Fashion to Pharma: Finding My Path

Over the years, I’ve worked in fashion, wine and spirits, television, medical communications, and now the pharmaceutical field. That last one is still most surprising to me. You may be thinking, “Hold it. How did she get from A to Z?” The answer isn’t as complex as it seems. LIM provides you with tools to succeed in any area of business—and that “business” can exist in any field, if you know how to apply what you’ve learned.

For example, one particularly valuable undergraduate course of mine was Management, where we learned the fundamentals of leading teams of all sizes. This gave me a stronger understanding of project management, which I’ve had to do a lot of—adapting to different roles, wearing multiple hats on the team, and, most importantly, managing diverse personalities to ensure everyone works collaboratively and efficiently.

I also discovered my love for writing during my first semester at LIM—I really found passion and purpose in every word I wrote. I started an internship as a fashion journalist, writing for the Handbag Designer 101 blog, Westchester Magazine, and other publications. It was reflecting on how much I enjoyed writing that made me decide to return to LIM to pursue an MPS in Fashion Marketing.

At the time, I was working in a production role at Nine West Group. When I left there to pursue marketing, I thought surely I’d be on my way to achieving my new dream: working in marketing and PR, constantly going to fashion events, a closet of endless shoes—a life Carrie Bradshaw would be proud of. Of course, I realized there are complications to chasing dreams based mostly on TV portrayals. For some, this is achievable!—but for me, it was again time for a different path.

I landed a role as a Project Coordinator in the medical communications field, a type of marketing that was far from what I expected. For one of my PR classes at LIM, I watched David Mamet’s “Wag the Dog” and become fascinated at the power of marketing. So, from communication and public speaking to cause-marketing and management courses, I felt determined, and prepared, to transfer my skills as a marketer into a new field.

Throughout the years, I worked on materials for advisory boards, product theaters, national and international conferences, virtual booths, and more. I’ve been exposed firsthand to scientific discoveries and also assisted in FDA approvals of cancer- and other disease-fighting drugs.

After eight years in medical communications, I had the opportunity to join a pharmaceutical company, which I'd once worked with as a client. I was initially worried my background wouldn’t quite fit—this new role was in pharma tech, which I didn’t have experience in—but, I thought back to how it all started. Once again, I took a leap of faith, boldly accepting the offer and diving in. Now two years later, as a project manager on the Learning & Development team, I’ve gained invaluable insight into an exciting and cutting-edge field.

Whenever someone asks about my background, I proudly say “fashion marketing.” Though my career didn’t lead me into fashion, my love for it remains. LIM gave me a strong business foundation and taught me lessons I still apply across industries. Being a student there also instilled the attitude and approach to seek new experiences and growth opportunities. I took that advice to heart by actively using the school’s career portal to volunteer and explore various roles that aligned with my interests. One of my most memorable experiences was volunteering at Ivanka Trump’s first-ever trunk show at Lord & Taylor, where I worked closely with her team to help organize the Fashion’s Night Out event!

My best advice to current LIM students would be to take advantage of everything their school has to offer, both inside and outside the classroom. Home in on what you enjoy doing, and that will open so many new doors.