The luxury sector is a special one: products and services, clientele, finances, international scale. It is of increasing interest to students, attracted by the prestige of working for a famous brand synonymous with quality and excellence. However, it requires specific skills, the mastery of many codes and a high level of customer service.
The luxury sector
The luxury sector includes many branches, among which :
- Automobiles
- Perfumery and cosmetics
- High fashion and luxury ready-to-wear
- Luxury leather goods
- Real estate: real estate and investment
- Hotels and gourmet restaurants
- Luxury concierge services
- Private transportation: yachts, private jets, private or first class companies
- Arts, design and antiques (auction houses, galleries)
- Luxury events
- Investments and financial products
As well as many other branches offering high-end or very high-end products or services. All professions are represented, at all levels of study, although positions of responsibility are accessible at a level of 5 years of higher education.
Training and qualities required to enter the luxury sector
The companies in this sector are looking for efficient and trustworthy employees who adhere to their brand image and corporate culture. A good command of English is also essential. Other foreign languages are sometimes a must in order to be operational with all types of clients, service providers or partners, most of the time international.
As all types of professions are represented in the luxury industry, it is possible to join a company in the sector after completing any degree. However, priority is given to training for excellence, whether it be in the crafts, hospitality or service sectors or in positions of responsibility.
What kind of higher education is required to work in the luxury industry?
Depending on the departments integrated into the company, future candidates for luxury companies must have a Master's degree. They mainly come from business schools, particularly in the luxury sector. However, it is possible to access positions following university studies.
- Business school diplomas: management, business and marketing with a long internship and/or work-study program in the sector.
- Master's degree in management, marketing and branding from a university or IAE.
- Specialized Masters from business schools: luxury management, luxury professions, or Luxury.
The Paris School of Business offers a specific training program for students wishing to complete their studies in the field of luxury with its Luxury Retail and Brand Management Master's degree. It allows graduates to access managerial positions in the luxury industry. Organized in two semesters of work-study, the courses and professional immersion train profiles with varied expertise, focused on the strategy of luxury companies.
Discover our Luxury Retail and Brand Management Master's degree
Work-study programs: a booster for entering the luxury business
Like many other sectors, the luxury industry is very fond of young graduates with a work-study program, or at least a long internship, under their belt. The experience, the sense of service, the teamwork and the knowledge of the company and its culture, acquired through one or two years of work-study, are guarantee factors for recruiters.
Thus, the student may be offered a position at the end of his or her work-study period, within the company that hosted him or her. They can also capitalize on their experience to apply for jobs in other companies of the same type or with complementary activities to the one in which they were immersed and trained.
What are the professions with responsibility in the luxury industry?
There are many professional possibilities in the luxury sector, as it encompasses so many activities. However, the keystone of the sector is the sales aspect and the promotion of products through communication and marketing. It is this direct relationship with the end customer that engages both the quality of the product but also its presentation and the universe to which it belongs that makes a luxury product what it is, and establishes the reputation of the brand in the sector.
Purchasing, retail and merchandising professions:
- Product owner
- Brand manager
- Sales manager
Marketing and communication jobs:
- Marketing Manager
- Community Manager
- Event Manager
- E-commerce Manager
Transversal jobs and support functions:
- Supply Chain Manager
- Finance jobs
- Set up
Professional insertion in the luxury sector: a market that continues to grow
Luxury companies are not experiencing a crisis; on the contrary, the market for luxury products and services continues to grow, already reaching 200 billion euros each year. The international scale is essential and allows professionals who wish to do so to benefit from great geographical mobility. France remains the specialist in luxury products.
