Part-time job leads to success as Sim reaches the top
Introduction
After finding a university place through Clearing, Sim Scavazza was propelled into a successful career in high street fashion – working her way up the ladder and even taking her skills to education and now healthcare.
It was while studying for a humanities degree at the University of West London that Sim took on a part-time waitressing job in a nearby restaurant and met the buying director of fashion chain Chelsea Girl, who saw her potential and offered her a job in the industry.
In what was to be the start of a 25-year-long career in fashion, Sim worked her way up from trainee buyer to managing director of Miss Selfridge, eventually focusing on running a team of people and setting out strategies.
And now, using her skills in a completely new industry, she is working as deputy chair for the University of the Arts London and sits as a non-executive director with the NHS – showing just how far you can take skills learnt across a successful career.
quote
I was so grateful for my time at UWL, and so happy to be there that I absolutely devoured it. It was a four-year course with a year spent in France, and I just loved the mix. I loved being in London, loved being in Ealing.
What I discovered at Chelsea Girl was that I had an eye for colour, for fabric and design, and an innate sense for spotting future trends.
The thing that really excites me now is my ability to affect people positively - having a positive impact on students, staff, people of colour. I want to leave something useful for people. I’d advise everyone to just be open to anything happening and don’t just sit and wait. Go out and find it, investigate it, and ask questions so you can create your own future.
