session changed your ideas about the career you might pursue?
CHANTAL:
I've decided to complete the course before choosing.
CHANTAL:
I want to stay open to every possibility until the end.
HUGO:
I think we should select one branch of fashion now and start developing specialist skills in it.
CHANTAL:
Then we'll have to disagree about when that decision should be made.
HUGO:
One thing seems certain.
HUGO:
According to the presenter, we'll probably spend quite a while working as unpaid assistants.
HUGO:
I'm prepared to accept that as the reality of entering the industry, aren't you?
CHANTAL:
No, I'm not willing to accept it.
HUGO:
The presenter knows the business and everyone else says the same thing.
CHANTAL:
That still doesn't mean it must happen that way for me.
HUGO:
I hope you prove them wrong.
NARRATOR:
Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 27 to 30.
NARRATOR:
Now listen and answer questions 27 to 30.
CHANTAL:
The presenter's description of her first position was fascinating.
HUGO:
She was fortunate to become a musician's personal dresser without even applying.
HUGO:
The opportunity simply appeared and she was paid to select all his clothes.
CHANTAL:
It must have been exciting, but she wasn't chasing fame or a large income.
CHANTAL:
At that stage, experience was all she wanted.
HUGO:
And the musician criticised her for caring more about her own appearance than about his.
CHANTAL:
She admitted he was right.
CHANTAL:
That made me reflect on how much attention I give my own clothes when the client's image should be the priority.
HUGO:
She clearly regretted losing that job.
CHANTAL:
She said she should have concealed how much she disliked the client instead of making those negative feelings obvious.
HUGO:
It was impressive that she recovered and accepted a retail job afterwards.
HUGO:
Imagine going from dressing a musician to working in a shop.
CHANTAL:
She actually advised all future designers to try retail.
CHANTAL:
I suppose you could learn things such as the sizes customers most often need.
HUGO:
She said figures about shopping time or seasonal buying aren't the main issue for designers, and average sizes are mainly a manufacturer's concern.
HUGO:
What would help us is spotting a market gap.
HUGO:
A design customers want but no shop currently offers.
CHANTAL:
Yes, customers continue looking when they can't find the right item.
CHANTAL:
They also bring clothes back when something is wrong.
HUGO:
Working in a high-end store could show you why products are returned.
HUGO:
For example, if an expensive garment falls apart after being washed.
CHANTAL:
That sort of information would definitely be valuable.
NARRATOR:
That is the end of part three.
NARRATOR:
You now have one minute to check your answers to part three.
