One of the most competitive industries in the world these days is in fashion and clothing design, which can range from the basic clothing found in retail outlets to the high fashion that the public sees on the runway. Clothing designers and other design professionals have a lot of pressure on them from day one of their job for a variety of reasons. The high price of jackets, shoes, and other clothing item make a good designer an important investment by a clothing firm. As well, the public attention given to stylish dress means that there is a strong public relations component to hiring quality designers.

The most important skill for a clothing designer, obviously, is the ability to design cutting edge clothing that can be worn by a target demographic. Some designers work for children's clothing firms and have to scale their designs according to the rapid growth of young children. Other designers work for highly prestigious design firms that develop jackets and outerwear for those with a lot of disposable income. The clothing designer needs to have the ability to envision interesting designs without breaking the firm's project budgets.

While design and technical skills are key for clothing designers, an eye for marketing is equally important. During the conceptual phase of clothing design, the savvy professional will be able to figure out the best way to design a clothing item that is comfortable, affordable, and can easily be marketed. Since big fashion shows and advertising campaigns are designed around new clothing items, this skill is key for the successful designer.

Many young professionals interested in clothing design break into the industry as freelancers or interns. Freelance workers help with individual projects or perform piecework from their home studio in order to help out a smaller company. Interns learn all aspects of the clothing design industry while gaining valuable experience necessary to land them their dream job.

However, many clothing design professionals are turning to recruiting agencies in this hyper competitive job market. The rise in international applicants for every design job, coupled with the rising competition between design firms, has meant the narrowing of margins between success and failure. Recruiting agencies can help harness a design professional's skills and market them to a variety of firms. Exclusive job listings through an agency allow a designer to be comfortable and focus on their skills instead of the competition.