If you've been following the news over the past several months, you'll have heard conflicting information about unemployment figures, business confidence, hiring plans for 2011, and the state of the economy. Whether you're an employer or someone looking for a change in her employment, the up-and-down news can make it difficult to choose a solid way forward.

To many it might look as if business growth is stalled and that employers are hesitant to take on more staff. For lots of companies, that is their reality. However, in the fashion industry, there appears to be a silver lining starting to shine through.

Over the past four months we have noticed a marked uptick in activity within the rag trade. We have been hired to recruit for a variety of roles, with the number of engagements increasing almost 50% against the same period last year.

Particularly, we have seen a noticeable increase in the number of openings for intermediate technical people - especially for Production Controllers and Garment Techs. We're finding these openings hard to fill as the industry has not been training up enough graduates during the past two years of downturn. We're also experiencing an increase in clients requiring sales people, which is a sure sign that both business activity and business confidence are picking up, as well.

As the future brightens, and employers in the fashion industry plan for growth in hiring, there a few things to keep in mind. If you're an employer:

• This is a golden opportunity to (re)build a strong team. It's not easy to screen applicants successfully. Consider seeking professional assistance through Rag Trade who have 15 years' experience in this screening process.
• Know what kind of people can help you move your business forward ... successfully, efficiently and creatively. Determine how to "mine" for those characteristics during the selection process.
• Have a recruitment, hiring and retention programme in place. Be clear on both the aptitude/skill set and attitudes you're looking for. This is not the time to be making hiring mistakes.
• With a potential skills shortage developing as hiring rates increase, it will become increasingly important to mentor, train and develop the employees you do have. Once you've gone through the time-consuming, and sometimes costly, process of finding the right candidates, you don't want to lose them due to poor retention practices.

On the other side of the equation, as the labour market improves in the fashion industry, job candidates will have to pay attention to the following things.

• For every job opening, you will be competing against a large pool of applicants. Always put your best foot forward in how you present yourself - on your CV, on the phone and in person.
• If you aren't comfortable preparing a professional looking and sounding CV, seek help. The first cut surrounding your "suitability" for the job will be based on a very quick review of your CV. Know what employers are looking for and be sure to highlight those things in your background that will catch their eye.
• Stay abreast of the marketplace. Know what's going on in the industry, expand your network of rag trade associates and work to create mentoring relationships with those you truly respect and who can help you grow in your career and in your life.

No one can deny that there is still a great deal of uncertainty on the economic horizon. But the fashion industry seems to be lifting itself up and perceiving a brighter future. Hiring is accelerating and opportunities for job candidates are opening up. Through good employment practices and some serious pre-planning, the future can be bright indeed.

Submitted by Managing Director, Gaye Harford in collaboration with Lorraine Warshaw