Can you picture yourself doing any of the following?

• Planning the wardrobe of a businessman who's recently gotten a big promotion
• Being a personal shopper for a local media personality
• Training corporate employees on how to present themselves to the public
• Holding a seminar for college students on dressing for job interviews
• Producing a charity fashion show at a local shopping mall or hotel
• Coaching someone on voice and gestures to improve their business presentations
• Giving a workshop at a local retirement home on maturing elegantly

If these opportunities sound attractive, you may have what it takes to be a successful fashion and image consultant. Although this industry has transformed from its heyday in the '80's, it still offers unlimited opportunities for those who know how to take advantage of today's circumstances. Over 8,000 image consultants across the country are helping people look and be their best while earning excellent incomes. And many enjoy the flexibility of working from their homes at full-time or part-time careers.

Training for Today's Opportunities

Today's climate of corporate downsizing calls for more emphasis on value, understanding the new, professional/casual look, and knowing how to work with a maturing population. To help consultants understand and take advantage of these new circumstances, the Academy of Fashion and Image now offers a complete certification program as well as refresher courses through a home study program. Our program can train you to be a successful image consultant if you have at least two of the following:

• A natural sense of style or color
• Background in the retail, fashion, or cosmetic industries
• An ability to structure your time and set your own hours
• A genuine desire to help others look and be their best

Brenda York McDaniel, founder and director of the Academy Of Fashion & Image established in 1983 in Metropolitan Washington, DC