Britsh Sweater designer needs New York internship/job advice...

Hi
I'm not sure whether this kind of question has been asked before...but i guess i'll ask it anyway.
I graduated for school last summer. During school i interned for a company in New York for 6 months, working in sweater design. I have been interning in England since graduating, but my definate aim is to return to New York, and have been applying for assistant design jobs for months/posting my portfolio on things like styleportfolios.com, but with no luck. I have approached the company i used to intern for, but they dont have any openings at the moment. I'm thinking that another internship might be the best route to take (what with the global economic crisis etc etc)? My problem is who to approach and how? And whether the fact that i need a visa to work in the US would immediately put people off? I would also need some kind of salary(i wouldnt expect anything massive obviously...just enough to live off) if the position was going to be for more than say, 2 months? I specilised in knitwear/sweater design for 4 years at school, so have excellent technical knowledge of that side of things, as well as knowledge of computer programs such as photoshop/illustrator/web pdm/micrographics. would any of those things be unique selling points worth using?

I'm sorry this post is so long...i just wanted to give enough info in the hope that someone might be able to help.

Any advice at all would be massively appreciated!

Thankyou!

Hi Lois,

Looks like your post was a while ago, so not sure if you still need some help or not. I have been a sweater designer for the past 12 years, so here are a few tips for you. Sounds like you are doing the job search great. I also like your idea of taking an internship to get in the door. However I do think your visa issue is turning off companies. I know at my company (a big fortune 500) our HR doesn't really hire people without visas, unless it is a really big position. It is the first thing we ask when we interview people. Two things you could do. Work on the visa issue. Any possible way to get one... Second would build your career some in the UK. Then you would be even more valuable to US companies with your experience. Also I know when I interviewed at A and F in Columbus they DO hire people and help sponser them from other countries. At the time word was they prefered to hire the UK designers for sweaters since they had such a good rep. Another thing you have going for you is there isn't too many like you and I with sweater experience. maybe you will hit on a company really looking for that expertise. hope that helps!

Lois , there are plenty of Americans with knit and sweater experience in NYC. Frankly a lot of NYC designers don't appreciate English designers coming to the US to work, especially now. The English designers tend to undercut the US designers on salary and therefore take jobs. NYC is a very expensive place to live so be careful about your salary request . Due to the economy a lot of places won't sponsor people without a work visa. I hear it happening more and more. I agree with the above post. Go to Italy and work for a big name, you stand a better shot. Re A & F that may be true, but you have to live in Columbus , Ohio and that's a far cry from NYC.