Thursday, June 23, 2011

Opportunities in MFM for Software Professionals




Sometimes I receive mails like this:

" I am a software engineer by profession and in the industry for 6 years. I have been slogging in a field I had little interest and just because of our social structure which pushes you to deliver your best in anything you do; I have been doing well all these years. A while ago I was wondering if I am in a field where I have interest in; I would be a happier person and could deliver even better results. That is how I came across fashion management and the MFM course offered at NIFT....."

Such students sometimes wonder how MFM program can integrate their career with the software degrees they carry. In fact it provides them with many opportunities. 

Broadly we can divide the opportunities into three categories. The first I call as the direct benefits. These are the ones where the knowledge of software helps into getting a specialist jobs. This category include ERP designing and implementing in an apparel industry. It also includes jobs in retail consultancy companies. I have also seen students getting placed in Visual Merchandising Software companies and even data base management companies working for retail projects. 

The second category is the broadest. These are indirect benefits that you get from the knowledge of software skills. The benefits range from shortcuts in excel to actually be in the team responsible for ERP implementation in the organisation. Increasingly software professionals are becoming the first among equals when applying for jobs. As more and more companies are getting IT as the central part of the strategy, they find a fashion professional with software skills very helpful. 

With the advent of online retailing, there is a third category of opportunities that is increasingly becoming available for software professionals. Developing and maintaining B2B platform for Textile Value chain. Increasingly these sites are taking advantage of social networking capability of Web-2  and more where software professionals with Fashion management degree are hired.

In a nutshell, opportunities abound for software professionals in Fashion Management Field. If you are a software engineer and have an interest in Fashion, MFM can provide you with opportunities to take your career to new highs. 



Sunday, June 5, 2011

Why We Wear Cloths or Need for an MFM Course

It is extremely important both for an aspirant of MFM and a student to know the reason for this course. Marketing students know that every product is based on some need. And need is a state of physiological, social and psychological deprivation which an organism ( in this case the human beings) seek to fulfill. Then why we need fashion or clothing ? I am reproducing a few paragraphs from this site to explain:


"We have several reasons for our clothing choices. We choose clothes based on functional reasons – for comfort, protection against the elements and to support our physical activities. We also choose clothes for social reasons, such as adhering to cultural norms, meeting expectations, and fitting into groups. And we base our clothing decisions on psychological factors, such as a desire to be attractive, feel powerful, or express our creativity.

The styles we choose affect how we see ourselves and can make a strong impression on others. Some people try to appear current and trendy by choosing to wear the latest, popular fashions. Others may prefer to take a more conservative approach and wear simple, classic styles, such as polo shirts and khaki pants.

Color choice also affects how we perceive ourselves and how others perceive us. For instance, we may wear the color black because it is slimming, simple, and neutral. The color red is emotionally intense and can elevate your heart rate. Purple has a long history of being the color of royalty.

...Ultimately, we choose clothing based on a variety of reasons - marketing, functional needs, our physical, social, and psychological reasons , and our own individual taste!"

Thus fashion designers work to create such clothing which takes care of that need. Marketers take these clothes from manufacturers and sell to the customers having those needs. But needs, as you know are not the same everywhere and also they have to look for the demand ( the willingness to pay ) for that need.  This is where you need to study Marketing Management and Consumer Behaviour and where the other subjects of MFM kick in. 

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Placement in MFM at NIFT Mumbai in 2011

Just read this news article here.

Among other things it quoted the following:


...This year we have received good offers from labels or brands namely, S Kumars, Future Group, Lifestyle, Kimaya, Neeta Lulla, Arvind Lifestyle Brands, Adidas, Handicrafts and Handloom Exports Corporation of India (HHEC), Central Cottage Industries Corporation of India (CCIC), and others."
"Among the 30 FM students the average salary offered is Rs3.5 lakh per annum and the highest salary offered is Rs5.5 lakh per annum. Last year the highest package offered was Rs4.2 lakh per annum," he added.
FM student Sumit Gupta has bagged the highest package this year of Rs5.5 lakh per annum through PPOs from Adidas and he will soon join them as operations manager...
I guess this piece of news will give some idea about the placement and compensation packages in MFM program of NIFT.