The fashion industry is often noted as being highly competitive in nature. And while the actual availability of jobs may reflect just that, the sense of competition and the feelings of stress that are often associated with it are arguably self-induced. It’s impossible to control the external happenings around us, but what we can control is our own self development. When it comes to landing your dream job, think of the process as less a competition with every other candidate, and more as a personal challenge. Having seen it all, Christie’s here to shed some light in regards to how a competition mindset may actually be hindering your professional growth.

Christie:  There will be stylists more fashionable then you, journalists smarter than you, that’s ok, that doesn’t mean there’s no room for you. It’s not a competition. I’ve always said this. No matter how great you believe yourself to be at something, there will always be someone that can do the same thing a little (or a lot) better than you can. While that realization may be disheartening, it is in no way a sign that there’s no room for you in the professional playing field. The moment you start focusing your energies on what are considered uncontrollable, such as the other candidates you may be up against for a job opening, is the moment you’ve just done yourself a great disservice. Rather than worrying about what others can and cannot do, focus on what you can do and how you can improve upon your own skill-sets. The only real competition is with yourself, and a motto I live by is simply, “do you.”

We all move forward in our own time, which means some people may get to the same destination before you do. That’s okay! You know yourself the best, and if you need an extra few years to build up your repertoire, don’t feel as if you’ve failed. If I had started Style Nine to Five at 25 instead of 30, it probably wouldn’t have been as successful a venture or successful at all for that matter. The knowledge that I acquired in the 5 years were completely necessary to get me to where I am today. I’ve made many mistakes along the way, and I still have plenty of things to figure out. Regardless, day by day, I learn a bit more than the previous day, and I wouldn’t trade that time in for anything. Given how precious time is, every moment I spend comparing myself to someone else is wasted time that I could have spent on furthering my own development. Remember, you are your own worst enemy, and the moment you free yourself from the self-doubt is the moment you’ve just opened a world of possibilities.

Photo by Laura McIntosh

By: Anna Zhoa

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