The Versatility of a Fashion Career: An Alumni Spotlight on Emily Dance
Talk to anyone post-grad, and you will hear that no career path is truly linear. Some twists and turns will lead you down paths you never envisioned. Emily Dance is the prime example of combining talents and atypical experiences to create a career that brings excitement and gratitude every single day.
Emily Dance graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering from Mississippi State University in 2015. After graduation, she realized that the world of engineering was not where she felt that she was meant to be at the time, so she began traveling as a consultant for Chi Omega Fraternity. Emily loved meeting with people and offering guidance to help them grow in their leadership skills. This job brought her to Auburn University, where, partially due to the counsel of her mentor, Emily realized that completing her Master of Science in Consumer and Design Sciences at Auburn University would grant her the ability to use her analytical skill sets in combination with her love for fashion and design. While earning her master’s degree, Emily further developed her recruiting skills while working with Mrs. Louisa Wood as an Assistant Recruiter in the College of Human Sciences. This role helped her to realize how much she enjoyed finding talent and helping people find their place.
Soon came graduation, and it was time for Emily to find her place. Emily explained how quickly she fell into her first role: “I graduated Saturday from Auburn and accepted a job offer from Theory in New York that Tuesday. The very next Tuesday, I was moving into my place in New York City.” Emily worked in a temporary role as a Merchandising and Wholesale Assistant at Theory. Here, she learned the ins and outs of the fashion industry firsthand. She worked with the wholesale team on product styling, assisted in managing orders, and helped in the creation of buying charts. The three months that Emily worked in this role prepared her to work in the wholesale side of the industry.
When it became time for Emily to leave Theory, she was well-equipped to begin her new role as the Wholesale Operations Associate at Lele Sadoughi, a head accessory company. Throughout her 2 years there, Emily moved up to the Director of Sales and Operations. During this time, Emily worked closely with the CEO of Lele Sadoughi on all wholesale tasks including overseeing over 200 specialty stores such as Tuckernuck and Nordstrom. Emily was passionate about the products Lele Sadoughi sold which she says makes all the difference. Emily laughed that while she worked at Lele Sadoughi her family and friends joked that they would not recognize her if she was not wearing a headband. She explained that without passion, one would not work successfully. Emily knew that, though she loved the world of wholesale, her true passion was in recruiting.
Emily Dance made many connections during her time in New York City. One of these connections set her up to become a technical recruiter at Google Inc. While we talked, Emily explained “Your talent is awesome, but I truly believe that your networks and connections are what gets people places.” Ultimately, it was her friend from a run club that connected her to a job at Google which reinforced her love for recruiting.
However, Emily did not have a passion for working in technology. When a talent recruiting agency put her in touch with J. Crew, Emily said she didn’t even hesitate to sign the papers. She knew that she was finally presented with the chance to combine her passion for recruiting with her rich history in fashion and design. Emily is currently recruiting for Creative Design (clothing - all categories, accessories, and footwear), Tech Design, Production, and Sourcing. Emily explained how much she loves getting to talk to talented creatives and seeing where they get their inspiration.
Throughout her career adventure, there is a common theme of passion and connections. Emily majored in electrical engineering and is now working as a talent recruiter for J. Crew. She got to this position due to a mix of making friends and listening to the counsel of those she trusts. Emily had people who pointed her in the right direction, and she worked extremely hard to ensure that she made an impact in each position that she held.
